TVSquad

NBC was kind enough to make the new Dick Wolf procedural drama, Conviction, available for free on iTunes before it airs on Friday night. So, I took advantage. I'm just going to give you my general thoughts on the program. There will be NO SPOILERS HERE.

If you like Law and Order, you will probably like Conviction. There are a lot of characters on the show who will make for some great storylines that will no doubt be driven by the criminals and crime victims. It looks as though we'll be getting two storylines an episode, instead of just one, like the usual Dick Wolf procedural dramas.

This show is classic Dick Wolf, even down to the set with its wood trim around the doors, and offices with windows and blinds. I even said to my husband, "It sure looks like Law and Order." The pilot gives us a main storyline about a new A.D.A. and a secondary storyline about a 2nd-year A.D.A. who is trying her first case. It was this secondary storyline that I found most compelling. I liked the character and I liked how she wasn't perfect in the courtroom, making an ass out of herself more than once. This is probably pretty close to what happens in a real courtroom.

However, the main storyline was a little weaker. The main character was a young version of Sandy Cohen on The O.C., as a wealthy, talented lawyer who decides to slum it in the city prosecutor's office. And he looks like Fred Savage. I'll give his character a chance because there are lots of opportunities for character development here as he becomes a compassionate prosecutor and breaks outside of his exclusive social circle.

The only thing that I didn't like was a certain attorney's affair with another certain attorney. That's too easy. And, why does a person always have to be sleeping with the boss? No, that's not a spoiler because you don't know WHO I'm talking about, and there are a few red herrings in the show to throw you off.

Basically, I'm not turning cartwheels but I am mildly intrigued. Plus, I want to know how Stephanie March's character was able to return from witness protection, which is where her character went when she left SVU.