The Lincoln Lawyer season 3 episodes take us on a complex journey in which even victories in the courtroom have deadly costs. The season probes deeper into Mickey’s professional and personal life and deals with wrongful accusations, corrupt law enforcement, and cartel threats and ultimately goes way beyond the courtroom. The season is also about the case of Julian La Cosse, who is wrongly charged with murdering his friend Gloria “Glory Days” Dayton. Besides The Lincoln Lawyer season 3 ending, also know about the episodes’ cast, review and more.
An overly simple case in this legal drama turns out to be an intricate web of deceit thanks to rogue DEA agent James De Marco and cartel leader Hector Moya. As Mickey starts peeling the layers of the case, he is drawn into a conspiracy where not only justice is hard to find it might also cost him his life.
The season perfectly intertwines the courtroom drama with the personal dilemmas in such a way that for Mickey, the truth always puts him in harm’s way. But it’s the stunning final episode that really ratchets up the stakes and sets up a harrowing battle for survival that will define season 4. While the show has been a drama for the most part, this season has elements of a full-blown suspense thriller series as more and more unexpected developments come our way.
Spoiler alert!
Who framed Mickey Haller? Breaking down The Lincoln Lawyer season 3’s shocking ending
Emotional gut punches, legal drama, and danger from the crime world all converge to make this one of the series’ most compelling yet. But what really happens in the season? Let’s look at it in more detail.
Julian La Cosse’s trial: A battle against justice
The backbone of this season is Mickey Haller’s defence of Julian La Cosse, linked to the murder of Gloria “Glory Days,” a sex worker. Mickey senses that Julian is innocent right at the start, but unravelling the truth will take them through untangling far-reaching conspiracy involving drug cartels and corrupt law enforcement.
The investigation reveals that James De Marco was the real murderer of Gloria. He was a DEA agent who had been involved with the Juárez cartel. So why did he murder Gloria? For over a decade, he aided in covering up Juárez cartel’s illegal activities while also engaging in their vendetta against the rival Tijuana cartel. After arresting Glory Days for prostitution and drug possession, he coerces her into his schemes to keep her out of jail. Among her clients is Hector Moya, a powerful Tijuana cartel boss. Under De Marco’s manipulation, Gloria is forced to plant a gun on Moya that is tied to a notorious triple homicide, leading to his life sentence. However, Moya, aware of the setup, has his attorney subpoena Gloria to testify. Fearing exposure, De Marco decides to eliminate Glory Days permanently to protect his secrets.
Mickey has an uphill in court where the prosecution paints Julian as an unhinged murderer. But their case falls apart when Neil Bishop, a disgraced ex-cop, testifies that he was coerced by De Marco to tamper with evidence and frame Julian. Even though Bishop’s testimony proves instrumental to the case, it ultimately ends in tragedy when, overwrought with guilt, Bishop shoots himself in the courtroom. With the truth finally revealed, Julian is exonerated but the fallout has only just begun.
The cartel’s wrath and De Marco’s fate
Though Julian is now free, the danger to Mickey doesn’t end there. Hector Moya is let loose. He’s a hot-head, and also a big deal in the cartel. He is also aware that he was incarcerated due to De Marco’s manipulations. Upon his release, Moya sets his aim on De Marco, who had not only betrayed the cartels but threatened their operations by having framed Moya.
The fallout is vicious: De Marco is kidnapped and murdered by a cartel enforcer. Grim confirmation of his death takes place in the gruesome form of a photograph sent to Mickey’s office, with De Marco’s lifeless body shown in a gruesome photo. This gruesome development helps to reinforce the thread that justice, in Mickey’s world, all too often occurs outside the court, as carried out by those who think it necessary to work outside the limits of the law.
Moya’s actions carry a darker undertone to Mickey’s victory. While the death of De Marco has eradicated at least one menace, it reveals an even greater menace of taking on such cases — that is, even superior courtroom victories can never assure protection within a cartel-mandated world where free agents seem to make their own laws.
A twist that changes everything: The final scene
Just when it seems Mickey can finally get a break, the season deals out its most jarring plot twist. Mickey celebrates the release of Julian, but he is detained for a routine traffic stop as police search his iconic Lincoln Continental. The officers seem appalled when they discover the battered, bloodied dead body of Sam Scales, an old scam artist and past Mickey client, in the trunk.
He is now considered the chief suspect in a murder case. Not only does this cliffhanger raise doubt over Mickey’s integrity but also hints towards a greater conspiracy to take him down. It is all fraught with more questions than answers: Who killed Sam Scales? Why was Mickey in such a situation? And most importantly, who could orchestrate such an elaborate setup?
The season ends with Mickey walking away in handcuffs, indicating that the next one will probably pivot from the court-based battle to a more personal struggle for survival. Mickey will need all his legal chops and must untangle the reasons behind this framing to prove his innocence. This ending has set up a tight and thrilling arc following season.
Who is in the The Lincoln Lawyer season 3 cast?
As always, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo leads the cast in the titular role of Mickey Haller. Also in the cast are Becki Newton, Angus Sampson, Jazz Raycole, Yaya DaCosta, Neve Campbell (who you might know from the Scream slasher horror movie franchise), Krista Warner, Lana Parrilla, Christopher Gorham, Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Elliott Gould, Devon Graye, Holt McCallany, Marlene Forte, Jamie McShane, John Pirruccello, Fiona Rene, Allyn Moriyon and more.
The Lincoln Lawyer season 3 brief review
Here’s The Lincoln Lawyer season 3 brief review:
Created by David E. Kelley, also known for the popular HBO show Big Little Lies and Apple TV+ series Presumed Innocent, this show gets better and better with every season. The Lincoln Lawyer season 3, across 10 episodes, ramps up the stakes as Mickey Haller (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) attempts to defend Julian La Cosse in a series of courtroom drama, personal turmoil, and unbelievable twists as he gets waylaid by cartel conspiracies, dirty agents, and moral dilemmas. The season is sharply paced and as I said earlier, shares elements with suspense thriller shows.
A cliffhanger conclusion ᅳ Mickey framed for murder ᅳ adds a gut-punch that can ensure its viewers eagerly wait to continue watching into the next season. Though the series sometimes crams too much into subplots, the sophisticated writing and performances make season 3 binge-worthy.
Watch The Lincoln Lawyer season 3 on Netflix here.
(Hero and featured image: Courtesy of Lara Solanki/Netflix)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes! Season 3 of The Lincoln Lawyer was released on October 17, 2024, on Netflix.
James De Marco the one who murdered Gloria Dayton.
Although Maggie McPherson (played by Neve Campbell) had a reduced role after season 1, she returned in season 3 in a brief role.
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Kshitij is a journalism graduate who did not initially intend to become a film critic, but such are the vagaries of destiny. Now, Kshitij is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic and a member of the Film Critics Guild, bringing expertise and experience in evaluating entertainment content with him. Additionally, he serves as a jury member on the Critics' Choice Awards in India. When he's not busy wielding words, catch him nose-deep in books or joyfully lost in the realms of gaming and photography.
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