TV Review: ABC’s ‘The Whole Truth’ Promises Complete Dramatic Experience

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CHICAGO – Every year, there’s a program or two for which it is strikingly easy to recognize exactly what people will love about it and what many will equally hate about it. Said programs are usually the product of creators with strong and identifiable styles and Jerry Bruckheimer is certainly one of those. Even casual fans would recognize his slick approach to the medium and your tolerance for that is going to determine your judgment on ABC’s “The Whole Truth,” a program that works for me but might not work for you.

Television Rating: 3.5/5.0

Kathryn Peale (Maura Tierney) is the deeply-intellectual and tough Deputy Bureau Chief in the Manhattn District Attorney’s office. A friend of Kathryn’s for years, Jimmy Brogan (Rob Morrow) is the toughest New York criminal defense attorney. The high concept of “The Whole Truth” is that rather than merely detail the prosecution or defense of a client, each week we will see both and draw our own conclusions. In a subgenre that has grown increasingly stale, just the effort to find something new by not turning either side of the courtroom into the weekly villain makes for an experience that feels fresh. In the opening episode, the case revolves around a family man accused of rape and murder.

It might sound odd for a critic to waffle so completely on a program but “The Whole Truth” is a show about seeing both sides of the story, so it seems oddly appropriate. The prosecution of the drama will claim that it’s surface-level manipulation with no real character development and slick editing masquerading as actual storytelling — it’s all style over substance. The defense will counter with the argument that it’s not intending to be a grand statement on anything but merely to entertain for 44 minutes and that its breakneck pace and excellent performances make it perfect hump day entertainment — the style IS the substance.

ABC’s “The Whole Truth” stars Christine Adams as Lena Boudreaux, Anthony Ruivivar as Alejo Salazar, Rob Morrow as Jimmy Brogan, Maura Tierney as Kathryn Peale, Eamonn Walker as Terrence “Edge” Edgecomb and Sean Wing as Chad Griffin.
Photo credit: Craig Sjodin/ABC

Judging a program this easily divisive on the strength of the first episode can be difficult. The pilot works for me. It worked for me with Joely Richardson in the role and it works just as well with Maura Tierney, arguably better. She brings a perfect blend to her character, coming off tough but not too much so, finding a great balance. She instantly comes off believably a woman who could eat you alive in a courtroom without forgetting to smile or come off as unlikable. Rob Morrow, one of the more notable TV veterans of the last two decades after stints on “Northern Exposure” and “Numbers,” delivers exactly as you’d expect him to with another excellent turn surely to be underrated. And the supporting cast is strong including the always-impressive Eamonn Walker and newcomers Sean Wing, Anthony Ruivivar, and Christine Adams.

What needs undeniable work on “The Whole Truth” is the storytelling. The first case is ridiculous, especially an illogical and manipulative final scene designed merely to get audiences talking the next morning. But I’m not sure we want realism out of a program like “The Whole Truth.” This is not a program that would work by attempting to deepen its characters. That’s not what we expect from Bruckheimer productions. Sure, there’s a little bit, mostly provided by talented stars like Tierney and Morrow, but we watch Bruckheimer shows for the thrill ride, not the realism.

It may not close the case for season pass inclusion after its opening arguments but “The Whole Truth” does enough right to keep listening to the case. Although I don’t expect that to be a unanimous decision.

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com