SPOILER ALERT: The following contains spoilers for The Rainmaker Season 2, Episode 1.
The Rainmaker Season 2 is going out on a limb. Not only is the USA show moving away from John Grisham’s source material (as there’s no second book), but the Season 1 finale felt close-ended in many ways. So what on Earth could Michael Seitzman and company do for an encore?
“Dear Uncle Rudy” begins with a familiar framework—in some ways too familiar. Seitzman, who both wrote and directed the episode, elects for only a three-month time jump between seasons, which is refreshing; instead of taking the easy way out with a wholly clean slate, he ties Season 2 to the aftermath of Season 1. And what’s happened is that he’s turned the tables: Rudy Baylor is now being courted as a celebrity, while his ex-girlfriend Sarah Plankmore is the one chasing law firms for her next job. They’re put on their next collision course by a 12-year-old named Victor Suffredes, who’s alleging that he agreed to a plea deal under false pretenses and is now trapped in an abusive juvenile detention facility.
This is obviously a perfect Rudy Baylor case, because as is pointed out, he hates bullies. This is the guy who was introduced, in part, by slugging his mom’s boyfriend. Actor Milo Callaghan is great at conveying how Rudy’s win in the Great Benefit case was not his Golden Ticket. Many scenes are spent on the trappings of Rudy’s celebrity: a corporate case he has no interest in, being courted by another law firm, boxes of fan mail. Viewers can see how uncomfortable Rudy is, and how muted Callaghan’s performance is, as he’s slowly doling out more energy until Rudy gets back to who he’s supposed to be. When Rudy defiantly announces to Victor’s warden that “I’m his lawyer,” that moment is as emphatic and cheer-worthy as it should be, and Seitzman could’ve ended the episode right there.
The Rainmaker does stick close to some elements of Season 1. With Leo Drummond clearly on his way down when fans last saw him, Seitzman brings in Merle Dandridge as this season’s new antagonist Amanda Vonn. Dandridge has the gravity—TV buffs may not remember she was almost the chief on Chicago Fire before Eamonn Walker was cast—but Amanda is too much like Leo. She’s another rich and powerful lawyer looking down everyone else; she’s introduced by giving a whole monologue (this one at a public event instead of a firm meeting), and she also just happens to be buddies with Leo. Hopefully, future episodes differentiate Amanda from her predecessor, especially with John Slattery already confirmed to be coming back as Leo.
There’s also a big question mark over Sarah, who could be the season’s wild card character. It’s surprising that “Dear Uncle Rudy” pivots away from the Sarah viewers saw at the end of Season 1, who seemed poised to take over the kingdom as she gazed out the office window. But that’s also an incredibly refreshing choice, because getting back to the Sarah Plankmore fans met and fell in love with is so much better. It gives actor Madison Iseman a lot more to play, and it makes Sarah a far more interesting character than just going full villain. The scene in which she attempts to apologize to Rudy is some fantastic work by Iseman; it actually hurts when Rudy doesn’t accept her apology, because it’s such a human moment from a character who lost her humanity last season.
But there’s also a big risk for The Rainmaker with her character. By once again putting her on the opposite side from Rudy, the writers have to be very careful not to just repeat her Season 1 arc with a different boss. That isn’t entertaining for the fans, yet more importantly, it really would make her “radioactive,” both in-universe and out. No self-respecting law firm would hire her if she went Darth Vader twice in less than a year. Beyond that, it would kill any potential she has as a character, because there’s no way Rudy or anyone in his orbit would even speak to her again. He’s barely speaking to her now. So how do the writers keep everyone interested in Sarah? There has to be something more for her than just being Rudy’s adversary again. Maybe at some point this season, they end up being in agreement on something.
Elsewhere, it’s up to P.J. Byrne and Lana Parrilla to bring the humor and do they ever. Deck is still somehow bringing everything back to food, including the most cringe-worthy line ever said on this show during his first scene. And Bruiser has to face her past a second time, in the person of her ex-husband Tom (portrayed by One Tree Hill‘s Austin Nichols). As with Sarah, the writers will have to be careful not to make this not feel too much like Bruiser’s bitter dynamic with her dad. But Parrilla once again owns every scene she’s in; the moment in which Bruiser steals Tom’s new wife’s expensive purse as her retainer is applause-worthy.
“Dear Uncle Rudy” kicks The Rainmaker Season 2 off with what the show does best, which is character first. The first season fell off slightly when it became more about getting to the verdict and lost those small moments of character that gave the series additional layers. There are several of those beats in the Season 2 premiere, from big (Sarah’s attempted apology) to small (Rudy’s reaction to Deck losing his money at an underground casino). The series could use to have stepped a little further away from what it did in Season 1, and it would’ve been so much better to be surprised by the return of Dot Black and the future return of Leo than having them revealed in advance. But in general, The Rainmaker brings back its characters with as much crackling energy as before, and sets up a case that should keep audiences on the hook. It’s good to have Rudy Baylor back.
The Rainmaker airs Fridays at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on USA. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Versant Media.
Article content is (c)2020-2026 Brittany Frederick and may not be excerpted or reproduced without express written permission by the author. Follow me on Twitter at @BFTVTwtr and on Instagram at @BFTVGram. For story pitches, contact me at tvbrittanyf@yahoo.com.
