The thing is, I’m not really sure yet myself, so I’d really like to hear what everyone else thinks about the show so far. I’ve continued watching it since episode one, and I really enjoy the show, but there are still things that bother me even after all of these weeks. Here’s what I’ve come to think of it so far…

Refreshing Drama?

We don’t get many shoe horse airhead-types or middle-aged, big-girl lawyers on our law shows, which is refreshing. In fact, the cast—and many guest stars are—largely female, which I also enjoy. I am an enormous fan of Kathy Bates and adore her as Harry, the titular attorney of the show. Her weekly antics—such as her bending the law a bit, getting in over her head, and especially her colorful use of the English language—never fail to delight me.

Her staff has been enjoyable to watch so far as well, though the guy who played Gene on United States of Tara still creeps me out a bit just because of that previous role (which, I know, isn’t fair; I have the same issue with Kiefer Sutherland after seeing Eye for an Eye). The fact that the law firm is in a shoe store at all is also always funny, though we never really see purchases going down. It is funny to note that he shoes themselves are what account for most of the funds the office makes.

Same Old Crap?

While the cast is a bit colorful, most of them fit into stereotypes-the ditzy blond, the Asian stuck in his old-fashioned ways, the Black drug addict (or punk or gang banger or whatever—it’s featured them all). That said, some portrayals—such as a Black district attorney—were better carried out than others.

I’m also tired of the same old storyline where the big white man comes in and saves any non-white people from their troubles or themselves. Now, Harriet isn’t a big white man; she’s, in fact, a big white lady, and at least that’s different from the typical supermodel that we’ve come to expect. Still, what we need is a law show—hell, any show—with a colorful cast of main characters who do the saving. How awesome would it be to have Asian, Hispanic, Black, and dare I say gay characters all as part of a team? None of these characteristics are mutually exclusive, after all. That would be one cool show, as long as it was kept down to earth and real rather than stereotyped. (Remember when Elliot Stabler from Law and Order: SVU asked Dr. Wong to speak in Mandarin, and he asked him why he assumed he spoke Chinese? Elliot replied, “I heard you order takeout.” It’s not hard to do!)

Anyway, I’m curious as to how other people feel about the show and would love to hear other opinions about it.