The ARD series “Legal Affairs” sends Lavinia Wilson as a cool celebrity lawyer not only in the courtroom.
In December 2013, a young American woman suddenly and fatally gained fame because she tweeted to 170 followers immediately before boarding: “Fly to Africa. Hope I don’t get AIDS. Just kidding. I am white! ”The internet world pounced on it, a shit storm arose, as if she were the only person who posted a stupid, thoughtless tweet. Before landing, she had practically lost her job.
For a young woman in the eight-part ARD series “Legal Affairs”, who jokes similarly about AIDS to a photo in which she stands happily between two black men, things turn out better: because a fabulous team led by media lawyer Leo Roth takes over her case and turns the mood faster than the one who is expected by a mob at Berlin Airport and who is injured by a bite is released from the hospital.
“Legal Affairs” takes place predominantly in the world of the rich and famous, including the politically influential, because the main character is a “star lawyer” who earns her money by keeping all sorts of violations of privacy (infidelities, for example) under cover. Or stuff under it again. It does this, for example, by threatening the press – and this by no means only applies to the tabloids – with lawsuits. Or the latter in exchange for gossip about Roth’s client offering gossip about someone else. Leo Roth is largely unscrupulous in this regard, as well as tough and cold as a dog’s nose. One could also call their approach blackmail.
It eases the consequences that now and then it’s about reputation instead of money. Or does she even have a heart?
Media lawyer Christian Schertz is the advisor for the series, which is mainly written by Lena Kammermeier and Felice Götze and staged by Randa Chahoud and Stefan Bühling, but 45 minutes each cannot go into very legal detail. In any case, one thing is guaranteed not to correspond to reality: the judiciary works breathtakingly quickly. As soon as something has happened, they meet again in court.
Lavinia Wilson plays the smart lawyer, always in a hurry, but always like a designer. But because – see crime scene commissioners – it is no longer possible without a bad personal fate, one soon learns that she has a bullet in her head and that this bullet has something to do with her father’s suicide. If this ball shifts, for example due to a fall, it receives flashbacks. Heard certain music, smell something caustic. She is reluctant to be helped.
She tries to beat out left activists. Or an underage actor who wants to be an action hero but is outed as gay. Or the young naive with her AIDS joke. One case, however, begins in episode 1, “Witch Hunt”, and continues through to episode 8, “Betrayal of secrets”. It also becomes personal and private: Leo Roth’s beloved sister, Annika Kuhl, is in a wheelchair with MS, her husband, Rainer Sellien as Interior Senator Kai Fontaine, has cheated. And turns, of course, to his sister-in-law. This is how an action begins that has certainly already happened in a similar way at a crime scene or a police call, because there will soon be a death.
With this continuous plot, “Legal Affairs” is based on the crime thriller without being too original. And that’s why he rather likes his rhetorical battles – and thanks to the diverse team of lawyers: First and foremost the brilliant, but essentially modest and loyal right-hand man – Maryam Zaree is this brilliantly clever Elena (the competition is already trying to poach them). Niels Bormann, a Cecil and a “von”, is only almost as good as Elena, but has the bigger ambitions. The role of the fabulous researcher and hacker is originally cast by an older woman, Michaela Caspar. And a new assistant, Aaron Altaras as an inexperienced-but-smart guy, has his own father problems.
You’d like to bet: this team is designed in such a way that if these eight episodes are successful they can continue for a few more seasons.
“Legal Affairs”: In the ARD media library from Friday, December 17th. In the first on December 19, 20, 22, 23, two episodes of 45 minutes each starting at 9.45 p.m.
