Television series
Reckless
Other titles called Reckless: the 1935 film, the 1995 film, the 1997 series (ITV1), the 2014 film.
A legal drama set in Charleston where a sharp Northern lawyer and a charismatic Southern attorney navigate professional rivalry and personal tension while defending police caught in a sex scandal. It's soapy, occasionally very dark, aimed squarely at fans of morally complicated characters and workplace tension. CBS's attempt at prestige drama with genuine bite.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you like a legal drama where courtroom machinery and a slow-burning romance between two sparring lawyers carry equal weight, and you don't mind soapy stakes played straight.
Skip it if you want a tight, fast procedural, since this is more interested in glances, loyalties and southern manners than in courtroom procedure.
What it asks of you: Thirteen hour-long episodes that linger on faces and rooms, moving at a simmer rather than a boil, and rewarding attention more than quick plot turns.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
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But Eight seasons means it can feel repetitive. The show occasionally treats its own plot twists as more shocking than they actually are.
The Practice1997
Darker, grittier legal drama that treats law as messy and morally compromising rather than a puzzle to solve. Strong ensemble and cases that genuinely haunt you afterward.
But Late '90s network TV sometimes feels slow by modern standards. Some episodes veer toward melodrama rather than tension.
How to Get Away with Murder2014
Merciless plotting, a lead character who's brilliant and deeply flawed, and moral collapse as the actual plot rather than a occasional plot point. Genuinely unpredictable week to week.
But Loves a twist so much it sometimes twists itself into a pretzel. Requires real attention or you'll lose the thread completely.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Reckless
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Harrow2018
Both center on professionals in a corrupted system choosing sides. Both suggest the law protects the wrong people.
Australian drama about a forensic pathologist uncovering corruption in his city. Dark, morally complex characters, slow-burn storytelling with genuine atmospheric dread.
But Australian television pacing is different—it breathes. If you want constant plot movement, this will feel glacial.
More like this (6)
Boston Legal2004
Witty courtroom sparring, eccentric characters who feel lived-in, and a willingness to be ridiculous when it serves the story. James Spader is magnificent.
But Uneven quality across seasons. The humor sometimes overwhelms the legal stakes.
The Good Wife2009
Smart plotting, characters who change based on what they learn, and legal cases that matter. Alicia Florrick is a rival-turned-ally dynamic done brilliantly.
But Fifty-six episodes is a lot. Quality dips in the middle seasons before recovering.
Better Call Saul2015
A lawyer becoming someone worse, shot with visual precision and genuine heartbreak. Jimmy McGill's slide into Saul Goodman is tragic and oddly compelling.
But Slow. If you need plot momentum every five minutes, this will feel like it's stalking you rather than moving.
Damages2007
Opens with a murder, then backtracks to show you how six people got there. Glenn Close as a lawyer you fear and half-admire. Genuinely twisty plotting.
But The twist-for-twist's sake occasionally collapses under its own weight. Some seasons are much stronger than others.
Conviction
Focused, propulsive legal thriller with Hayley Atwell leading a team reviewing old cases for wrongful convictions. Higher stakes than typical procedural work.
But Cancelled after one season. Ends without closure, so you're investing in something unfinished.
Twilight of the Dogs1995
Both feature leads performing competence while their personal lives collapse. Both about men choosing the wrong thing, slowly and with eyes open.
Argentine neo-noir about a retired cop pulled back in by women and violence. Shot like poetry, acted with quiet intensity. Feels like a different kind of legal story.
But Spanish-language. Subtitled. Its pace is unhurried and its morality is genuinely murky—no heroes here.
People
Cast
Writing
- Dana StevensCreator