Advance Episode Review
“She Came Upstairs to Kill Me”
FRANKLIN & BASH Wednesday June 8th at 9 PM EST on TNT
June 8, 2011
By Lena Lamoray
FRANKLIN & BASH Press Release: This summer, two nontraditional street lawyers promise to shake-up a buttoned-down law firm in TNT’s new offbeat drama series FRANKLIN & BASH. Mark-Paul Gosselaar (NYPD Blue) and Breckin Meyer (Road Trip) star in the title roles, along with Malcolm McDowell (Hereos, Entourage) as the eccentric head of the law firm. The outstanding cast also includes Garcelle Beauvais (NYPD Blue), Dana Davis (10 Things I Hate About You), Kumail Nanjiani (Michael & Michael Have Issues) and Reed Diamond (Homicide: Life on the Street, Journeyman). FRANKLIN & BASH premieres Wednesday, June 1, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT). When they’re not hanging out at their favorite hot dog stand pontificating on what they’d go through to enjoy a night with their favorite female celebrities, Jared Franklin (Meyer) and Peter Bash (Gosselaar) are chasing down their latest clients…sometimes literally. With business cards in hand, they’re ready to nab a client within seconds after a car accident, arrest for solicitation or any other incident where their legal services may be needed. Once in the courtroom, they show their flair for the dramatic and the shocking. Peter has a knack for connecting with jury and judge, while Jared loves sticking it to authority every chance he gets. Despite their bad-boy antics, brash presentation and devil-may-care attitudes, Jared and Peter are good lawyers who are willing to do anything for a client, no matter who the client might be. That quality catches the attention of Stanton Infeld (McDowell), a Renaissance man and the patriarch of Infeld Daniels, one of the top law firms in Los Angeles. He sees a lot of himself in the young men and decides to recruit the pair to bring a fresh energy to the firm. Jared and Peter are joined by their two legal aides, the brilliant, brassy Carmen (Davis) and the agoraphobic, verminophobic Pindar (Nanjiani). Infeld’s decision to take on fresh talent doesn’t sit well with his nephew, Damien Karp (Reed), a lawyer who has his own plans for the firm and a particularly shifty way of doing business. The arrival of Jared and Peter also threatens Karp’s romantic – albeit celibate – relationship with Hanna Linden (Beauvais), a lawyer who takes an immediate liking to Jared. In their new digs at Infeld Daniels, Jared and Peter handle a variety of clients, from a woman fired for being too beautiful to a family feud over a cherished baseball. But their story is really about the incredible friendship they’ve built and how their relationship is challenged now that they find themselves working in a more corporate atmosphere. Only time will tell if these devoted buddies can survive in this new environment. FRANKLIN & BASH is produced by Four Sycamore Productions, Left Coast Productions and FanFare Productions in association with Sony Pictures Television. Jamie Tarses (TNT’s HawthoRNe, Mr. Sunshine and Mad Love), Jason Ensler (The West Wing, Chuck), Kevin Falls (Journeyman, The West Wing) and Bill Chais (Shark, Dirty Sexy Money) serve as executive producers. Falls and Chais wrote the pilot.
FRANKLIN & BASH “She Came Upstairs to Kill Me” Advance Review, Airing 6/8/2011
FRANKLIN & BASH may joke about a lot of things but they take deadly copulation very seriously. Natalie Zea, the lovely Winona from JUSTIFIED, guest stars as Isabella. Isabella is accused of loving her husband to death, literally. Three different ways to be exact and you will have to watch FRANKLIN & BASH to find out exactly what went down “otherwise” you’ll miss the climax. Fred Willard also guest stars.
I loved the premiere of FRANKLIN & BASH last week and from the response I have gotten from most of you, you loved it as well. If seeing your beloved Zack Morris from “Saved By the Bell” sans knickers last week made you a wee bit uncomfortable, don’t worry Peter Bash (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) has tamed it down and only goes full frontal while sunbathing. Just the top part you perverts, what kind of show do you think this is, “Spartacus”? Seriously, I loved the premiere and all of the other episodes that I have watched. I’ve been recommending this show to everyone.
Malcolm McDowell is brilliant as Stanton Infeld and definitely one of my favorite characters. His spirited character easily steals the show. Infeld agrees to represent Isabella and he only requires the assistance of one of the boys. Who will assist Infeld in his quest to find out exactly what went on during the most intimate moments between a loving husband and wife? Did Isabella sex him to death and if she did isn’t that “a hell of a way to go.” Infeld’s compassion towards fruit allergies says a mouthful.
Jared Franklin (Breckin Meyer) is holding on to a juicy secret about an animal shelter peeping tom that I would like to know more about. Perhaps that will be explored again in a future episode. You get a real sense of how close Jared and Peter are when Peter asks, “How far do you want to go with this?” Peter is always there for his friend and he is willing to do whatever it takes to assist him. That is a true friend and we get to watch the friendship bloom every week.
Peter does his best to keep a straight face in court and given the argument at hand, he does a marvelous job but he does slip up a bit. Keep an eye on him in court and enjoy the perplexing giggle that he lets.
Fred Willard is hilarious as Wallace Clayton, Isabella’s deceased husband’s lawyer and friend. How can you not adore Fred Willard?
This is a great episode and JUSTIFIED fans can quench their withdrawal with a taste of the beautiful Natalie Zea. I also loved her in “The Other Guys” as Allen’s (Will Ferrell) crazy ex. Tune in on Wednesday night and find out how the tale entitled, “She Came Upstairs to Kill Me’’ unfolds. Don’t miss FRANKLIN & BASH, Wednesday nights at 9 EST only on TNT.
