Kathryn Peale, the product of a New England background and a sheriff father, is the Deputy Bureau Chief in the New York State District Attorney's office. Jimmy Brogan, born and raised in Hell's Kitchen and a friend of Kathryn's since their days at Yale Law School, is one of New York's rising criminal attorney stars. Buoyed by their respective teams, these evenly matched lawyers -- each with a strong streak of competitiveness, a fervent belief in their clients and an equally intense passion for the law -- go about creating two different stories from the same set of facts. As this up-close, behind-the-scenes look at the legal process mirrors the excitement of a great championship match, it becomes evident that truth has nothing to do with innocence or guilt -- at the end of every trial, the only thing that matters is what the jury believes.
I am a big fan of criminal drama's but I really think The Whole Truth is a terrific show. The Whole Truth has two unique angles on the typical courtroom drama. First is the love/hate, friend/foe relationship between the prosecutor, Kathryn Peele, played by Maura Tierney, who you may remember from ER, and defense attorney, Jimmy Brogan, played by Rob Morrow, who's been in countless movies but who's most notable part was in the series Northern Exposure. These two characters have a long standing friendship but their careers put them on opposite sides of the case and they both seem to thrive on the healthy competition. I remember back in high school my best friend and I had similar competitive nature. We were both smart, obviously friends. But she had the knack for perfecting procrastination. I would spend a week on a project and she would throw it together the period before it was due. She would often end up with a better grade than I would. It was frustrating and comical all at the same time. But it also drove me to always add a little something extra, in an attempt to get the chance to say "See, I told ya! Hard work pays off!" But I have to say it RARELY happened. But I think a little healthy competition is great for a friendship as long as both parties are fair competitors, as it can bring out the best in both sides.
The other twist in The Whole Truth is that regardless of the verdict, whether the jury gets it right or wrong, the viewer will be shown the truth at the very end of the episode. I love this ending so much more than some of the other courtroom drama's and their awkward elevator (literally IN an elevator most of the time) endings. Plus, who doesn't want to know "The Whole Truth."
The Whole Truth is really well written so that it will NOT be obvious to you in the first 5 minutes who 'done it.' If you haven't seen The Whole Truth yet you can catch up by watching the full episodes online at ABC.com here and watch new episodes on ABC WEDNESDAYS at 10|9c. And join in the conversation with other fans at The Whole Truth's facebook page here.
Disclosure: I have been hired by Warner Bros WBWord division to raise awareness for 'The Whole Truth.
Sounds like fun to try to figure it out at home!
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