In the desolate wasteland of cable television, only a select few networks are still putting out original programming. The USA Network is chief among them. In the long-gone days of the mid-00s, the channel’s “blue sky” era marked a period of successful programming focused on positive and breezy fare. Shows like Psych and Burn Notice provided a sense of comfort in a TV landscape moving toward more gritty and realistic affairs. With The Rainmaker, USA hopes to bring that feeling back.
Based on the John Grisham novel and previously adapted into a film by Francis Ford Coppola, this version of The Rainmaker aims for a more laid-back vibe. The series follows Rudy Baylor (Milo Callaghan), a hotshot soon-to-be lawyer fired from the prestigious firm Tinly Britt on his first day. With nobody else willing to hire him, Rudy joins up with a small-time outfit run out of an old restaurant. He soon discovers a possible wrongful death lawsuit that finds him facing off with the firm that fired him and their lead partner Leo Drummond (John Slattery). That’s just scratching the surface. There’s Rudy’s girlfriend and fellow soon-to-be lawyer Sarah Plankmore (Madison Iseman), who continues to work for Tinly Britt. Oh, and there’s a nurse going around killing people (Dan Fogler) who might have a connection to the case.
That last part is the most egregious move the show makes. The Rainmaker is a moderately faithful adaptation, but the addition of a serial killer feels antithetical to the good vibes it’s trying to produce. That tonal confusion extends to the entire structure of the show. For all the fun it promises, the show is stuck in a weird zone between being a serialized story and a procedural. Obviously, there are plenty of shows that nail the balance between telling episodic stories and carrying a season-long arc. The Rainmaker focuses its season on one case but breaks it up into episodic quests. It’s an odd strategy that never fully forms a workable narrative.
The real charm of the “Characters Welcome” era is right there in the tagline. The actors were the reason to come back, and that’s The Rainmaker’s biggest flaw. Characters are certainly present, but they’re rarely interesting. Even the “fun” ones like slovenly paralegal Deck Shifflet (P. J. Byrne) or tough-as-nails Jocelyn Stone (Lana Parrilla) offer nothing new. Even Slattery is basically playing a modernized version of Roger Sterling. By far the biggest issue is with Callaghan’s version of Baylor. He aims to show Rudy as a moral fighter, the common ideal of a lawyer, but it never lands.
Despite their best efforts, the USA Network can’t bring cable back to what it once was. Even if the show successfully recreated the “blue sky” era, it would still be on a network that has nothing else to pair it with. This is the station’s only show out this year with one other scripted program in development. The sad truth is that even if the series were good, you’d likely never hear about it. There’s so many other programs vying for your attention on platforms you use more often. The Rainmaker never aspires to be more than passable entertainment, and for that you’re better off sticking with Suits.
The Rainmaker airs Fridays on USA Network and streams on Peacock.