For Life 1x06 Review: "Burner" (A New Face) [Contributor: Thomas]

"Burner"

Original Airdate: March 24, 2020

This is the halfway point of the first season of For Life. We’re following Aaron Wallace who has been incarcerated for the past nine years. He recently has received a breakthrough though and is now in possession of his confidential police file.

Aaron begins searching through his police file and finds a gem: the cops had a confidential informant outside of his assumed friends. Whoever this person was, their identity wasn’t shared with Aaron or his lawyer which gives hope of proving corruption of the police department. Aaron shares the breakthrough with Marie, but can’t really talk because guards are near.

From this episode’s title, I assumed that the plot would be centered around Aaron’s cell phone — his lifeline he’s used to speak to Marie has always been a risk because as prison rep, he’s supposed to be approve reproach. If caught, this could seriously hinder his chance to make a case for his release since the phone is contraband that was smuggled in and is illegally held.

We, the audience, learn more about Captain Foster and see more of his motivation and operation in the drug smuggling of Bellmore. In a meeting with the supplier, he fronts like he really doesn’t need this hustle. His house is paid off and he even has a boat, but he’s risking his livelihood which he believes means he should get more of the money. The supplier has done his homework though and knows Foster can’t back out because Foster’s father has a bad heart and the medical bills can easily pile up.

He’s able to transport the drugs through containers he brings sirloins into the prison for during “Steak Day.” This is evidence of Bellmore’s way of doing things being different from other prisons.
Foster is grateful that this “time-honored tradition” is one thing she hasn’t messed up with her reforms. There’s conflict which unexpectedly leads to tension between Masry and her wife, Anya Harrison. Harrison is running against Maskins for Attorney General of New York and Masry’s progressive views are causing potential endorsers like the CO’s union to withdraw their support. Masry is looking to reduce prisons as they reduce the crime in the prison population.

Masry’s reforms are written in a comprehensive proposal which is given to the prison board. Maskins gets his hands on it through a board member who details a scheme to put her plans to the state by transferring level four inmates to Bellmore — including a particularly difficult inmate played by 50 Cent.

I love that 50 Cent has made a career of positioning himself with respected stars of the film industry.
Because of his production companies, G-Unit Film & Television and Cheetah Films, he’s been able to act alongside Academy Award winners like Robert DeNiro and box office star Bruce Willis. This opportunity to play Cassius Dawkins is no different. He brings a realism to the role that is needed in this series. His character is known as a nuisance and his previous wardens were glad to not have to deal with him anymore.

Immediately Cassius has not only a presence and a swagger, but he also is heavily connected. Through Bobby, played by Hassan Johnson, we see that he’s all about business. Cassius is already setting up a nefarious plan, priming Bobby for players in this game while Aaron and Jamal look discouraged. The freedoms Bellmore gives may be ruined by Cassius’ upheaval.

I can’t believe Aaron is already in front of a judge pleading his case against the D.A. O’Reilly is his opposition and plans to invalidate the new evidence by asking how Aaron got a hold of a confidential police file. Aaron restates that it was from an anonymous whistleblower who was afraid of reprisal so Aaron destroyed the envelope it came in. He tells the judge that a career confidential informant was used to gain a warrant for the club he owned, but this wasn’t revealed during the trial. He wants to know his name, why he wasn’t able to cross examine him, and if they held a Darden hearing. The judge backs him up asking if they did in fact have a Darden hearing.

The next scene we see, Maskins is not happy, threatening that the NYPD needs to find the leak who gave Aaron the confidential police file. They try to make it about how he got the file and not about what’s in it. This leads to drama between Hassan and Aaron after O’Reilly calls Hassan’s brother Officer Newcombe to the stand. Under threat of perjury, Newcombe lies for Aaron, which is exactly the type of drama Newcombe and Hassan sought to avoid when getting involved with him.

Outside of prison Earl, Marie’s dad, surprises the family by coming over. After the pleasantries, slowly Earl makes his intentions known: he has never liked Aaron and felt that he was holding Marie back. Earl encourages Darius to propose to Marie, going as far as to gift him the ring Marie’s mother had. Through this exchange, the audience learns Aaron never actually signed the divorce papers Marie presented him with so they’re still technically married. And that leaves Darius on the outside dating a woman who loves him but is still with her husband.

Back on the yard, Aaron is in a bind because he trusted the wrong people. Cassius learns from Bobby that Aaron has a burner phone and intimidates him into letting him make a phone call. This immediately backfires because Aaron witnesses Cassius Dawkins send people to threaten Captain Foster. Aaron is advised to use Cassius as a buffer for protection, and Cassius explicitly states that Aaron’s burner now belongs to him and there’s nothing he can do about it.

Meanwhile, I like learning more about Brooklyn’s D.A. Anya Harrison. She cares, inquiring about why four max inmates are coming into Bellmore. Masry and Anya worry about the prison board possibly putting her “soft” approach to the test. Anya and Safiya have a confrontation on Masry’s position and reforms. The COs are worried that they’ll have fewer jobs because of Masry’s assertion that there needs to be less prisons, not more. In my opinion this demonstrates the complicated relationship between those who are trying to reform prisons and those who want to abolish prisons. Anya promises that when she’s elected she can go beyond the reforms Masry has implemented but encourages Safiya to soften her way so that she can become Attorney General.

In the judge’s chamber, O’Reilly and Aaron are each making their case on whether or not the department effectively did their job. It’s revealed that the department cut corners and the judge admits they “played fast and loose”... but they had ample evidence to have a warrant issued without the knowledge from the confidential informant. Angelo Torres was a confidential informant paid by the NYPD. He was the manager of the club, a key witness in Wallace’s trail, and “he was on their payroll the whole time.” Aaron wants the opportunity to cross-examine him and wants access to extensive records on his time as a C.I. Apparently there’s the prospect that though Aaron didn’t get the search warrant thrown out, the department may be the hook for possibly a Brady violation.

Later in the episode, after Earl has a tense conversation with his daughter about her future, he goes to the prison where he’s face-to-face with Aaron. What starts as an earnest plea for Aaron to let Marie go turns into a confrontation where Earl rails on Aaron as being selfish and he storms out. I could see James McDaniel being nominated for an Emmy for an Outstanding Guest Actor. His performance was breathtaking and his emotion was fully conveyed through the screen.

The last scene in the episode is two armed men dressed in black next to Officer Foster’s family.
As the captain tries to plead, they silence him by raising their guns and telling him that Cassius Dawkins has a proposition.

Quotes/Favorite Moments:

• “If you test us and mistake our humanity for weakness, you will be dealt with.”
• “One thing I know, one thing I always knew, was that he was devoted to me and Jazz. So I’m not gonna turn my back on him. Even if it makes my life harder, even if it brings me pain, I will never turn my back on him. So I’m sorry, but that’s how you raised me.”
• ”I believe in everything you’re doing. I do. And if I’m elected ... I’m gonna push for all of these kinds of reforms in a more comprehensive way than what you can do right now from there. But to do that, I got to get elected first.”

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For Life 1x05 Review: "Witness" (Compromises) [Contributor: Thomas]

"Witness"

Original Airdate: Marc 17, 2020

The last episode, "Marie," was my favorite episode of the series so far. The way the show handled time and the acting performance from Joy Bryant as Marie was Emmy-worthy. This week, we are back in present day and the story is continuing.

I’m glad we get to see more of Henry Roswell. He's the former state senator and sponsored Aaron while he was petitioning to become a lawyer. In this episode, Henry encourages Aaron to keep digging. The police file that was gifted to Aaron shows the neglect by the police but Henry warns to slow down and reminds him that there’s only one shot at asking for a retrial. Henry suggests that Aaron take a case similar to how the police department handled eyewitnesses. After winning that case, he can tie it to Maskins or O’Reilly and this would prove a pattern.

The continuity on this show I really enjoy. It’s always great to see when moments from previous episodes aren’t in a vacuum but that the characters' actions have consequences. When Aaron was representing Felonious Munk’s character, Hassan, we discovered that the guards were helping the flow of drugs into the prison. This is the complete opposite of warden Safiya Masry’s goal. With her reform-based programs, she needs the guards to buy in, which is what she reinforces to Captain Foster after a prison fight.

I like that we see she’s a woman of her word. She respects Aaron’s boundary of only telling on the guards and in turn she doesn’t stay silent but instead she confronts Smitty who is caught on camera selling smack to inmates. It’s revealed that Captain Foster, played by Glenn Fleshler, is involved in the transport of drugs into the prison population. This was shocking to me because of how he treated Aaron after he became involved in representing the neo-Nazis. It turns out that Foster is just a good actor because he is involved with Will Bill, head of the neo-Nazis. He smuggles drugs, which he passes off to Will Bill. It’s fascinating to me that he’s not in need of money; instead, it seems it’s the greed that’s motivating him. He said he paid off his mortgage, got a boat, and isn’t afraid of retiring. Again it turns out he’s bluffing because his father and sick and his father’s medical expenses aren’t cheap.

We see that Hassan is still imprisoned and it’s a reminder that actions have consequences. Even though Hassan should be a free man, he’s still imprisoned because of the judge and Aaron’s inexperience. Rafi Lopez is a prisoner who needs a new lawyer and he seems like the perfect candidate for what Aaron needs to prove in court. The problem is that Rafi needs that cosign from Hassan to prove Aaron’s straight up.

Rafi is the key to trap the D.A. but there’s a risk of those involved getting dirty in response to Aaron’s prodding. Meanwhile at home, Jasmine and Marie are aiming to track down the witnesses from Aaron’s case. We also see Maskins’ home life with his wife; he also has a son in high school who is hearing about the case from kids at school. There’s a great scene between Maskins and his wife where they discuss the perception that he’s the “racist white man putting innocent Black people away.” Again it’s great to see that Maskins isn’t just some monster but a misguided man who wants to protect himself.

We’re also introduced in this episode to Adam Yamada at O’Reilly’s son’s christening. Here we learn of Dez’s ambition of being the next Bronx D.A. after Maskins wins Attorney General. Yamada is the lawyer who Aaron is trying to go up against in the Rafi Lopez case. Four years ago a plea deal was made, and the lawyer feels Aaron has nothing. But Maskins warns not to underestimate him: “A cornered animal is always dangerous.”

Aaron gets Yamada in the courtroom under the understanding that Aaron was arguing the lineup used for Rafi’s case was invalid because the other suspects' facial hair didn’t match his client's. When the judge agrees with Yamada that this assertion is silly, Aaron reveals there were two lineups and one got tossed. The judge recoils and feels betrayed that Wallace blindsided both of them, but Aaron convinces the judge that it should be looked at which leaves Yamada hanging. Yamada is accosted by O’Reilly after the judgment is made. We, the audience, finds out this connects to O’Reilly and possibly Maskins. Yamada says that O’Reilly recommended for him to plea out and make the case go away. We see already battle lines being formed with O’Reilly feigning ignorance and Yamada realizing he himself will need a lawyer if their conversation is exposed. I like seeing O’Reilly flustered. He feels threatened now that Wallace’s case can directly affect him but Maskins stands firm not risking to bury the blame on the NYPD to save O’Reilly.

We see the ramifications of actions set up earlier in the series. It’s frustrating seeing the lack of open communication between Marie and Darius. Feelings are complicated, especially when you love an imprisoned man but also are living with a man who loves you immensely. Instead of explaining that she’s back on board helping Aaron track down witnesses, she hides lists and phone calls she makes.

After getting intel from Smitty, Masry interrogates Will Bill and tries to entice him to flip by luring him with accommodations like a private cell and a sponsored visit from his dying mother. This doesn’t bode well for Aaron’s rep because he represented Joey Knox (who was beefing with Will Bill). It looks like Aaron snitched and that could lead to him turning up dead.

One thing I do enjoy about this show is though it wasn’t immediate, the characters in the show usually are honest with each other. Marie finally explains that she lied earlier about Darius.

My favorite example of Aaron Wallace is in this episode: Aaron was so on point. He went face-to-face with his enemies and was able to hit them where it hurts. There was a deposition of Adam Yamada and Aaron quotes case law and decisions that were made that proved he was in the right. He got Yamada to admit on record that he received approval from Dez O’Reilly to go after a plea deal in not just this case, but many like it. We got to see Aaron’s swagger; he was in his element, so much so that Yamada had to plead the fifth and his lawyer recommended that they take a break.

Aaron’s victory was short-lived, however, after O’Reilly put him in a corner. They were willing to settle and Dez knows that Aaron doesn’t want to show his client but legally he had to. The offer is $100,000 and the deal is that Rafi stays imprisoned. Their fervor is not just because Aaron had them on the ropes, but that Rafi is actually guilty. Though the lineup was illegal and wrong, Rafi admitted to Hassan he committed the crime and had no remorse. Again, we see the complicated nature of prison politics as Rafi threatens Aaron if he doesn’t get him out.

The last scene in this episode features Rafi exciting the prison which is great for Aaron but terrible for society because Rafi was not remorseful and is highly likely to rob again. This is great for the audience because we see Aaron won’t always have slam dunk cases or even be on the right side as the defendant.

Quotes/Favorite Moments:

• "I’m not just gonna get you off. I’m gonna make them suffer."
• "I hate it, but you’re almost always right."
• "Time to put your big boy pants on, Dez; it’s getting real."

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For Life 1x04 Review: "Marie" (A Time for Everything) [Contributor: Thomas]

"Marie"

Original Airdate: March 10, 2020

I love this this show isn’t just focusing on Aaron’s journey. This episode is all about Marie. She even has a voiceover speaking of how she felt blessed, safe, and secure. That she believed that there would be “time for everything.”

Marie is shown as being great at her job; she cares about her patients and goes above in beyond in both encouragement and action (like how we saw she gave her personal phone number to a patient she was admitting chemo to). She’s told by her supervisor Vanessa that she’s “too good not to apply” to nursing school.

It’s funny seeing Aaron’s gruff voice outside of the prisoner. He has a John Q, working man-type quality both inside and outside the cell. Marie supports Aaron when she sees how passionate he is about growing his club. After they sign the papers to a space almost double the size, she recommends he talk to possible investors at Jazz’s birthday party. One of my favorite scenes in this episode is the kitchen conversation between Aaron and Marie. Marie is not ready to bet on herself with this nursing school. She’s apprehensive to commit to a nanny and would prefer if Jasmine was with family, especially considering what happened to her mom (possibly elder neglect in a nursing home).

She doesn’t want to be pressured but feels Aaron is trying to fix a problem that’s not even real yet. I love that they come to an understanding and we see him apologize and back off. She stands her ground and says it’s her problem and that she’ll figure it out. It’s nice when there’s a conflict but the audience can see both sides of the argument. It’s a testament again to great writing from my new favorite drama. And I love seeing 50 Cent’s influence on this show. Aaron and Marie enter their club with a classic Fif record playing as they do. It reminded me of the song choices of the movie Hustlers and 50’s success with Starz’s show Power.

Shortly after they dance, Michael greets Aaron talking about e. The triumphant feeling of success is destroyed by the DEA storming the club. Michael Miller, Angelo Torres, and Aaron Wallace are all under arrest by the DEA for allegedly being drug dealers. Things move fast, and the next time we see Aaron it’s behind the glass. We learn they’ve denied him bail and Aaron meets the then-Assistant DA Maskins who seemed like he was “out for blood.” They were talking “Kingpin charges” and that they had undercover cops and surveillance on the club for months. Michael was a two-bit hustler masquerading as a drug dealer, and his foolishness leads to a girl overdosing in the club. Angelo was also dealing drugs and they both flipped, pinning Aaron as the mastermind of their operation.

I can’t imagine how jarring this entire situation was for Aaron — feeling like he was on top of the world one moment, then in a cell with no idea when he’d get out next.

But I really like that they show Marie and Jazz. It’s unfathomable how much pressure it is to have to explain to a seven year old why her dad isn’t home that day and that you don’t know when he’ll be back. Unfortunately dreams cost, and Aaron and Marie took out a second mortgage to cover the construction of the new club. Not only does that make them vulnerable financially, but Marie also has to think of how to pay for lawyer fees and commissary. We also find out that Aaron’s parents are working overtime trying to cover his legal expenses.

You can already see the cracks in Aaron and Marie's marriage — even after she promises that they’re not to let this situation tear them apart. It’s a nice change seeing her be the optimistic one as opposed to how we’ve grown accustom to his determination to get free. As the audience, I can see why her views changed, especially after almost a decade of  Aaron being in prison with a life sentence.

Meanehile, Darius is dirty-macking — playing both sides even though Darius and Aaron are described as being close as brothers. Marie admits her fears to him and he rushes over to hug her. This is juxtaposed with seeing the disconnect between Aaron and Marie. His co-defendants flipped so they could save themselves and this revelation is shocking to Aaron. Marie and Aaron are even shown no longer holding hands after he disagrees about agreeing to a plea deal.

It’s ridiculous that a non-violent offense, for what I assume a first-time offender, could even carry a life sentence. We get to see how the system is broken and how most cases don’t go to trial. Aaron's lawyer talks about him getting 20 years with a plea deal, and possibly getting out in 12 years for good behavior. The catch is that taking a plea deal is admitting guilt and since he’s innocent, he wants to clear his name. Marie, I believe, is more focused on getting Aaron home to Jazz and herself than admitting guilt. It makes sense now that she’s technically a single mother, with Jasmine even wishing for her father to come home during her birthday.

Aaron’s really got a raw deal: he has to face the possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison for something he didn’t do, or serve the consequences for more than a decade for something he didn’t do. It doesn’t help that even if he did take a plea deal he’d have the name "felon" branded on him, and couldn’t go back to building his businesses because I highly doubt in New York they’d insurance or give a liquor license to a club for a person who just got out of prison. He rejects the plea deal and is determined to clear his name.

I love that we get to see the original trial where his supposed best friends testify against him. Michael Miller can’t even really look at them while testifying meanwhile Angelo is looking slick and cocky while on the stand. Darius steps up, even hitting Michael after Miller testified. We know the lawyer and Darius believes Wallace testifying is a bad idea but he wants to clear his name. Maskins is seen as an effective lawyer. He catches Aaron in a lie. He tees him up for the reveal that Aaron actually did know Miller was a drug dealer. By the shock on everyone’s face, I don’t think the lawyer knew about Aaron knowing about the girl who overdosed at the club.

Again I’m reminded the casting director is on point. The casting of Marie and Aaron’s daughter Jasmine is great. In every iteration, the actors playing this role is bringing her best conveying hope that he father will return home but also being frustrated it has been so long.

The next scenes are a montage after Marie promises that she’ll take care of them. I don’t really remember many montages in television; usually I’m more familiar with them in film, but this one was very effective. We, as the audience, see her journey studying, working, being an attentive mother, and it paying off as she’s getting A’s in her classes and eventually achieves her goal of becoming a nurse.

One of the most intriguing parts of this show is how none of the main characters are all the way corrupt or just evil. Maskins, who I don’t like and was responsible for incarcerating an innocent man, is shown to be a brilliant lawyer who is surgical in the way he dissects Wallace’s testimony. I see why he truly believes that he got the right person who was responsible for operating a drug empire.

Similarly Darius, who is dating Marie while she’s still married to Aaron, is shown as a very supportive friend. He visited Aaron almost every week early on. We learn he encouraged Aaron to protect himself and his investments by suggesting surveillance for the club; but Aaron insisted it was too expensive. Unfortunately regardless of if his heart is genuinely in the right place, we know that Marie and Darius are eventually going to start dating behind Aaron’s back.

I feel bad for Maisha, who doesn’t have lines and is just shown beside Darius being silent. She is a good actor though because after Darius gives Marie a custom stethoscope, we see his disdain as she probably realizes that his heart is not with her but is focused on Marie.

Earl, Marie’s father, has a hard conversation with Marie and speaks about how he was apprehensive about Aaron. He says Aaron’s belief in himself led to reckless spending. Very soberly he says that regardless of if Aaron is innocent, Earl won’t ever forgive him for putting Jasmine and Marie through this terrible process. This show truly is brilliant. The second half of this episode has probably my favorite scenes in this series so far. A focus on Marie gives us, the audience, so many answers I know I had questions about.

It’s revealed that after Aaron has been in prison for eight years, Marie has filed for a divorce. They have this heart-wrenching conversation filled: Aaron is delighted at the prospect of him finally figuring out a plan for getting back to his family, but it’s understandable that Marie doesn’t share his enthusiasm. She wants somebody that can be there, physically. Turns out that person is Darius. I’m glad they showed she actually got divorced from Aaron. Assuming she kept the last name, it makes sense why she’s still referred to as Mrs. Wallace. But it’s a welcomed change that instead of an illicit affair, she advocates for herself and makes the hard decision to pursue a mutual friend who has been through highs and lows; it’s just tough that the person she falls for has such a strong connection with her ex-husband.

Ria Mae’s "Don’t Let You Go" was a phenomenal choice to end this episode. It reminds me of when Scrubs was airing, the musical supervisor made brilliant choices and now this show seems to be carrying on that legacy. This song works both for the scene of Marie and Darius being together and for the uncertainty that this episode leaves us on.

Quotes/Favorite Moments:

• “I’ve won cases with people dead-guilty and I’ve lost cases with totally innocent people. I don’t have to remind how the system is stacked against you.”
• “In the meantime it’s you and me. I’m gonna take care of us. Mama’s got us.”
• The montage of Marie’s hustle; she has to be supermom while balancing nursing school and taking care of herself.
• “You found yourself. All those years of you wanting to be a nurse, somehow I was holding you back.”
• “I used to think I was blessed. And then for the longest time I was sure I was cursed. And now from one moment to the next, I realized I don’t know what I think. Now I’m not sure about anything.”

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For Life 1x03 Review: "Brother's Keeper" (Caring About More Than Yourself) [Contributor: Thomas]

"Brother's Keeper"

Original Airdate: February 25, 2020

I’ve recently gotten back into writing reviews for this show and, since the world has essentially stopped waiting out this pandemic, I feel there’s no time like the present to continue what I’ve started.

Aaron Wallace was plucked from his friends and family, accused of a crime he hasn’t committed. He has been sentenced to serve life in prison and being ever resourceful he becomes a lawyer while incarcerated. He is now serving as prison rep for his fellow inmates.

This episode, he’s shown helping a fellow Black man, Hassan, get free. This comes after the Joey Knox situation where, because of a debt, Aaron was put in a situation of defending a neo-Nazi which caused strife in his community. What I enjoy about this show is that instead of having bottle episodes that neatly tie every storyline together, For Life continues the story with main, recurring, and guest characters remarking about what has taken place.

One narrative device that this show does that I like is their use of the monologue. Typically the audience hears a voiceover spoken near the beginning of the episode. Usually this is done by Aaron, in this episode it’s Hassan that lays the groundwork for the episode. He speaks about caring for not only yourself but showing kindness to everyone.

Hassan is shown leading a support group for addicts in recovery. He then encourages Frankie, who is afraid about relapsing after getting the required number of days sober to exit the program. Frankie explains about the ease of gaining drugs once he goes back into gen-pop (general population) which prompts the warden, Safiya Masry, to step in and assure steps are being put in place to prevent the ease of flow. We are then shown that Masry isn’t just talking; the contractors shown working demonstrate that she’s serious about the transitional wing she plans to place people like Frankie instead of just having them go straight into general population.

Hassan has been clean for three years and even wrote a 28-page letter apologizing to his brother, trying to make amends for the wrongs he did on the outside. In this episode, Aaron is trying to convince Hasan’s brother, Calvin, to go on the stand and serve as a witness to the depraved state Hassan was in. If he can prove how intoxicated Hassan was, Aaron hopes to ask for leniency and that he won't serve the full 15 years.

The acting in this show is phenomenal: from the main to supporting cast, it’s remarkable. The gruffness of Aaron’s voice gives a sense of realism of someone who has been imprisoned for nine years. The nervous energy Masry has when Frankie talks about how easy it is to get drugs into Bellmore reminded me of how one mistake could destroy all her hard work of setting new systems in place. Jamal, Aaron’s right hand man, brings a levity to some of the more difficult scenes and Calvin, who the audience has just met this episode, brings emotion that shows how excruciating Hassan’s addiction has been on his family. I understand why he resists helping Aaron at first.

We learn why Aaron has taken this case, whereas the other characters are in the dark still trying to find out why. Masry is intrigued and is hopeful that Aaron is genuinely helping an inmate she cares about, while District Attorney Maskins and Assistant D.A. Dez O’Reilly are puzzled. Aaron is using Hassan’s case to try and gain access to his police file. After being roadblocked last episode, he seeks to appeal to Hassan’s brother, who is a cop.

After a scene where we see Aaron’s competence as a lawyer and him discussing that he’s “one for one so far” with his cases, and we hear about how Masry gave Hassan “a sense of purpose,” we see the trial. Judge Cummings hears Aaron, as the defendant, try to prove Hassan’s depravity and shows him signing a plea deal that wasn’t lawful. Unfortunately for Aaron, his preoccupation with his own case leads to his lack of preparation on Hassan’s behalf.

This show is not predictable. I truly believed after Aaron got punched back to reality with the decision the judge made and his impressive showing that the judge would easily release Hassan on time served. Instead we are shown that regardless of his growth in his craft, he still has ways to go as a lawyer.

We see that Maskins and Dez O’Reilly are after Aaron. They felt threatened after his success in proving wrongful imprisonment of his first client. According to O’Reilly, they were embarrassed and “want to make sure that doesn’t happen again.” They fight back by getting a subpoena to check the Bellmore surveillance tapes. The tapes show he forged and filed a fake letter that was used in his case. They also tried to scare Marie into turning on her husband by sending uniformed agents to her job. They also have Maskins speak with her directly where he shows he’s researched her, as he knows about her boyfriend and about their daughter Jasmine.

Again: Maskins is not an evil villain, but instead tries to appeal to her and we see he truly believes that they got the right guy and that Aaron was a drug dealer who got what he deserved.

At the prison I’m reminded why I love the dynamics between Aaron and Masry. She calls him out on trying to use Hassan and he doesn’t back down to her demands if it conflicts with his freedom as shown in the last episode. She believes in upholding “the line,” which prevents them from having a problem but Aaron doesn’t have time or the luxury to do such things. He explains how Judge Cummings denied Hassan’s freedom to “teach” a lesson about how to be a better lawyer and how Maskins, who’s running for the “highest office in the state,” is after him and coming after his family. I love that both have valid points and neither is portrayed a villain or unreasonable; instead, regardless of their personal views, they come to an understanding of Aaron's use of the line and him giving her information about the guards and drugs that will better the prison.

Aaron couldn’t find a precedent in New York that clarifies the difference between an abandoned building and a residence. He missed his opportunity to use an out-of-state precedent to try and sway the judge. It’s easy to write off Judge Cummings as just another “Clarence” who doesn’t use his power to rightly release Hassan, instead subjecting him to years of being in jail for another 12 years. But there’s also his remark about how he views judgeship: “Some judges feel it’s their job to make law in a courtroom. I am not one of those.” He talks about how Aaron was lucky to even try again with Hassan’s case but that he needed to be better.

Aaron loses the case but Calvin not only restores his relationship with Hassan,  but also gives Aaron a photocopy of his police file. Marie tries not to get so hopeful after the warning from her boyfriend Darius about not losing focus, but it’s a great ending to an action-packed episode.

Favorite Moments/Quotes:

• “The police didn’t do their job, prosecution dropped the ball, and previous counsel was derelict in his ethical and legal obligations. Everyone failed him the first time around, Your Honor. Please let’s not do that to him again.”
• The conversation of Blackness in America and how it’s perceived from the highest level with D.A. Maskins all the way to those affected like Aaron and Hassan was great.
• My favorite parts of this episode where those confrontations between Hassan and Aaron about Aaron being for himself, Calvin and O’Reilly speaking about the system working, and seeing Calvin and Hassan reconnect. They even have a discussion about the Black judge on the bench and if he’s a “Clarence” (in reference to Supreme Court justice, Clarence Thomas, who is seen by many as a sellout to his race).
• “Everybody’s in here for themselves, just gotta be smarter about it. Slow down.”
• “This isn’t a reaching facility... your opportunity to call witnesses you certainly didn’t give your client the best opportunity to win today. Motion denied.” 

This review was originally posted at ELVNTWNTYSVN.

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For Life 1x02 Review: "Promises" (Debts) [Contributor: Thomas]

"Promises"

Original Airdate: February 18, 2020

Life is complicated.

I really enjoy For Life and all the webs it weaves. There are connections between both minor and major characters that are intriguing moving forward. In the pilot, we find out that the warden, Safiya Masry is married to Anaya Harris. Harris is running for district attorney against current D.A. Maskins who has goals of becoming attorney general eventually. Under Masry, many changes have occurred at Bellmore Correctional Facilities. Masry wants to make sweeping changes; she makes the effort to build relationships with inmates, being on the grounds and eating the same food as the imprisoned population. The relationship these women have could be seen as a conflict of interest because of the close relationship Masry and Aaron Wallace share as warden and prison rep.

The reason being that Harris’s opposition, D.A. Maskins, is one the key people who unjustly jailed Aaron Wallace. Glen Maskins is fascinating to me. In the first episode, it feels he’s going to be a mustache-twirling villain for the show, but For Life is more nuanced than that. Instead, he worked with Henry Rosewell, the same lawyer who is currently helping Aaron get free. Maskins and Henry Roswell, as former lawyers worked over others to get ahead. Their self-preservation was the main objective. This mentality left those in their way decimated... including Aaron.

What I love about this show is we see politics but from both sides. As this episode title conveys, promises are extremely important under this system. The politics of the prison and the struggles as prison rep navigating his Black community but also fulfilling a promise for the Aryan prisoners. On the inside they’re not called promises, they call them "debts" which shows the weight of their actions. Aaron reminds the warden and in turn the audience what’s at stake for every move he makes while he is in that prison.

It’s great seeing Bobby D, better known as Wee-bay in HBO’s The Wire, and the fresh face playing Aaron’s daughter. She brings a sense of realness and determination I love to see. It’s revealed at the end of the pilot she’s pregnant and we now see Ronnie, the baby’s father, who is very invested in her well-being. I think one of my favorite parts of this episode was seeing his conversation with Aaron. Though scared, he’s not intimated and shows how much he cares when he explains how he doesn’t want her to go up to visit Aaron every week. It’s a five-hour round trip and that’s not good for her or the baby. It was a shocking scene because he raised great points and Aaron, in turn, respected his position.

I’m really excited to see where this show takes the audience this season.

This review was originally posted at ELVNTWNTYSVN.

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For Life 1x01 Review: "Pilot" (From Inmate to Lawyer) [Contributor: Thomas]

"Pilot"

Original Airdate: February 11, 2020

After finishing The Good Place, I was searching for a new show to watch. As a fan of 50 Cent’s transition into film, I heard about his moves with the STARZ network and his production company, G-Unit Film and Television. This is how I first found out about this new series on ABC, For Life.

The story is loosely based on the story of Isaac Wright Jr., a man who was falsely imprisoned and became a lawyer while incarcerated. This series’ main character is Aaron Wallace. He is imprisoned with a life sentence for a crime he didn’t commit. He has spent the last nine years incarcerated and is shown entering the courtroom where he was charged — but this time no longer powerless.

British actor Nicholas Pinnock brings a Denzel-esque performance to the role where, as a viewer, you understand the gravity of the situation. He has a raspy voice and it’s believable that this man has done almost a decade inside the pen. Wallace is shown suited up and entering in the courtroom with a purpose. What I enjoy about this opening moment in the series is it shows the difference between the prosecutor and the defendant. Wallace is a lawyer and, as prison rep, he is helping his fellow inmates like Jose Rodriguez. We can see he cares about the people he represents, as he’s shown greeting Rodriguez’s grandmother as they enter the court.

The prosecutor, in contrast, has been handed this case last minute as a favor for a friend and is not concerned about the outcome, even telling the person on the phone to “order the drinks, give me 30 and I’ll meet you there.” Dez O’Reilly served under Glen Maskins before he was District Attorney for New York. Now as Assistant District Attorney himself, O’Reilly is surprised to see the opposing council is a person he put away nearly a decade ago. O’Reilly and Maskins took Aaron's life and freedom away from him and being a lawyer is how he proves his worth and fights back.

In a Sorkin-style “walk and talk,” Maskins and O’Reilly are befuddled how Aaron was even in that courtroom. This is a vehicle to understand Wallace’s journey from inmate to lawyer: He worked for the paralegal association, representing other inmates he also gained degrees from online. Wallace found a loophole and took the Vermont bar, which is the only state where you’re allowed to “sit for the bar exam with a degree from an unaccredited law school.” From there, he applied to have his license accepted in New York where he is currently housed. We learn there’s a “morality test” and as, a convicted drug dealer, Aaron had to have someone who advocated for him. This sponsor was a former colleague of Maskins, Henry Roswell, who's a retired state senator and former public defender.

The first case for Aaron Wallace is Jose Rodriguez, who’s sentenced to 20 years for rape and attempted murder. Allegedly, the girl he was with OD’d on pills that he gave her; but the drug dealer changed his story and Judge Tanaka is looking at each lawyer’s case to determine if a retrial is necessary.

In the prison we find out Aaron Wallace’s motivation. He’s a complex character; he’s not just being prison rep because it’s a good thing to do. Instead it’s a way to protect himself inside, and being a lawyer is the way Aaron sees to get out of this prison. His goal is go at the D.A., case by case, bit by bit proving that Maskins is unjust and that they “worked” him over. Ideally if all falls right, he’ll be able to go back home to his family.

As Wallace’s narration says at the beginning: “I was just like you,” and spoke of having a family, businesses and friends. Under the RICO law, he’s imprisoned and taken away from his wife, Marie, played by Get Rich or Die Trying’s Joy Bryant, and his daughter Jasmine, played by Tyla Harris.

There’s a scene between Aaron and Marie in the visiting room. As Marie is entering, you can see prison doesn’t just affect the incarcerated but those who love and care for them. There’s crying from children and arguments between visitor and inmate. This all sets the scene for what follows: life doesn’t stop when you’re on the inside. Jasmine, first shown as a little girl during the opening monologue, is prepping for her SATs according to Marie.Aaron still has to sign her report card, and that gives reason to why Marie is there. You can see she cares for him; she brings him ties to wear for when he stands in front of the court as a lawyer. But there’s some obvious tension that explodes when he sees Jazz’s grades. Marie feels that the pressure is on her for Jasmine to succeed, while Aaron believes Darius — Marie's new boyfriend — is too soft on Jasmine. But when confronted, Marie tells Aaron that she’d throw Darius out “if you came back home; but you’re not 'cause you’re locked for life.”

This is a hard scene to watch. There’s conversation about how Aaron denied a plea — that instead of being locked up for life, he could’ve seen outside in the next three years. Aaron tries to reminisce and is remorseful about not being home with his family. It’s too much for Marie to stand, and she leaves as he calls after her.

This show is great because it doesn't just show the prisoners' lives but the warden's as well. Safiya Masry is the warden who is shown as someone who cares. She’s married to Anya Harrison, who is Brooklyn’s District Attorney. Played by Indira Varma, Masry is immediately thrown into the action when she joins the guards after there is a fight in the prison. She isn’t worried about guards who don’t like her reforms; when she learns one quit that morning, she feels they’re better without him. Captain Foster, played by Glenn Fleshler of HBO’s Barry, objects and feels Masry is moving too fast with changes. Masry comes back with facts: violence is down 34%, suicide attempts are cut in half and drug usage has also dropped.

It’s refreshing seeing Masry as a warden who is about change and not just words; she wants to be among the people walking the yard and fostering a relationship with Aaron Wallace. Speaking of, on the yard we see prison politics at play. The neo-Nazis seek the favor of Aaron Wallace for Joey Knox’s release. This is antithetical to his community where Bobby and his best friend Jamal reside. The leader of the Nazis threatens to spread malicious rumors about the warden and Aaron if he doesn’t help.

Jose Rodriguez got his retrial. I really like that this show has both the prison element and the judicial element. We, as the audience, get to see both sides. And there’s an element of humanity in these moments where we see both Rodriguez and Wallace in civilian clothes, showing that inmates aren’t just property of the state but are still people with personalities, hopes, and dreams. Rodriguez is shown on the stand telling the judge his side of the story: there was an age gap in the relationship between himself and Molly Davidson, but her parents looked down on him because of where he was from. Molly came from privilege, and he was in a household of poverty.

For Life demonstrates that Aaron is still learning as a lawyer. He explains that because of the age gap in New York, once Rodriguez turned 18 years old it would be considered statutory rape, which explains that charge from earlier in the episode. But his point about the legality in other states is rightly objected because their laws don’t apply in this case.

There’s a distinction between these lawyers at play. For O’Reilly, this is just another case and — as he told Maskins — he believes he’ll run circles around Aaron. But for Aaron, this is the first case to help prove his point that the New York judicial system and, by extension the district attorney Glen Maskins, is crooked.

I didn’t expect what happened next. In response to Aaron going at Maskins in the press, somehow Maskins and O’Reilly got to Aaron's witnesses. The drug dealer, who sold the drugs to Molly, is now a part of an undercover case so he can’t testify. Officer Dawkins, who saw the suicide note, recanted his story. Aaron explodes after learning this development of events. Judge Tanaka threatens that he is close to contempt of court and could possibly lose his license if the outburst escalates.

Though defeated, Aaron explained to Rodriguez that he will never find another lawyer more motivated than him.

This is proven when Aaron uses Wild Bill’s forgery expert to manufacture an identical note to the original one written by Molly six years ago. He hoped this would prove her state of mind, and that Rodriguez is innocent which led to Molly being called to the stand. Filled with guilt, Molly then confesses after reading the words of the suicide note she wrote on the day of her overdose.

Aaron Wallace wins his first case as a lawyer and Jose Rodriguez is set free.

No good deed goes unpunished though. The neo-Nazis helped in this case is in exchange for Aaron representing Joey Knox, and petition for his freedom from solitary confinement.

For Life is enthralling and complicated with twists, turns, and interpersonal relationships. I’m excited to see where this show is going and agree with executive producer 50 Cent, who believes that by the second season, For Life will be the highest rated drama on ABC.

Quotes and Favorite Moments:

• "I use to be just like you. I had a life I loved. I had a family and a home. I owned a business. I paid my taxes. I had my friends. Some of them were kinda friends you’d be better off without, maybe I should’ve known. The powers that be came down of me, So here I am now, nine years late. For the first time back in the same courthouse where they came to take my life away. Except today. No matter what anybody thinks about me, about who I am and about how I got here, today I’ve got a way to fight back. You can be damn sure that’s what I’m gonna do."
• Most famously known as Wee-Bey from HBO’s hit series The Wire Hassan Johnson plays Bobby, a fellow inmate and friend of both Aaron and Jamal. It was a pleasant surprise, and I genuinely smiled every time I saw him. I like to imagine this is an alternative reality where Wee-Bey was transferred from Baltimore and is serving his life sentence in New York.
• After Wallace went after Maskins in the press, Masry warns he was being foolish and that it threatens their relationship. Instead of risking Maskins making a fuss and going to the press about Anya and Masry’s marriage being a conflict of interest with Masry allowing Wallace to be prison rep, she recommends he wins the cases he has.

This review was originally posted at ELVNTWNTYSVN.

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