The Rainmaker Early Review: A Legal Drama That Remembers TV Is Supposed to Be Fun

We’ve been conditioned lately to think every legal drama has to be shadowy, brooding, and “prestige” in order to matter. 

The Rainmaker, USA’s new spin on the John Grisham classic, begs to differ. It’s not trying to be The Night Of or even Goliath. And thank goodness.

This is the kind of show you can actually look forward to watching — not just “survive” in 50-minute chunks — because it’s built for enjoyment. It’s slick, it’s soapy, and yes, it has a few rough edges, but that’s precisely why it works.

The case at the center — a grieving mother convinced the hospital killed her son — has stakes, but the show never gets lost in the kind of cynical spiral that prestige TV loves. 

There’s room for moments that breathe, banter that’s actually fun, and a willingness to let relationships be messy without every scene dripping with existential despair.

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That lighter touch is not a flaw; it’s the feature.

Suits didn’t conquer Netflix because it was the sharpest legal drama on the planet — it conquered because it was fun to live in that world. 

The Rainmaker is tapping that same well, offering a familiar network-TV gloss while telling a story you actually want to follow week to week.

Some critics have complained that the leads are too green.

Maybe they are. But TV used to be the place where actors became stars, not just where they parked after they already were. 

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Milo Callaghan’s Rudy and Madison Iseman’s Sarah are at the start of their arcs — both the characters’ and the actors’ — and watching them grow alongside the story is part of the investment.

Pairing them with heavy-hitters like John Slattery and Lana Parrilla isn’t a liability; it’s mentorship in real time.

Speaking of Parrilla, her Bruiser is already getting the “too crass” treatment in some corners. That’s selling her short. 

Yes, Bruiser leads with bravado and more than a few eyebrow-raising one-liners, but by the time you’ve seen her in a quiet moment, you realize it’s all armor.

Cracks are showing — the kind that hint at a backstory worth sticking around for.

The Rainmaker also benefits from its willingness to expand beyond the courtroom. Deck’s side hustles, Melvin Pritcher’s ominous wanderings, and even Rudy’s awkward hallway run-ins with his neighbor all add texture. 

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This isn’t a straight procedural; it’s a world. One where not every subplot sticks the landing, sure, but where you never feel like you’ve been trapped in the same stale conference room for 43 minutes.

Is it perfect? No. But it doesn’t need to be. It needs to be watchable, rewatchable, and just addictive enough to make you hit “Next Episode” before you realize it’s midnight. And it is.

If TV is going to keep thriving in the binge era, it can’t be all prestige heaviness and streaming exclusivity. 

We need shows that make space for fresh talent, that entertain without exhausting, and that understand there’s room for levity in a story about fighting for justice.

The Rainmaker gets that. And it’s worth celebrating.

The Rainmaker premieres on USA Network on Friday, August 15 at 10/9c.

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