All Rise Review: My Fair Lockdown (Season 1 Episode 16)
It’s a nail-biting hour on All Rise Season 1 Episode 16, “My Fair Lockdown” as a client takes 802 hostage with Lola, Emily, and others inside.
Lola Carmichael has had a gun pointed at her before—in court, before the opening credits of the very first episode of the series. Apparently, that wasn’t nerve-wracking enough.
This episode is the first dedicated almost entirely to a single plotline, and that goes a long way to heighten the drama of the situation. Even the scenes that aren’t in Lola’s courtroom tie to what’s happening there.
Efram is a typical self-declared sovereign citizen. Believing himself above the laws of the country he lives in, he takes “warning shots” at officials seizing his land for tax evasion and lashes out at anyone who he believes has wronged him even as Emily attempts to reason with him.
In case I’m not showing my hand enough, I don’t feel sorry for this guy even before he nearly kills a bunch of people we care about. A conversation with his daughter does its best, but does little to win me over.
Both these roles are well-acted, but the effort to make him sympathetic falls somewhat flat. This man is a victim solely of his own making and we’ve heard is song in fiction and reality many times before.
Thankfully, the fear and empathy we feel for everyone else is very effective and gives the chance to raise the stakes for characters we don’t see as much like Kevin and Thomas. We never really believe they won’t survive, but there are moments of doubt.
There are heroic bits as characters stand up, literally and figuratively, for each other. I may not relate to Efram, but Lola and Emily being able to at least sound like they do in the worst of circumstances makes for some powerful dialogue.
The drama is just as poignant outside, where people who care about their friends even more than we do await news. It seems a life-or-death situation is great for troubled relationships.
We finally get a bit more of Sherri and Kevin, sweetly reuniting after a bit more trouble in their new romance. These scenes of relieved friends and couples greeting each other are the best parts of the episode.
Then there’s Lemily. We last saw them being epically supportive, so the idea of trouble for them now feels a bit forced. In the end, we get a wonderful “I love you” from him for our troubles. Yet the troubles may linger. Can’t we please let such a good couple be happy?
On the same note, we’re seeing expected tensions emerge surrounding Robin’s new job. Lola is feeling his absence before and especially after her ordeal. So are we. I’m still very nervous about what this could mean.
The one part of the episode that can count as a separate subplot is the saga of questions surrounding Judge Benner. The short version? Complicated things are now even more complicated.
The show continues to do a good job playing up the intrigue through the associate who comes in with potentially damning info and turns out to be an ex-girlfriend. There may well be a conflict of interest, but now we don’t even know where.
Thing is, I’d much rather just see a romantic storyline of Benner and her ex than everything going on here. I’m curious about what we’ll learn, but not hugely invested. Still, I’d like to see the story change my mind.
Speaking of Benner, aside from my feelings about her naming her son “Ben Benner,” I love Sara’s reaction when she realizes her new beau and this Ben are the same person. Please carry on with this. I’m rooting for them already.
Finally, while Mark’s strange psychic fraud case mostly serves as bridge to the main story, I’m still quite sure those ominous predictions will all wind up as some form of foreshadowing—including the last one about someone he cares for.
Besides Lola, who is safe as the title character, we’ve only seen Mark truly invested in Amy and Vic. I hope and believe All Rise is above the “killing female love interests” trope. In short, I’m still more convinced Vic is likely to die.
What did you think of this episode of All Rise? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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All Rise airs Mondays at 9/8c on CBS.
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Caitlin Wyneken
Caitlin is an elder millennial with an only slightly unhealthy dedication to a random selection of TV shows, from PBS Masterpiece dramas to some of the less popular series on popular networks. Outside of screen time, she's dedicated to the public sector and worthy nonprofits, working to make a difference in the world outside of media.