All Rise Season 3 Episode 5 Review: It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over

All Rise Season 3 Episode 5, “It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over,” does give us a jury verdict in Carl Brewer’s murder trial. Thanks to a couple twists, though—including one in the final few seconds—I have a feeling this is only the start of a much longer arc.

The case is the driving force of the episode again, enough so that while there are several subplots to involve the rest of the cast, only one involves another case. This would also be Emily’s first professional venture into juvenile court.

After working with so many marginalized and misunderstood individuals with empathy and grace, it’s almost amusing to see Emily thrown truly out of her element by a snarky teenage girl. This doesn’t keep us from getting down to business. It’s still a weighty case, and Maddie’s attitude is skin deep.

In the end, this is a girl who lost her parents and who made bad decisions trying to get money for her sister. Maddie is the kind of person Emily can intrinsically relate to, and it’s odd that her own stint in juvie isn’t brought up more directly as a part of that.

We’re now very used to Emily being able to make a judge or jury share her empathy for her clients, but on the heels of a rocky start in in holistic law, it’s an even better feeling than usual to see her adjust to something new and hit it out of the park.

Amidst the legal drama, there’s plenty that takes place out of the courtroom. All the bits with the psychic stenographer are…eh. I do think there could be a lot of potential for fun there, but it just doesn’t get the time for that before our ominous new friend takes her leave.

There’s considerably more impact in this hour’s romantic department, though my own distaste for love triangles means I kind of dread what might come of seeing Andre, a man Mark describes as the former love of Lola’s life—one now dating Rachel. Yikes.

I don’t think we have a cheating scandal and upended marriage on the horizon. All Rise has placed a lot of importance on letting us see and feel Lola and Robin’s happiness together. I have (almost) no fear that this important representation will ultimately survive intact.

I do have a lot of mixed feelings about the messy emotions that could come from all this. I prefer happy marriages ands stable friendships over jealousy and gossip. And yet even I can’t deny the intrigue of this very handsome disruption.

We return to the largest plotline of the episode with a lot on our plates already. We’re about to find them overflowing. Translation? The writers have now brought a serial killer into the mix; one who is almost certainly the same man just set free following his trial.

Guest star Geoffrey Owens slowly pivots Carl Brewer from a man who could easily be either innocent or guilty to one who gives us a gut feeling that he isn’t who he says it is. Even so, it takes a final line to really solidify that sense.

The friendship drama that was at first my primary concern is certainly still an issue here, and it’ll take some time before Luke and Mark are really friends again. Luke makes fair points about both the continuances Mark gets and the holes in his case.

Even so, the biggest issue is that Mark has neither the time nor the resources to prove what comes to light. Carl hasn’t only killed one woman. He’s probably killed at least five. And, in quoting a line from the last victim to Luke, he’s all but telling his lawyer and us that he’s gotten away with murder.

Mark knows a serial killer walks free, but he also knows the flaws of his case. Luke wins fair and square, only to face a jarring realizing of how he might regret that, even without a full grasp of how bad the truth really is. This has all the making of a season-long story arc.

 

What did you think of this episode of All Rise? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Critic Rating:

User Rating:

 

All Rise airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on OWN.

 Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram!

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!

15 TV Shows Canceled Way Too Soon