The Rainmaker Season 1 Episode 1 Review: USA’s Adaptation Has Plenty of Potential

An adaptation of John Grisham’s novel by the same name, The Rainmaker expands the story of Rudy Baylor to create a legal drama that harkens back to the blue sky drama days of USA Network.

The Rainmaker Season 1 Episode 1 introduces the audience to Rudy Baylor, a soon-to-be lawyer who’s been hired at a major law firm, Tinley Britt. Played by Milo Callaghan, Rudy is both tenacious and compassionate.

What little we see of his backstory so far shows someone who’s been scarred by trauma and who struggled to put himself through law school. He’s an underdog — which is the part of the story that immediately pulls us in.

In the 1997 film, Baylor was played by Matt Damon, and while it wouldn’t be fair to make comparisons between the series and the film, it’s worth noting that Callaghan holds his own in the way he plays this character.

He’s endearing, but still carries a commanding presence. So much so, in terms of the character, that his confidence gets him fired on his first day of work.

Rudy, along with his girlfriend, Sarah, has been hired at this firm, which has one heck of a reputation. Unfortunately, Rudy arrives late on his first day, showing up with a busted lip and blood on his shirt due to an encounter with his mother’s villain of a boyfriend.

His new boss, Leo Drummond, played by John Slattery, is a force to be reckoned with. He’s almost too much of a villain in the way he talks to his new hires, especially as he baits Rudy into arguing an opinion that, quite frankly, should have impressed him instead.

Rudy is fired right after, which is a bit unbelievable, but certainly does make it clear that Leo Drummond is someone we shouldn’t like.

Slattery plays the role with perfection, too, but it’s almost hard to watch how awful this guy can be.

More uncomfortable, though, is a scene involving Sarah later in the episode. She tries to convince Leo to re-hire Rudy, and Leo’s response is to throw fries on the floor, one by one, with the expectation that Sarah will pick up each one for him.

When she finally asks why he’s doing it, he tells her he’s defining their relationship. It’s wildly disgusting behavior, to say the least.

Meanwhile, Rudy is desperate for a job after being fired and kicked out of his mother’s house all at once. He returns to the bar he’d been working at, and his former boss there suggests Rudy work with a lawyer he knows — a not-so-reputable one who goes by “Bruiser.”

This is an interesting gender flip because in this adaptation, Bruiser is female. She’s played by Lana Parilla, who is immediately fun to watch in this role.

Rudy decides to take the job, which will involve being an ambulance chaser alongside Deck, a not-quite-lawyer who still knows his stuff. 

In a satisfying, full-circle moment, Rudy pursues a potential client — a woman he initially met when he and Sarah were working at a legal clinic. She wants to sue a major hospital for the wrongful death of her son, and of course, the firm representing the hospital is none other than Tinley Britt. 

It’s the scene where Rudy convinces the woman to hire him that proves why this series is worth watching. He’s just vulnerable enough, alluding to his own trauma when she says he couldn’t possibly understand what she’s been through. Then he uses their shared anger at Tinley Britt to seal the deal. 

Rudy remains an underdog, now even more so that he’s working for J. Lymon Stone — Bruiser’s law firm that operates out of an abandoned taco joint. Now this underdog is going to take on the well-known firm that kicked him to the curb. Who doesn’t want to see a story like that play out?

Of course, that’s all made even more complex with the girlfriend element. Sarah is still working at J. Lymon Stone, which means she and Rudy will be on opposing sides. That fact already causes a conflict between them when Sarah learns the news, and that’s likely just the beginning.

All of this would be enough to make for a drama series worth watching, even though some moments feel a bit disjointed. However, there’s an added element that makes things a bit darker.

One potential witness for Rudy’s new case has been arrested for arson in a fire that killed his mother. He seems likely innocent at first, but the episode ends on a reveal that there’s something even more devious going on.

While that darkness shifts the tone in a way that’s almost too abrasive, it’s definitely intriguing.

Is the pilot episode of The Rainmaker perfect? Not at all. The disjointed tone is problematic, and there are moments where the characters don’t feel entirely authentic. But is it fun to watch? Absolutely. You can’t help but root for Rudy Baylor, and the added mystery elements just give us more reasons to come back. 

 

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The Rainmaker airs Fridays at 10/9c on USA.

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