cover story
Alternate history
ABC’s new legal drama rewrites a familiar true story
By Kenneth Andeel
TV Media
L
egal action, character-driven
drama and a healthy dose of
wish fulfillment (with origins
that trace all the way back to
the early 1990s) — ABC’s new
10-part series has it all, and
it premieres Monday, March
18. It’s a blend of genres and
inspirations that mixes the
traditional scripted network
drama with true crime in a way
similar to what shows like FX’s
“American Crime Story” have
done. “The Fix,” however, does
away with the “based on a true
story” caveat and instead goes
straight for the ripped-from-the-
headlines, heavily fictionalized
approach made infamous by
“Law & Order.”
The cast of “The Fix” is led
by Robin Tunney (“The Mental-
ist”), who plays Maya Travis,
a former district attorney in
Los Angeles who disappeared
from public life after losing a
high-profile case that snatched
the attention of the entire na-
tion. Opposite Tunney, playing
the apparent antagonist of the
show, is Adewale Akinnuoye-
Agbaje (“Lost”). He portrays
Sevvy Johnson, a mega-
successful, Oscar-winning Hol-
lywood leading man who was
the defendant in the aforemen-
tioned case.
Eight years before the “The
Fix” opens, Johnson was tried
for the stabbing murder of his
wife. Travis led the prosecutorial
team responsible for proving the
state’s case — and lost. After
a trial that divided the nation,
stirred up uncomfortable ques-
tions about justice in America
and generated a hectic media
circus, Johnson was acquitted of
the murder charges and was re-
leased. Having suffered irrepa-
rable personal and professional
damage, Travis relinquished
her post and withdrew to rural
Washington to live a quieter
life, free from the scrutiny of the
media and the vengeful scorn of
2 | Screentime
the public.
All of that ancient history
is stirred up, however, when
Johnson once again becomes a
suspect in a murder case. This
time his girlfriend, Jessica Meyer
(Taylor Kalupa, “Law & Order
True Crime”), has been brutally
slain, and the evidence once
again points to him. For reasons
we don’t yet know, the powers
that be in the L.A. justice system
reach out to Travis in Washing-
ton and lure her back to the DA’s
office for a redemptive shot at
putting Johnson behind bars.
If you’re old enough to
remember the ‘90s (and even
if you’re not), all of this surely
rings a bell. If you’re saying to
yourself that the plot of this
show sounds almost exactly
like 1995’s culture-dominating
O.J. Simpson trial, you’re right
on the money. And guess who
serves as an executive producer
and writer of this new series?
None other than Marcia Clark
herself — the very same deputy
district attorney who served as
lead prosecutor in that infamous
trial and fell short of securing
a conviction in much the same
way as the fictional Travis.
Clark has undergone a bit of
a cultural reappraisal in recent
years, thanks mainly to Sarah
Paulson’s incredible portrayal of
her in the true crime anthology
“American Crime Story.” It’s no
surprise that network executives
sought her out to contribute
to a crime drama. In exchange
for her legal expertise and the
prestige of her name, Clark gets
an unusual chance to write her-
self a fantasy alternate history
wherein her fictional alter ego
gets a second chance.
In previews and teasers for
“The Fix,” Clark isn’t coy about
that element of the project. She
openly refers to the plot as a
“revenge fantasy,” and isn’t
shy about promoting the series
with a bit of sleazy enthusiasm.
Clark’s participation increases
the fledgling show’s credibility
and authenticity, although she
March 13, 2019 | East Oregonian and Hermiston Herald
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as seen in “The Fix”
has been quite clear that “The
in an attempt to separate itself
Fix” doesn’t aim to wade too
from the competition. Instead
deep into the legal weeds.
of offering a dramatized version
The creators of the series say
of a well-researched legal case,
they’re more interested in the
“The Fix” travels its own course
personal relationships of the
and generates dramatic heft
characters involved in this mas-
from scratch.
sive legal spectacle than they
As for the rest of the cast,
are in producing a detail-orient-
Merrin Dungey (“The King of
ed legal procedural. And beyond Queens”) plays Travis’s loyal
its opening premise, the show
and supportive colleague, C.J.
seems destined to move away
Bernstein. The cops and legal
from its real-world inspirations
eagles tasked with helping Tra-
vis build her case, while trying
to keep her personal vendetta
from contaminating the inves-
tigation, include Adam Rayner
(“Tyrant”) and Breckin Meyer
(“Franklin and Bash”). And, of
course, someone is required to
play the shady legal counsel
of the accused. Scott Cohen
(“Gilmore Girls”) takes on
the role of “The Wolf,” a cun-
ning and ruthless lawyer who
helped Johnson avoid convic-
tion in his first trial, and is back
to do so again.
ABC has promoted the “The
Fix” as a self-contained 10-part
series, so viewers who stick it
out should be able to expect
a solid conclusion. However,
if the show proves popular, it
could be renewed for further
installments, possibly as an
anthology series. Check out the
premiere of “The Fix” Monday,
March 18, on ABC.