Cobie Smulders Joins ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’ Season 4

Preview:

• Cobie Smulders has scored a role on ‘The Lincoln Lawyer.’
• She’ll appear alongside stars Manuel Garcia-Rulfo and Becki Newton.
• The Netflix show is filming its fourth season.

It might not get the attention of, say, a ‘Wednesday’ or behemoth viewing figures like ‘Stranger Things,’ but ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’ –– adapted from Michael Connelly’s books has been a consistent (and consistently entertaining) performer for Netflix.

And with production on the fourth season already underway, a new name has been added to the cast list: Cobie Smulders.

The actor, still best known for her TV role in sitcom ‘How I Met Your Mother’ and as Maria Hill in several of the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies starting with 2012’s ‘The Avengers,’ has, according to Variety, joined the show in an undisclosed role.

Related Article: Manuel Garcia-Rulfo and Ted Humphrey Talk ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’ Season 3

What’s the story of ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’?

The show adapts various Connelly tomes, particularly “The Brass Verdict.” It focuses on Mickey Haller (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), a charming and unconventional defense attorney in Los Angeles who operates out of the back seat of his Lincoln Town Car instead of a traditional office (though he does also have one of those).

After a long hiatus due to personal struggles, Mickey inherits a high-profile murder case from a deceased colleague, thrusting him back into the fast-paced world of criminal defense. As he navigates the complexities of the legal system, he also grapples with his personal demons, strained family relationships, and the lingering danger surrounding the case.

With each episode, the series explores gripping courtroom battles, intricate investigations, and Mickey’s moral balancing act between justice and the law.

The show also stars Neve Campbell as Maggie McPherson, Mickey’s ex-wife and a dedicated prosecutor who still shares a strong connection with him and Becki Newton as Lorna Crane, Mickey’s loyal and resourceful legal assistant (who, er, is also his second ex-wife), who keeps his practice running smoothly.

Then there’s Angus Sampson as Cisco, Mickey’s investigator and Lorna’s husband, a former biker with a complicated past and Jazz Raycole as Izzy Letts, Mickey’s former client turned driver (who these days has worked in the legal practice and opened her own dance studio), who plays a key role in helping him rebuild his life.

The character of Mickey, while fictional, was inspired by two real-life lawyers: the late David Ogden, who was known for working out of his Lincoln, and Florida-based attorney Dan Daly.

Where will the story go for Season 4?

In the Season 3 finale, investigator Bishop (Holt McCallany) took the stand and revealed that DEA Agent DeMarco (Michael Irby) killed Gloria Dayton (Fiona Rene); she’d planted a gun in drug trafficker Hector Moya’s (Arturo Del Puerto) room on his orders and had been subpoenaed.

After his testimony, Bishop shocked everyone in the courtroom by revealing he had another gun (the judge had the bailiff take his primary weapon) and shooting himself, dying by suicide. Mickey’s client Julian La Cosse (Devon Graye) was free.

Then, as the season concluded, Mickey was looking forward to a vacation when he was pulled over for a missing license plate –– and during the stop, the police officer found the body of another client, Sam Scales (Christopher Thornton) in the trunk… Cue a cliffhanger and Mickey facing murder charges.

Here’s showrunner co-showrunner Ted Humphrey talking to TV Insider about the twist:

“We just thought, ‘What could top this?’ Well, what tops it is obviously Mickey is now the client, the jeopardy that his clients have been in up until now, now he’s in, and it’s truly the toughest case of all. And if you think back over the course of three seasons, what is the mantra that his father taught him and that Legal Siegel [Elliott Gould] has reminded him of? There’s no worse client than an innocent man. Well, what happens when you’re that innocent man and how do you handle that? And how do you deal with the fact that traditionally a lawyer who represents himself is a fool for a client? So we’ll see.”

That all sets up the fourth season, which will adapt 2020 tome “The Law of Innocence.” Sadly, while it features fellow Connelly character (and Mickey’s half-brother) Harry Bosch –– who has been played on screen for years by Titus Welliver –– the fact that Bosch is on Prime Video and Mickey is on Netflix mean they can’t share the screen. Objection, your honor!

Smulders joins some previously announced guest cast members. Constance Zimmer will play Dana Berg, also known as “Death Row Dana,” a ruthless prosecutor and a colleague of Maggie’s from her days in the L.A. district attorney’s office.

Zimmer will be on the show for a 10-episode arc, while Sasha Alexander plays the no-nonsense and intimidating FBI Agent Dawn Ruth.

Kyle Richards will appear as Celeste Baker, a Beverly Hills woman looking for a divorce lawyer, while Scott Lawrence will play former prosecutor Judge Stone. Other stars confirmed to appear are Jason Butler Harner, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Jason O’Mara and Javon Johnson, while celebrity chef Nancy Silverton will also make a cameo as herself.

Where else have we seen Cobie Smulders?

As mentioned, Smulders is still most recognizable for the roles of Robin Scherbatsky on ‘How I Met Your Mother’ (she was one of the main cast members for the series’ entire nine-season run) and S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Maria Hill on a variety of MCU movies following her debut in ‘The Avengers.’

Beyond that, she has appeared in movies including ‘Jack Reacher: Never Go Back,’‘The Lego Movie’ (as the voice of Wonder Woman) and ‘Safe Haven.’

Her TV credits include ‘Stumptown,’ ‘Impeachment: American Crime Story’ and ‘Arrested Development,’ plus previous Netflix series ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ and ‘Friends From College.’

Upcoming, she has ‘Easy’s Waltz’ opposite Vince Vaughn and Al Pacino and, having popped in a couple of Season 2 episodes, will recur on the next season of ‘Shrinking.’

When is ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’ Season 4 due on screens?

Netflix has yet to confirm when the fourth season will land on our TV screens, but with filming set to be finished next month, there’s a chance it’ll be ready to fill a similar October spot as the most recent season.

Still, we may yet end up having to wait until 2026 –– which will be tough, given the cliffhanger that closed out the third season…

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