Rotten Tomatoes gives The Lincoln Lawyer season 3 a pristine 100%, and it opens at number one on Netflix. That begs the question of what the focus of modern TV criticism is, though, given its meagre five critic reviews.
After returning for a third season, the popular Netflix series The Lincoln Lawyer quickly took the top spot in the service’s Top 10. Season 3 of Netflix debuted all 10 episodes at once, marking a shift from the show is previous season, which was published in two parts.
Concerns over viewer engagement may have motivated the decision to forgo separating the season, as splitting the previous season probably resulted in a decline in second-half viewing.
Season 3 of The Lincoln Lawyer has received an incredible amount of positive feedback thus far, with a flawless 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. But this stellar rating belies a deeper problem with the quality of TV criticism, as it is based on just five critical assessments.
Only a few critics have assessed what is currently the most popular show in the nation, despite the fact that it dominates Netflix. This is similar to how Outer Banks season 4 was received; despite receiving no critical feedback, it too debuted with a 100% rating.
Even with so few reviews, The Lincoln Lawyer’s first two seasons were well-liked; season 1 scored an 80% rating, and season 2 garnered a 91% rating. The show is widespread appeal is demonstrated by its current 84% audience score and average 90% reviewer rating.
The disparity between the quantity of reviews for popular TV shows and movies, however, begs the question of what the objectives of entertainment journalism are. Considering that streaming TV is the most watched medium in the United States, it is odd that critically acclaimed series are not receiving more attention.
This pattern indicates a change in the interests of TV critics and entertainment journalists, since video games and movies are receiving higher ratings than some of the most popular TV series. In a time when streaming rules the entertainment world, this odd discrepancy raises concerns about what entertainment journalism is actually focusing on these days.
