By Dean Robbins
Lawyer hero in ‘Outlaw’ is bizarrely divorced from reality
“Outlaw” (Friday, 9 p.m., NBC) features Jimmy Smits as a U.S. Supreme Court Justice — but unfortunately, not one from planet Earth. Unlike any known justices, Cyrus Garza causes a ruckus at casinos and flagrantly comes on to every hot woman he meets. He suddenly grows tired of being the court’s most right-wing member because it occurs to him that “following the rules doesn’t always lead to justice.” So he resigns to become a left-wing lawyer, confident that it’s the best way for him to single-handedly change the entire U.S. legal system.
And damned if he isn’t able to pull that off, though not without the help of a sexually outrageous private investigator in a miniskirt and go-go boots. Garza’s crusade involves making gassy speeches about “moral rightness” in court, as if he’s the first lawyer ever to be concerned with fairness.
“Dammit, Cyrus, I warned you not to bring your soapbox in here!” a judge warns.
Objection sustained.
‘$#*! My Dad Says’
Thursday, 7:30 p.m. (CBS)
This sitcom is based on a Twitter feed in which a guy transcribes the asinine $#*! his dad says. The beauty of experiencing it on Twitter is that you don’t actually have to hang out with the asinine dad. In the sitcom, comic pro William Shatner is faced with the tough assignment of making this nasty old dude appealing, and even he can’t pull it off. You just sit there waiting for the next Twitter-worthy bon mots, none of which are very bon.
“Why do you keep giving me gifts?” Shatner sneers at Jonathan Sadowski. “If I’d have wanted piles of crap around the house, I would have bought a bird!”
I don’t think I’ll tune in to another episode of “$#*! My Dad Says.” If I want to see crap on TV, I’ll watch a show about birds. CV
