Why The Lincoln Lawyer Season 4 Killed Off Elliott Gould's Legal

Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Lincoln Lawyer season 4!In addition to surprises involving Mickey's trial, The Lincoln Lawyer season 4 also shockingly kills off the show's fan-favorite recurring character. There has been no shortage of character deaths in the Netflix series; Mickey Haller is on trial for murder in season 4, after all.

However, it's tough to say goodbye when it's a beloved character in The Lincoln Lawyer that gets killed off. While the murder charges against Mickey are dropped by the end of The Lincoln Lawyer season 4, his life will never be the same.

Not only does The Lincoln Lawyer reveal Mickey has a sister, but the show also leaves him without his biggest mentor: David "Legal" Siegel. Mickey has a great team around him, though it's Legal and his teachings that steer Mickey's decision-making throughout the trial.

The Lincoln Lawyer Kills Off Elliott Gould's Legal After Serving As Mickey's Mentor Throughout The Show

The most heartbreaking death in The Lincoln Lawyer season 4 comes in episode 6, when Lorna reveals to Mickey that Legal died from a heart attack. Elliott Gould's Legal has been a pivotal character throughout the Netflix series, serving as Mickey's mentor and personal confidant.

In The Lincoln Lawyer season 4, episode 6, Legal arrives at Mickey's office in the hopes they could grab lunch together. Mickey has been hiding some of the details regarding his trial from Legal, so Lorna accompanies him instead. Sadly, Legal dies shortly after, but rather than take the bail option, which would allow Mickey to attend the funeral, he agrees to go back to jail with the deal of a speedy trial.

Despite Legal's death, Gould shares one more scene with Manuel Garcia-Rulfo's Mickey in episode 7 of The Lincoln Lawyer season 4. While back in jail, Legal appears in Mickey's dream, offering Mickey some reassurance that everything will be okay and that he will always be with Mickey.

While Legal's death may have come as a surprise, the show has made it clear that the character had heart issues. The death presents another difficult challenge for Mickey, but it also reiterates how much of an impact Legal had on his life, especially with his career.

The Lincoln Lawyer's co-creator, Ted Humphrey, has spoken about Legal's death (via TV Insider), comparing the dynamic between Mickey and Legal to Luke and Yoda in Star Wars. He mentions Yoda's death and compares it to Legal's fate while being the "wise old mentor" that will still live on through Mickey.

Elliott Gould's Legal Is More Significant In The Lincoln Lawyer Compared To The Book Character

Though The Lincoln Lawyer is based on Michael Connelly's novels, Elliott Gould's version of Legal has a larger role compared to the character from the books. In some ways, Legal replaces Mickey's father in The Lincoln Lawyer, expanding on the mentor and father figure role that's touched on in the books but not fully embraced.

Like the case with the show, Michael Haller Sr. is no longer alive in the books, but Mickey's internal monologues incorporate his father's past cases and philosophies. With Legal and Mickey's father being former law partners and close friends, Gould's character becomes the present figure to guide Mickey throughout his career as a defense attorney.

The Lincoln Lawyer season 5 is happening, and it will be a big change for Mickey now that he doesn't have Legal around for advice. It would be nice to see Gould reprise his role as Legal in flashbacks, but at least The Lincoln Lawyer season 4's dream sequence gives the character a fitting sendoff, if that's truly the end for the fan favorite.

Source: TV Insider