'Lincoln Lawyer' season 3 just claimed the Netflix No. 1 spot — and it's earned a rare 100% on Rotten Tomatoes

Mickey Haller (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) sitting on a couch in "The Lincoln Lawyer" season 3
(Image credit: Lara Solanki/Netflix)

After debuting on Netflix just a couple of days ago, "The Lincoln Lawyer" season 3 has already laid claim to the top spot on the streamer's Top 10 shows list.

Yes, Netflix's legal eagle Mickey Haller (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) finally returned to one of the best streaming services on Thursday, October 17, and Haller's new case is clearly proving to be an engrossing watch. Within just a couple of days of the show's arrival, it had already laid claim to the No. 1 spot on Netflix.

Now, that's particularly impressive when you consider that spot's primarily been occupied by either Netflix's incredibly binge-able new romcom "Nobody Wants This" or the first part of "Outer Banks" season 4, the streamer's popular teen treasure-hunting drama. What's more, the slick legal drama's latest batch of episodes has also earned a perfect rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on the first reactions.

Considering adding "The Lincoln Lawyer" to your Netflix watchlist amid the hype? Here's a little bit more info about the new season, plus a quick breakdown of what the first few critics have had to say about "The Lincoln Lawyer" season 3.

What is 'The Lincoln Lawyer' season 3 about?

The Lincoln Lawyer: Season 3 | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube The Lincoln Lawyer: Season 3 | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube
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"The Lincoln Lawyer" is a legal drama that revolves around Mickey Haller. Described as "an iconoclastic idealist", Haller operates his practice out of the back seat of his Lincoln Continental, tackling cases big and small from across Los Angeles.

The third season is based on the fifth book in Michael Connelly's Lincoln Lawyer series, "The Gods of Guilt". As you'll see in the trailer above, this third season sees Mickey Haller embroiled in a personal murder case: he's hired to defend the man accused of killing his former client, Gloria Dayton (Fiona Rene).

What are critics saying about 'The Lincoln Lawyer' season 3?

Mickey Haller (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) and Julian La Cosse (Devon Graye) (L-R) sitting at a table in the courtroom in "The Lincoln Lawyer" season 3

(Image credit: Lara Solanki/Netflix)

At the time of writing, "The Lincoln Lawyer" season 3 holds a perfect 100% critics' score on the review aggregate site, Rotten Tomatoes, indicating that critics are impressed with what they've seen.

To be clear, that score is only derived from a total of 6 listed reviews, which is hardly the biggest sample size, but the viewers' score of 92% isn't far behind and suggests that "The Lincoln Lawyer" season 3 is another slice of courtroom drama worth watching. Here's a brief sample of what critics have said.

Reviewing the series for Screen Rant, Nick Bythrow gave "The Lincoln Lawyer" season 3 an 8/10 score and said it "feels like the best season of the Netflix original so far", praising, in particular, its "tightly focused plot" and compelling performances.

FandomWire's Ricky Valero was similarly impressed. He also rated the season 8/10 and said that "The Lincoln Lawyer" writers had "found the best parts of Michael Connelly's books and [...] develop[ed] a courtroom drama worthy of binging".

Collider writer Erick Massoto wasn't quite as hot on season 3, though. While he summed the season up as "an entertaining, compelling watch" and rated it 6/10, Massoto claimed this third chapter "fumbles most of its storylines", arguing that a deeper exploration of characters other than Haller himself "would certainly elevate the show to a must-watch status".

Not sure whether "The Lincoln Lawyer" is the right Netflix show for you, but still on the hunt for a new watch? Be sure to check out Tom's Guide's list of the best Netflix shows for plenty more streaming recommendations. And if you've already binged season 3, check out our round-up of the best shows like "The Lincoln Lawyer" to find your next legal drama.

More from Tom's Guide

Staff Writer, Streaming

Martin is a Streaming Writer at Tom’s Guide, covering all things movies and TV. If it’s in the theaters or available to stream somewhere, he’s probably watched it… especially if it has a dragon in it. Before joining the team, he was a Staff Writer at What To Watch where he wrote about a broad range of shows that stretched from "Doctor Who" and "The Witcher" to "Bridgerton" and "Love Island". When he’s not watching the next must-see movie or show, he’s probably still in front of a screen playing massive RPGs, reading, spending a fortune on TCGs, or watching the NFL.

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