All Rise knew how to begin their final season without dragging on the suspense.
By the end of All Rise Season 3 Episode 11, we knew that both Teddy and Ness survived, and I’m relieved they didn’t kill either character off or make us wonder for multiple episodes.
That wasn’t kind, making everyone think Ness was returning to work and celebrating her passing the bar, only to find she was in the ICU.
Amy, Sara, and Lola took turns praying by Ness’s bedside, believing their fierce friend would survive.
Look at me, Dr. Rios. This is Vanessa Johnson, but you can call her Ness. She just passed the bat. She is funny, she’s tenacious, and she’s going to make one hell of a lawyer one day because she is a fighter, and she’s fighting right now with everything she has. I need you to do the same.
Lola
Initially, I suspected Teddy was dead since Mark asked Sara to help him clean out Teddy’s office, and Lola made many changes after the attacks.
Nothing I say or do will erase the violence we have experienced, but we are doing everything we can to ensure that nothing like this ever happens again.
Lola
While Lola thought they had a deeper understanding of what it meant to be a victim of a violent crime, the team wasn’t expecting their next case to be violent or controversial either. Initially, it seemed like a simple vandalism case, but the bulldozed university science building was on sacred Native American ground.
The defendant’s people have worshipped there for thousands of years. A sacred site was stolen. If someone broke into your backyard and built a shed, you’d have the right to knock it down. You can’t vandalize something on your property.
Luke
Lola tries to be fair by allowing the property’s history into the case, but that only angers people and starts more riots, including one bystander who threw a knife at her because he lost $60K of science research.
After that incident, it was easier to understand why Judge Marshall preferred not to open up another can of worms since this case would incite more angry protestors, and they were still recovering from the previous riot.
But the Native Americans had rights, too, and Lola was known for being creative in the courtroom.
So, if someone doesn’t know their rights, it’s okay to violate them?
Lola
It’s hard not to emphasize with Luke’s client, ‘Moon’ Carmona. She believed in her cause and that Native Americans were mistreated.
When she went on the stand and shared all the violence she’d seen in her young life, my heart went out to her. I was shocked to learn that her enslaved ancestors created a historical mission that once stood where the science center was built.
Even when the prosecution tried to offer her a deal, she refused since she believed in the cause staunchly. That’s when Mark decided to bring out the big guns –Teddy, who could ask her difficult questions.
We’ve never seen Teddy lose his cool while questioning a witness, but she brought out the worst in him, and another angry confrontation ensued. The jury did feel compassion for her, and this win went to Luke and Emily.
Luke almost seemed cocky after winning the murder trial on All Rise Season 3 Episode 5. However, he needed Emily to center him before he botched up this case.
I adore Luke and Emily, but they both needed to check their egos, discuss the case at the office, and not argue in front of their client or the judge.
They’ve teamed up and have similar views with Luke’s restorative justice and Emily’s holistic law, so they make a compatible team inside and outside the office. Part of it was Luke needed to prove he was as competent a lawyer as Mark.
In addition, Luke and Emily kept avoiding discussing their relationship’s progression. Emily wouldn’t need to confess how afraid she was of losing Luke if they focused on work.
Before we delve into how that fateful day and the changes affected several relationships, let’s discuss the one relationship that never changes — Lola and Mark.
Their friendship is the heart of the series. Even if they don’t agree with each other, they don’t judge each other.
Mark has made some stupid decisions in the heat of the moment, too, so I appreciated that he merely squeezed Lola’s hand in support and encouraged her to confess to Robin.
With everything happening at the courthouse and them praying for Ness, she didn’t need any extra guilt added on.
Since the move to OWN, All Rise has focused on more character-centric stories. While I wish Lola and Robin’s marriage weren’t in trouble, Simone Missick will knock this storyline out of the park.
Lola should not have kissed Andre in All Rise Season 3 Episode 10, but Andre had stalker tendencies and still does since he won’t leave her away. She didn’t want that kiss. She was shaking with fear from having terrorists in the courthouse, and he took advantage of her.
While I understood Lola’s side, Robin had a right to feel betrayed since he only cared about her safety that fateful day, and she still hadn’t confessed the kiss.
If Robin and Lola’s marriage will survive, they need to communicate better and learn to share responsibilities. Robin seems to resent Lola for working so much and that he’s Bailey’s primary caretaker. Hopefully, they’ll fix their issues by the end of the season.
Realizing what they almost lost, Amy’s finally ready to start planning her wedding with Mark. Tragedies will often move things into high gear, but will this couple stay this happy?
The series faked us out, leading us to believe that Ness died, but it was really Amy’s husband, Collier.
He’s out of the picture, making it easier for her and Mark to get married officially, but Amy will likely feel guilty that she didn’t take his latest health scare seriously. While they weren’t in love, he was still an old friend she dearly loved.
While our hearts went out to Amy, we were relieved when Ness opened her eyes in the final seconds. We can’t wait to see her team up with Amy and be a fierce lawyer team.
All Rise’s final season is off to a fantastic start. Two beloved characters survived, and Amy’s ex died. This sets up lots of drama for the additional episodes.
Now that you’ve heard from me, what did you think, All Risers? What were your favorite parts of the episode? Did you enjoy seeing Emily and Luke banter in court?
Share your thoughts below, and if you got here before viewing “Unwanted Guest,” remember you can watch All Rise online and then return to chat about it.
Laura Nowak is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.
