A Man in Full packs a punch despite the story darting between several character’s points of view, and the story rapidly unfolding across six episodes. The series was written and created by David E. Kelley, who is also behind shows like Boston Legal, Chicago Hope, and Ally McBeal. The series features a talented cast, led by Newsroom star Jeff Daniels, who plays a former football legend, and is now a successful businessman. The story is also inspired by a novel of the same name, written by Tom Wolfe and released in 1998.
A Man in Full outlines events that take place over 10 days, with Charlie Croker (Daniels) firmly placed at the center of it all. Croker potentially faces bankruptcy, and while he faces the impending collapse of his company, a false friend tries to profit from his downfall, an employee is caught up in a landmark legal case, and the mayor of the city seeks his support to boost his re-election campaign. The story weaves these narratives together, and through them, explores several sides to a man that appears on the surface to be remarkable, but largely one-dimensional.
A Man in Full benefits from a strong cast who excel in their individual roles, each contributing to the larger narrative of the show. While Jeff Daniels continues to prove his talents for serious drama, his character is actually one of the least interesting figures in the series. The people that orbit Croker have great challenges and aspirations that they work to overcome, whereas Croker feels like a caricature of a wealthy Southern business mogul. However, this appears to be intentional, as the supporting cast are the ones giving meaning and purpose to Croker in the story.
Kelley is a writer and former attorney with a wealth of experience writing legal drama shows. This experience shines through in scenes where legal battles and courtroom drama take center stage. The legal drama is entertaining enough to build a series around it independently, but as it stands as a side story to A Man in Full as a whole, it remains the most engaging and compelling part.
However, that is not to say that the other storylines are weak or unimpressive, but they do somewhat pale in comparison to the performances and drama which play out in the legal scenes. Despite this, the story and its many different threads weave together in a way that culminates in a highly satisfying ending. Daniels may be the heart of the show, but all the other elements pull together to strengthen the story and transform Croker from a detestable and indulgent socialite to a multi-faceted man, displayed in full.
While the series does pull together to make something that is entertaining and gripping, it does not necessarily start out that way. The first episode introduces several elements to try and grab our attention, but it takes at least the first two episodes to lay the foundation. In a limited series with a total of six episodes, laying out the pieces in their correct positions occupies a lot of screentime.
Of course, creating an interwoven narrative requires a degree of balance and stage setting, but the full impact of those early episodes may be lost on viewers until they rewatch the show for a second time. If the latest Netflix show fails to get viewers’ attention the first time around, or even after a third of the entire series, its unlikely they will continue watching through to the series finale of the show. However, for those that do stick it out, the payoff in the end is a great one that ties A Man in Full together.