As the opener for the second season of "Fairly Legal," a character-driven legal drama/comedy, "Satisfaction" hits the mark. It's a great introduction to the new dynamic, which is a bit of a departure from season one, where we saw world mostly according to Kate Reed (Sarah Shahi), a somewhat self-centered & immature, but compassionate lawyer-turned-mediator. Her quick mind and impulsive nature sets up a lot of fun, if somewhat over-the-top situations. This time around, everyone is a little less edgy, and we get to see things from more points of view, especially Lauren (Virginia Williams), the managing partner at the law firm who also happens to be Kate's stepmother, and the new guy, Ben (excellently played by Ryan Johnson), a self-satisfied, money-grubbing ambulance chaser who makes a perfect foil to Kate's people-oriented approach to solving everybody else's situations while muddling through a messy personal life. Is it an accurate testament to mediators? Um, no. Kate ends up far too emotionally invested with her clients for that. But if you like to watch a fun, situational drama, with well-written & well-acted snappy dialog and by-play, or a good, old-fashioned love-hate relationship, I think you'll be very satisfied to watch the sparks fly between the ever-kinetic Kate and everyone else in her life in "Satisfaction."
