The Raw Side of the Law: Benched "Pilot"

Last week was the season premiere of "Benched," a new USA Network single-camera comedy created by Michaela Watkins and Damon Jones. It's about how a high-powered corporate lawyer has a fall from grace that goes into the rough and tumble of the world of a public defender.

It stars Nina Whitley, played by Eliza Coupe, a career-driven corporate attorney who suddenly gets a phone call from her fiance that he's breaking up with her for someone he's marrying. That leads her to a nervous breakdown after she receives the news that she's not getting a partner at her firm

Nina gives one of the best rants on television in a while. Maybe it's tied with what Annie did with Jake in NBC's "Marry Me." She bashes everyone about how the other person got the job because of her good looks and giant breasts. Then she smashes everything around her in the room and hits a vast from Elton John.

That's when she leaves and gets on the elevator and tries to make it go down but can't because she needs to use her card to go down, which creates an awkward moment for her. Then, as soon she uses her card, she gives a big "F" to you and a couple of signs until the elevator stops, which makes it even more awkward for her.

Jumping six months later, Nina is now working on her first day as a public defender. She gets to her boss's office; he hands her files and then tells her that she has five minutes to get to court. She doesn't make a good first impression and does not even get the job going into the courtroom, when apparently either a possum died or a sewage pipe had burst.

Making it more a not a good first day is that the person she's going against turns out to be her former fiance, Trent.

After her first full day, Nina doesn't do well and does not make a good impression on the judge.

Later on, Nina has a moment with her new colleagues, who turn out to be an honest, dysfunctional bunch of characters that make her look better and the show, too.

From Phil to Carols, Micah, the intern, and Cheryl are all different and hilarious.

Soon, Nina plans to get Trent back at his own game when a mother is arrested for stealing diapers and also missing a court date; Nina goes at it by saying that she's guilty and that her bond should be $70 million but soon makes an argument that for someone like her client, who stole diapers isn't a horrible crime.

She also makes the argument that the reason why her client missed her court date was because she was in jail.

Soon after the judge has asked many times for the bond number, Nina says one dollar. The judge agrees and sets the bond for one dollar because he is so happy. And then, Nina told Trent that the game was on. In which she has set the bar and let the fun begin.

I enjoy this series from its pilot episode. I thought that Eliza Coupe was excellent in this series. I saw her in "Happy Endings," but I think watching her on here and listening to what others have said, she's hilarious and a queen to cable comedy.

 I think that this series has a great ensemble cast of characters. I think that  Nina and Phil are good with the one. I believe that Maria Bamford is just as hilarious as her character.

I think this series is about how someone who was once up in the higher level professional turns and gets a scene of the reality of what the natural world and the rawest of the law is with the ordinary people.

You can catch "Benched" on Tuesday nights at 10:30/9:30 on the USA Network.