Sometimes, taking on Big Tech means fighting dirty—and the Kings know how to make that fight entertaining.
The latest series from Robert and Michelle King is another promising addition to their impressive TV résumé. With sharp writing, engaging characters, and a satisfying underdog story, Cupertino feels comfortably familiar while still bringing something timely to the legal procedural. After one episode, I'm already rooting for its unlikely team of lawyers.
The CBS drama opens with Michael Price (Mike Colter) and Olivia Siffre (Rachel Keller) sitting outside their former workplace, boxes of belongings in hand. Both have been fired from S-Talk, an AI startup, but for very different reasons. Michael, a company co-founder, is falsely accused of leaking proprietary documents as the founder attempts to strip him of his valuable equity and stock options. Olivia, meanwhile, is dismissed because the founder fears she may file a sexual harassment complaint against him.
Michael sees an opportunity in their shared circumstances and proposes that they team up, representing each other in lawsuits against the company. Olivia initially hesitates, worried about public scrutiny and how a scandal might affect her conservative family. But when she discovers that S-Talk's new AI model, Daisy, has cloned her voice without permission, she realizes this fight is about more than losing a job. It's about protecting her identity.
Their new firm gets off to a humble start, initially operating out of an IHOP before Michael's former assistant, Christy Palladino (Ella Stiller), helps them find an office. The space has a gorgeous, high-end lobby, but everything beyond the front desk is unfinished and empty. It's a funny visual representation of a law firm starting from scratch, and Christy's optimism that they can build a new wall with every case they win captures the operation's scrappy spirit.
Naturally, S-Talk won't let the pair challenge its power without a fight. The company countersues for $18 million, their first judge has financial ties to S-Talk, and the company's formidable legal team pushes back at every turn. Michael also gets an unwelcome surprise when his high-powered attorney father, Bayard (Joe Morton), shows up and threatens to throw him off his game.
Things become even more complicated when S-Talk offers Michael a lucrative job in exchange for signing an NDA and abandoning Olivia's case. He refuses, but their courtroom arguments aren't going smoothly. Olivia struggles to establish that Michael's firing was racially motivated, leaving both cases in a precarious position.
The premiere's biggest payoff comes when Olivia takes a risky approach. She confronts the S-Talk founder with an unsolicited nude photograph he sent her before firing her. The threat of public exposure is enough to send him into a panic, and he orders his legal team to settle both lawsuits.
It's a satisfying victory, even if the resolution feels a little convenient. More importantly, it establishes the show's central conflict: finding ways to hold powerful people accountable when money, influence, and expensive lawyers seem to put them beyond reach.
What I like most about Cupertino is the chemistry between Colter and Keller. Michael and Olivia have different motivations and approaches, but their partnership gives the show a strong foundation. The Kings also know how to make legal maneuvering entertaining without losing sight of the people caught up in it. The premiere moves quickly, and I'd like to see the courtroom conflicts become more nuanced as the series develops, but there's plenty of potential here.
Cupertino is a smart, enjoyable start to a legal drama that feels both familiar and relevant. Its appealing central duo and timely focus on Big Tech make it an easy recommendation. The series offers a well-written, entertaining story about people challenging powerful institutions. Overall, I give the series premiere an 8/10.
Have you watched the premiere? What did you think of Michael and Olivia's first battle against S-Talk? Let me know in the comments!
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