The Guardian: The Complete Series

Great price good programming would like to see more of this type

I just discovered this gem on Netflix, and over a long week-end watched all 3 series. I was so compelled by the intensity of this series that I ordered the complete set for future viewing. There was such extraordinary character development--I almost felt the emotional pains that each experienced dealing with their individual life issues. The stories regarding child advocacy were also realistic--at times very difficult to watch, for they brought back memories from my own past. As I watched the character of James Mooney (Charles Malik Whitfield) morph into a person with a deep raging desire for revenge, it arrested my attention; for throughout the series he brought about a grittiness to his concern for the disadvantaged. After brutally beating the person he thought was responsible for the death of his nephew he returned to work the next day as if nothing had happened revealing a dark side to his personality (the side hidden from those that he worked with daily).Simon Baker & Dabney Coleman (Burton & Nick Fallin) was a study in acute family dysfunction. The legal stories were realistic, showing the aggressive & devious approach that can be taken in corporate law. I enjoyed the epiphany moment when Nicolas (a psychologically complex person) realized the scandalous attitude of a coal mine owner in Pennsylvania--trying to coverup that his company was culpable for the serious health concerns in a small community. Kathleen Chalfant did an outstanding job playing the character of Laurie Solt--tough, caring, dedicated and extremely concerned about the welfare of children. I also enjoyed watching Rosenberg's character as Masterson. He was intense till the end--often struggling to keep his emotions in check. Dysfunctional families; the inability to communicate effectively; emotional walls to hide deep seated pain; the inability to maintain healthy relationships; a 16 yr affair ultimately leading to divorce & a suicide attempt are a psychologist's dream.The Guardian showed that life is often messy. The acting throughout the series was excellent. Story lines very credible. Several notable guest stars were seen throughout the series: Farrah Fawcett, Gina Torres (married to Laurence Fishburne), Lolita Davidovich, Chris Pine,Corey Feldman, Joseph Campanella & Bethany Joy Galeotti. It was a shame that this series did not last longer. It is not often that we are shown programming of this quality. I guess the TV industry would rather feed us reality shows and 'vanity fair.'

Intelligent and worthwhile...Wendy Munoz shines!

It's a unique view of the dichotomy between activist lawyers and corporate ones, with plenty of >aha< observations on the legal profession in general...

"The Guardian" ran from 2001-2004. It is about a young high power attorney, Nick Fallin, (Simon Baker) who gets busted for drug possession and is sentenced to 3 years probation,1.500 hours of community service and is fined $10,000. He works in his father's Burton Fallin's (Dabney Coleman) law firm Fallin and Associates. He and his father are the only people in the firm who know about his conviction and there is a lot of pressure on Nick to keep up with the demands of the firm and his duties as a child advocate. As a result of this, he is often mistaken by his fellow employees as belonging to the firm only because he is Burton's son. His character is, at first, quite jaded and he has a very strained relationship with his father. He is made a partner in the firm which further displeases the other lawyers who don't understand why he is missing board meetings and meetings with clients without repercussions. The character development is well done as you watch Nick trying to come to terms with his double life and how to communicate with his father. Nick is not at all like the character (Patrick Jane) Simon Baker plays in "The Mentalist." "The Guardian" is a testimony to how versatile Simon Baker is as an actor and how compelling his character's always are. I would recommend this to anyone who would like to take a look at Simon Baker's first U.S. television series.

I very much enjoyed The Guardian. It was an excellent, if short-lived series with one of my favorite actors, Simon Baker. Parts of this series deal with some heavy subject matter, such as poverty, drug addiction, and abuse. It does so in a thought-provoking even if not candy-coated manner. There are no 'perfect' characters in this show. They all have realistic flaws and their own quirks that make this series so down-to-earth and relatable.I wish this show had gotten more than 3 seasons. The ending seemed slightly rushed, even if it was still somewhat satisfying.

Loved the show, it was new in package, fast shipping

The series surrounds the character of Nick Fallon, a young lawyer who has been accused of drug abuse and is ordered to do community service as a child advocate. the series shows the frustrating situations that are dealt with by social workers and the law trying to place the children in various shelters or foster care because their parents are to ill equipped to take care of them or they are drug addicts or are in jail. Occasionally it is hard to watch but it needs to be watched. Simon Baker adds to the intensity of this series with his great acting skills and looks.This is a very well done series but I would need to be mentally prepared to watch it again.