'Nancy Drew's Kennedy McMann also stars in the planted 'Good Doctor' spinoff, airing March 13.
Felicity Huffman is making her return to TV with The Good Lawyer.
ABC released the first look at Huffman's first major acting role, a planted spinoff of The Good Doctor, since her involvement in the 2019 college admissions scandal. Huffman plays Janet Stewart, a highly regarded attorney and partner at the law firm with a fierce intellect and dry wit, in the Good Doctor episode airing March 13.
In the hour, Dr. Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore) seeks legal representation to help him win a case and puts his faith in promising, young lawyer Joni DeGroot (Kennedy McMann), who has obsessive-compulsive disorder. Described as "brilliant, funny and self-aware," the young lawyer is relatively new to her prestigious law firm when she takes Shaun’s case.
A first look clip at the potential Good Lawyer series sees Shaun and Dr. Glassman (Richard Schiff) paying a visit to the law firm, where Glassman is priming Shaun on Janet being one of the best attorneys he knows. But Shaun cuts right to the chase when he asks if their light chit-chat is "billable," and they get down to business.
Janet tells Shaun his malpractice insurance will cover the $300,000, but the only stipulation is that he'll have to sign off on an agreement for a six-month supervisory period where another doctor would have to OK every decision. "That is not good news," Shaun stands firm, telling Janet "it's very humiliating."
If Shaun doesn't take the deal now, his future as a doctor may be in peril, Janet tells him. Watch the scene below.
The episode is co-written by The Good Doctor showrunners David Shore and Liz Friedman, and directed by Ruben Fleischer.
Joining McMann and Huffman in the backdoor pilot is Bethlehem Million, who plays Abbie, Joni’s compassionate, practical, slightly older sister. A voice of reason, she is Joni’s biggest cheerleader, roommate and best friend.
"I think my character is both a champion of Kennedy McMann's character, Joni, but is also a lawyer and very realistic about what her challenges and what are her strengths," Huffman says in a featurette teeing up The Good Lawyer.
"I think it's a really wonderful opportunity to get some insight into what people with OCD live with every day. I grew up with OCD, with debilitating OCD, and I've now recovered a lot since then. But it's a huge part of who I am," McMann detailed. "So to be a part of something that on this scale is representing OCD, I knew very early on I would love to be a part of it, to bring, hopefully, what is a genuine and nuanced look at what it's like to live with OCD."
The Good Doctor airs Mondays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
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