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Oct 02, 2014 By Zach Hollwedel Web Exclusive

Kate Walsh is Rebecca Wright, the titular “bad” judge, whose heavy-drinking, drug-using, party-hearty lifestyle is at odds with her respectable career as a criminal court judge. Wright drives an eyesore of a van that probably saw more than its fair share of bong hits, enjoys regular one-night stands and their ensuing pregnancy scares, and frequently presides over court with a killer hangover. However, she also has a softer, hidden caring side, which, at least theoretically, redeems her many faults.

Walsh’s Wright is a female anti-role model who, despite her rough edges, manages to affect positive change in other peoples’ lives. Unfortunately, none of this means her circumstances are believable. The moment Wright grabs a fire ax and punctures the tire of a car in broad daylight—a car the driver is still sitting in, by the way—her actions spring from (potentially) endearingly remiss to flat out unlawful. Therein lies the show’s major flaw; for a judge, one who seems to value her job, Wright’s antics too frequently fall on the wrong side of the law. It is nearly impossible to believe Wright has remained on the bench as long as she has, and each ensuing exploit only unravels the premise further.

Given the involvement of executive producers, Will Ferrell and Adam McKay, one would expect Bad Judge to be a lot better or—at the very least—funnier than it is. The show tries (too) hard for laughs, frequently jumping the shark and landing beyond the realm of reasonable suspension of disbelief. Walsh does what she can with the material, but by the twelfth time she utters the word “dude,” her efforts fall flat. At the end of the day, there are simply too few laughs accompanying Wright’s farfetched adventures to land Bad Judge a favorable verdict. (www.nbc.com/bad-judge)

Author rating: 4.5/10