Episode Guide
Episode 1 -| Review Score – 3/5 Episode 2 -| Review Score – 3.5/5 Episode 3 -| Review Score – 3.5/5 Episode 4 -| Review Score – 2.5/5 Episode 5 -| Review Score – 2.5/5 Episode 6 -| Review Score – 3/5 Episode 7 -| Review Score – 3/5 Episode 8 -| Review Score – 3/5 Episode 9 -| Review Score – 3/5 Episode 10 -| Review Score – 3/5 Partner Track is the epitome of a guilty pleasure. It’s not a particularly great law drama and it’s pretty by the book when it comes to its romance. There’s an undercurrent of predictability rippling right the way through the 10 episodes but yet, somehow, you won’t be able to stop watching. The story centers on Ingrid Yun, an idealistic young lawyer who struggles with her moral compass and passions to climb the partner track at Parsons Valentine’s law firm. With a frat boy mentality at the firm, Ingrid tries her best to break the perceived patriarchy at play. Instead of an episodic format though, Partner Track drags out several different cases for its ensemble to juggle across the season. Ingrid is in charge of a corporate acquisition from a guy called Ted Lassiter, looking to buy out fellow energy company Sun Corp. Ingrid’s best friend Rachel is tasked with a case of “passing the baton” for a matriarch and her three dysfunctional kids, while Tyler is in charge of a fashion dispute. The 10 episodes then essentially spread those cases out, drip-feeding the drama across the chapters. However, the law side of things essentially works as window dressing to what’s otherwise a romance drama. At the center of this is Ingrid, who’s caught up in a love triangle between perfect nice guy Nick and bad boy Englishman Jeff. Yep, it’s that old chestnut again! Whilst this question of who Ingrid chooses is resolved by the end, there’s also a nice little hook to keep you guessing what may happen next. The characters themselves are a bit of a mixed bag but the main ensemble largely come across as likable – especially Ingrid. She’s a great protagonist and actually easy to root for. Sure, she makes some silly decisions and sometimes falls into a victim mentality, but she’s headstrong and comes out fighting which is pretty admirable. Some of the other players, like Dan, are disappointingly shallow and one-dimensional, despite what looked to be a turn to actually flesh him out during a particularly heated discussion with Tyler. Quality-wise, Partner Track is bang average across the board. The storyline is very predictable and ultimately, this feels designed specifically for those people who just want to kick back on their sofa, chuck something on in the background and scroll through social media. There’s nothing wrong with that of course, but those after something with more bite and substance, are unlikely to find it here. I can’t help but feel Partner Track would have been much more effective had it gone for a more episodic structure. The idea of a company takeover and some social media badmouthing are interesting enough but spread out across ten 45 minute episodes bogs down the law drama side of things more than it should. As a better example, Extraordinary Attorney Woo has just recently finished and that managed to balance romance and law drama beautifully, even if it didn’t quite stick the landing. Ultimately, Partner Track is… okay. It’s certainly not going to ignite the small screen and it’s definitely not for those after an in-depth or engrossing law drama. This is a light, frothy romance packaged in a legal parcel, designed for those who don’t want to think too much. If that sounds like your cup of tea, you should be right at home. For everyone else, this one’s probably best skipping.
