All Rise broke a lot of television’s unwritten rules — and its most entertaining act of rebellion was the relationship between Mark Callan (Wilson Bethel from Netflix’s Daredevil series) and Amy Quinn (Lindsey Gort, one of the best guest stars on Lucifer before it went to Netflix). On paper, Mark and Amy’s relationship seemed like another common network television romance subplot. He was the high-flying Assistant District Attorney; she was the well-heeled defense lawyer. They battled in court but bantered outside of it. And despite being on opposite sides they fell in love, getting engaged in the last episode before the show’s move from CBS to OWN.
But Mark and Amy are unlike any other couple on television. They started in the most obvious place and then the writers seemed to intentionally have them do the complete opposite of every romantic trope. When Amy was introduced in Season 1, Episode 2, “Long Day’s Journey Into ICE,” Mark’s best friend Lola Carmichael (Simone Missick) was already teasing him about “always” having been interested in her romantically. It didn’t take a law degree to figure out All Rise was going to make them a couple. But in Season 1, Episode 5, “Devotees in the Courthouse of Love,” they demonstrated that they were going to do it on their own terms.
The episode saw Mark prosecuting a serial dine-and-dasher who’d swindled a dozen men. When Amy heard Mark was on the case, she jumped to represent the defendant. She was borderline ruthless for most of the hour, convincing Mark that she’d make a plea deal when she never intended to, making the victims look like creeps in open court, and then publicly embarrassing a police detective. Yet when the charges were dismissed, Amy immediately sided with Mark on a moral level. “You treated those men like garbage,” she told her client, adding that she could discuss further issues “with a different lawyer.”
It was a huge step forward for Amy’s character — and for their relationship. Most defense attorneys in legal dramas are presented as morally flexible and almost condescending if they know someone on the other side. The original Law & Order had Marcus Woll, an ex-flame of ADA Connie Rubirosa who practically gloated his way through scenes. Amy Quinn did her job but that was separate from her own morals and she made that very clear in both directions during the episode. That, in turn, gave Mark a legitimate reason to be interested. Amy was a real person who respected him, instead of being the “they’re terrible and constantly ruin my cases but they’re attractive so I’m going to sleep with them” stereotype.
All Rise continued that mutual respect through the rest of its first two seasons. Amy and Mark presented a healthy relationship where neither one compromised their beliefs or obligations for the other. They cared for each other, but part of that was understanding that they were going to disagree. They each maintained their own agency and storylines — their relationship fit around the rest of their lives, instead of the show only seeing them as a couple. And most importantly, their dating wasn’t played for witty jokes or needless flirting, but to actually make both characters better. Both of them bucked the system (and traditional expectations for their roles) so putting them together was a real meeting of the minds.
Season 2 took Mark and Amy too far into melodrama; Mark kissed their mutual friend Rachel Audubon (Ryan Michelle Bathe) while Amy suddenly had an estranged husband (Josh Henderson). Neither of those plot points were necessary. However, their glaring disconnect from the rest of the duo’s relationship also underlined how much Amy and Mark didn’t fit into the cliche couple mold. When they were put into predictable situations, they felt completely out of character. Lindsey Gort and Wilson Bethel have done an incredible job of making them both stand out in a crowded genre.
Details about All Rise‘s future are few and far between, but audiences know that Amy and Mark should still be together when Season 3 premieres on its new network. Yet they don’t need to rush to the altar. It would be another trope to have a wedding so soon, and tying the knot isn’t as meaningful as what it represents. Mark and Amy are moving toward a future that neither of them have ever had before. They’re working as a team when they’ve previously carried most of their personal baggage alone. That’s what makes them an outstanding couple — they’re not together because the show tells us they are, they’re together because they should be.
All Rise Season 3 premieres on OWN this April. Seasons 1 and 2 are currently streaming on Hulu.
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