In a new Netflix series, Ingrid Yun is on the "Partner Track" (2022-) at a top New York City law firm Parsons Valentine and Hunt, navigating drama in her work and love lives. Always the perfect student, Ingrid was high school valedictorian and later top of her class at Harvard Law and has grown used to heavy expectations weighing her down. She is obsessed with law and philosophy, and known to fall asleep to podcasts about obscure Mergers & Acquisitions law. Arden Cho (“Teen Wolf” (2011-2017), “Chicago Med” (2015-)) leads the cast alongside Dominic Sherwood (“Shadowhunters” (2016-2019), “Vampire Academy” (2022–)), Alexandra Turshen (“The Bold Type” (2017-2021), “Red Oaks” (2014-2017)), Bradley Gibson (“Mozart in the Jungle” (2014-2018)), Rob Heaps (“Imposters” (2017-2018)) and Nolan Gerard Funk (“Glee” (2009-2015), “The Flight Attendant” (2020-)).
The show is based on the 2013 novel by Helen Wan, who, outside of writing a bestselling novel, works as a media and intellectual property lawyer. The show throws around legal jargon while ignoring the mundane desk work that fills the day of true M&A lawyers. If you don't mind its dramatized version of a corporate law firm, "Partner Track" is entertaining and perfect for fans of previous Netflix rom-coms like "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" (2018) and drama filled series like "Bridgerton'' (2020-). The show often focuses on the struggles of POC and LGBTQ+ people who work in law firms, yet its cast is predominately white and male. Many of the secondary female characters take on maternal, caretaker roles. Cho, Gibson and Turshen's characters, at least, are not white men.
Arden Cho does a great job conveying Ingrid's emotional turmoil through her reactions to the other actors and their dialogue. The cliché love triangle between Ingrid, fellow lawyer Jeff Murphy (Sherwood) and "New York's most eligible bachelor" Nick Laren (Heaps) will certainly put some viewers off, while others will become invested in discovering which man you want Ingrid to end up with. Viewers might be entertained or annoyed by the dramatic romantic endeavors of Ingrid and her best friends Rachel (Turshen) and Tyler (Gibson). The same goes for the legal maneuvers and choices the characters make to either move forward in their careers or stand up for themselves. "Partner Track" has been out on Netflix since August 26 and was briefly ranked on the streaming platform’s list of the top ten television shows in the US, but has since dropped off the list. If you are looking for a thought provoking, serious series, turn elsewhere. This show is made for viewers who love watching romance and workplace dramas.
