The Lincoln Lawyer Season 6 Update Puts The Ball Fully In Netflix's Court

Published Nov 1, 2026, 2:31 PM EST Cathal Gunning has been writing about movies, television, culture, and politics online and in print since 2017. He worked as a Senior Editor in Adbusters Media Foundation from 2018-2019 and wrote for WhatCulture in early 2020. He has been a Senior Features Writer for ScreenRant since 2020. While Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer deserves to get a sixth season, the fate of the show lies entirely in the hands of the streaming service now. Not every Netflix show is an original title from the streaming service, and many of Netflix’s most beloved series actually started their lives on other networks. 2018’s Caroline Kepnes adaptation You was a Lifetime original in its first season, before Netflix renewed the cult classic psychological thriller after its cancellation. Similarly, while the political drama Designated Survivor is viewed as a Netflix show by most fans, the series actually started life as an ABC network show. It is not uncommon for other venues to renew shows that have been canceled by their original networks, which is how only the first of JAG’s 10 seasons aired on NBC before the rest of the sprawling procedural franchise moved to CBS. All of these industry specifics mean that the question of whether a show is renewed or not isn’t always the sole responsibility of one network, channel, or streaming service. However, in the case of Netflix’s popular legal drama The Lincoln Lawyer, one of the show’s creators has explicitly confirmed that the streaming service alone will decide the show’s fate. In a post on Threads, author Michael Connelly simply said “That’s a Netflix decision” in response to one fan’s plea for a sixth season. The Lincoln Lawyer Deserves To Run To Season 6 Image courtesy of Everett Collection Connelly, who also penned the books that Prime Video’s iconic Bosch franchise was based on, began writing The Lincoln Lawyer novels back in 2005 with the original novel of the same name. The Lincoln Lawyer first reached the screen in 2011 in a movie adaptation starring Matthew McConaughey, but the definitive screen version of Connelly’s antihero Mickey Haller is Manuel Garcia-Rulfo's take on the LA-based defense attorney. So named because he operates his legal practice out of the boot of his Lincoln town car, Haller is the hero of eight Connelly books and four seasons of Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer to date. A recovering addict, Haller balances a messy love life and traumatic personal history with his thirst for justice and often underestimated legal genius. With a starry supporting cast including Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Neve Campbell, Becki Newton, Constance Zimmer, Emmanuelle Chriqui, and Cobie Smulders, The Lincoln Lawyer is a huge hit for Netflix. Despite this, Netflix opted to cancel the show after 2027’s upcoming season 5, prompting the fan’s plea mentioned above. Prime Video’s earlier Connelly adaptation Bosch spawned a franchise that could rival Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone shows, with the sequel series Bosch: Legacy, the spinoff Ballard, and the upcoming prequel Bosch: Start of Watch, but Netflix's The Lincoln Lawyer seemingly won't be so lucky. Why So Many Major Streaming Shows End After 5 Seasons Although there is one spinoff from The Lincoln Lawyer in the works, starring Smulders as Haller’s half-sister Emi Finch, the original show won’t be returning after season 5 unless the streaming service officially reverses its cancellation. Since The Lincoln Lawyer season 4 shot straight to the top spot of Netflix’s most-watched shows, it might seem self-defeating for the streaming service to end the show in 2027. However, there are a variety of behind-the-scenes reasons that so many streaming shows end after only five seasons. For one, the show’s cast and crew have more leverage to negotiate better contracts and pay as the series continues, making production budgets steadily higher. For another, the end of the traditional syndication model means streaming services don’t benefit from shows lasting longer. In the world of network TV, hit shows like Abbott Elementary hitting the 100-episode milestone is a huge deal, as this essentially guarantees these shows will be syndicated nationally and earn residuals for years to come. Since Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer isn’t aired on traditional TV, this incentive doesn’t exist for Netflix. Release Date 2022 - 2027-00-00 Network Netflix Directors David E. Kelley Cast Manuel Garcia-Rulfo Mickey Haller Writers David E. Kelley Creator(s) David E. Kelley