Mickey Haller and Andrea Freeman embark on an unexpected romance in The Lincoln Lawyer season 3, which replaces a surprising story from the book that it adapts. Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer hasn’t shied away from book changes throughout its first three seasons. While the major details and big twists of his cases are honored, some of Mickey’s personal life developments and characters he encounters are original to the show. This happens to be the case with Mickey and Andrea’s romance in The Lincoln Lawyer season 3, as Yaya DaCosta’s character wasn’t even in Michael Connelly’s The Gods of Guilt novel.

Since Mickey and Andy went toe-to-toe on opposing sides of the Lisa Trammell case in The Lincoln Lawyer season 2, the reveal that the defense attorney and prosecutor began dating in season 3 came as a shock. For starters, Andy had been good friends with Mickey’s ex-wife Maggie McPherson, whom he appeared to still be in love with before she moved away in season 2. Additionally, Mickey had actually begun a relationship with a very different character in The Gods of Guilt book, with this change now having an impact on The Lincoln Lawyer season 4’s novel adaptation.

Mickey Began A Romance With The Lincoln Lawyer’s Kendall Roberts In The Book

Mickey Dated Kendall, Not Andy, In The Gods Of Guilt

In The Gods of Guilt, Mickey actually began a romance with Kendall Roberts (Molly Burnett), not Andrea Freeman. Kendall Roberts is among the supporting new characters in The Lincoln Lawyer season 3, being introduced as a former sex worker colleague of Glory Days who may have insight into her death and history with Hector Moya. Kendall is among the many names being subpoenaed by Sly Jr’s team, so Mickey visits her at her home to get information about when she lived with Glory Days.

Mickey’s Romantic Interest In The Lincoln Lawyer

Maggie McPherson (ex-wife)
Neve Campbell
1, 2, 3

Lorna Crane (ex-wife)
Becki Newton
1, 2, 3

Lisa Trammell
Lana Parrilla
2

Andrea Freeman
Yaya DaCosta
2, 3

Kendall frequently notes that she lives a very different life today and doesn’t want to be brought back into that world because of the case, though she does eventually have Trina Rafferty stay with her during the trial. In the series, Kendall Roberts is last seen after Cisco finds Trina and confronts them about James De Marco intimidating them as witnesses, shortly before The Lincoln Lawyer season 3’s ending and the final trial takes place. However, her role was far bigger in the novel, especially as it concerned Mickey’s love life.

While the titular character simply returns back to working on the case after his first meeting with her in the show, Mickey’s introduction to Kendall is followed by a few more meetings before the two begin a relationship in the novel. Throughout the Glory Days case, Mickey ends up frequently staying over at Kendall’s house in The Gods of Guilt, similar to his stays at Andy’s house in the series. Kendall would often attend Julian LaCosse’s trial once the couple started a relationship, and their romance continued even after Mickey won the case.

Why The Lincoln Lawyer Season 3 Replaced Mickey & Kendall’s Romance With Andy

Mickey & Andy’s Romance Worked Better With Season 3’s Stuffed Store

Far more than seasons 1 and 2, The Lincoln Lawyer season 3 is pretty overstuffed with subplots, characters, and moving parts in the Glory Days case. The show is already balancing the personal lives and individual career efforts of Mickey’s legal team with the various factors in Hector Moya and Glory Days’ past, the secrets held by Neil Bishop and James De Marco, and the returns of characters like Hayley, Legal, Sam Scales, and Maggie, so there quite simply isn’t enough time in the span of a few episodes to compellingly introduce and dive into a romance between Mickey and Kendall Roberts.

The Lincoln Lawye r season 3’s 10-episode count didn’t allow for the show to build up that introduction and romantic turn convincingly.

To make audiences root for the relationship between Mickey and Kendall, The Lincoln Lawyer season 3 would have had to dedicate even more time to their short meetings while establishing a professional-turned-romantic rapport between the two. Frankly, The Lincoln Lawyer season 3’s 10-episode count didn’t allow for the show to build up that introduction and romantic turn convincingly. Meanwhile, the initial antagonistic-turned-friendly dynamic and potential attraction between Mickey and Andy already had a basis in their The Lincoln Lawyer season 2 rivalry.

By shifting Mickey’s The Lincoln Lawyer season 3 romance to be with Andy instead of Kendall, the show could spend more time on valuable subplots like Lorna becoming a lawyer, Izzy’s dance studio problems, and Maggie’s flashback sequence and eventual conversation with Mickey about Hayley distancing herself. To make it believable that Andy and Mickey would get together after season 2, all The Lincoln Lawyer needed to do was twist a brief scene between the two at a restaurant into being more flirtatious. Ultimately, it was more efficient than introducing the Kendall romance or having no love interest at all.

Mickey & Kendall’s Romance Continued Into The Lincoln Lawyer Season 4’s Book Story

Kendall & Mickey Got Back Together During His Trial

Netflix’s series isn’t just cutting Mickey and Kendall’s relationship from The Lincoln Lawyer season 3, as the two characters are still connected in Michael Connelly’s The Law of Innocence book, on which season 4 will be based. The Law of Innocence novel reveals that Mickey and Kendall dated for several years after the conclusion of Glory Days’ case, but their relationship took a sour turn before the time that Mickey was framed for Sam Scales’ murder. In the book, the couple eventually split ways after Kendall finally decided to leave Los Angeles and move to Hawaii.

Netflix has yet to officially confirm The Lincoln Lawyer season 4’s renewal.

However, Kendall still came back in The Law of Innocence after hearing that Mickey was on trial for his client Sam Scales’ murder. Kendall even moved in with Mickey during this time, but the book ended with the two splitting up for good after she returned to Hawaii. That book concluded Kendall Roberts’ time in the novel series, so without the romance subplot, it’s unlikely that she’ll be among the returning characters in The Lincoln Lawyer season 4’s story.

How Mickey & Andy’s Relationship Will Change His Book Romance Story In The Lincoln Lawyer Season 4

The Lincoln Lawyer Still Has To Build Up To His Reunion With Maggie

Mickey’s primary romance in The Law of Innocence is still Kendall Roberts, so it seems likely that he’ll continue dating Andy in The Lincoln Lawyer season 4. However, the fact that Mickey goes to jail and is on trial for murder could lead Andy to end their relationship. Being romantically involved with a man facing death row could be detrimental to her career as a prosecutor, regardless of his innocence. Alternatively, if Andy doesn’t break up with Mickey, then she’ll likely keep their relationship secret, which still changes up the dynamic of his love life in the book.

Of course, as is the case with the majority of the Mickey Haller novels and the past three seasons of The Lincoln Lawyer, the upcoming story will still have to contend with the lingering tension between Mickey and Maggie. In the book, Maggie takes leave from her job to be with Mickey and Hayley during the trial and becomes very involved in the case. After he’s exonerated, Mickey and Maggie end up getting back together, which is a subplot The Lincoln Lawyer season 4 will still have to build toward while addressing Maggie’s friendship with Andy.