For more than sixty years, adult animation shows have found their foothold in popular culture. The recurring TV genre that might be more popular than primetime animation is the procedural crime show. Luckily, Strip Law, a new animated series on Netflix, blends both genres to earn its place among the funnier shows on the streaming service. While it’s not reinventing the wheel (in part because Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law remains the GOAT), Strip Law features ridiculous storytelling that’s only limited by the showrunners’ imaginations.
What is Strip Law about?
In the aftermath of his mother’s passing, Lincoln Gunn (Adam Scott) is fired by his mother’s law partner, Steve Nichols (Keith David). Lincoln recruits (disbarred) lawyer Glem (Stephen Root), Lincoln’s daughter, Irene (Aimee Garcia), and Vegas magician Sheila (Janelle James) to start his own practice. While he “only” has his law degree and education, the group works to help run Lincoln into a decent lawyer. Yet specializing in the craziest Las Vegas cases also means you’re getting some real crazy takes heading your way.
With ambition and a willingness to learn, they flip the script overnight. Using their diverse skill sets and knowledge, Gumb’s new law firm begins to win cases and become a legitimate rival to Nichols. This sets up showdowns every few episodes as Gumb and Nichols go from partners to enemies. Told with a loose narrative, they begin to conquer Las Vegas’ bawdy and absurd criminal justice system.
For Strip Law, the action is the comedy juice.
In many ways, Strip Law is taking well-worn tropes and succeeding where others have failed. The Vegas Strip has been the location for a dozen shows, but most never approach the real absurdity of what you can discover in Sin City. Strip Law embraces the chaos, going further into our cultural imagination of what can happen on any given night, in every episode. By the time you’ve seen two characters turn an immersive driving school experience into an anarchy-drenched warzone, you’re already familiar with how strange Strip Law can get.
Of course, you need to have loose emotional stakes to keep us glued to the characters. The legitimately catchy jingle (“Nichols and Gumb, they’re the two things in your pocket, and they’ll free you from the pocket of the law”) lays the backstory for the characters in 90 seconds and remains an incredible running joke throughout the season. We even get the note in a castaway line that the TV “announcing Lincoln was fired” has run for five months, suggesting an incredible amount of envy and spite in the relationship.
Lincoln was considered a nepo hire, and when his mother died, her former law partner was all too eager to cut him off. Yet in the right environment and with an unconventional team, he defends the undefendable in the Vegas court system. The simple slobs-versus-snobs trope is incredibly effective and gives us a reason to root for the found family at the center of the series.
The show is both a love letter and a send-up of law TV.
None of this works if Strip Law is not funny. From the first episode, Strip Law takes on its genre through pastiche and outright criticism. The premiere, “Finally, A Show About Lawyers,” sets the tone. By episode four, they’re doing marathon cases that the series calls out for being unconstitutional. With each new absurdity, we’re given the opportunity to lampoon the silliness and fallibility of the justice system.
The cast does a great job adding to the humor. While Janelle James is playing a version of her Abbott Elementary character, she’s still the scene stealer in every episode. Scott is a great everyman, Root creates a brilliant idiot with Glem, and Garcia gives Strip Law its heart with Irene’s sarcasm and good-natured approach to life. She’s also excellent at keying into the teenage sarcasm. David could play a role like Nichols in his sleep, and he’s still the only actor on Earth who could make him so funny. Using his booming vocals, David sells every joke on the page.
At the same time, a lot of these jokes have been done before. While Harvey Birdman and the plethora of shows that have taken on the courts have already made many of these jokes, they still get a laugh. Strip Law also features comedy that evokes the creativity of Solar Opposites and the crew’s experience in Haunted Hotel. It’s strong execution, but the series takes a hit for its lack of originality.
Is Strip Law worth watching?
While it’s not the most original show, Strip Law is unbelievably entertaining. You’ll love watching the chaos unfold, and the humor is always on point. With ridiculous storylines about a “Man Versus Animal” reality show, men running scams to be declared the “legal Santa Claus” of every state, and “what if Erin Brockovich turned a town into a bar for children,” the laughs are never far away. I had an incredible time watching the ridiculous show, and I can’t wait for more.
Strip Law premieres on Netflix on February 20, 2026. All ten episodes were provided for this review.
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