The latest update on The Lincoln Lawyer season 4 sheds light on the exit of a main cast member. With the legal drama on track to return for another batch of episodes, it’s likewise been confirmed that Neve Campbell will be back for all ten episodes of The Lincoln Lawyer season 4 as Maggie McPherson. She’s sure to assist her ex, Mickey Haller (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), as he’s being framed for the murder of a former client. Campbell’s full-time return raised questions about the status of Andrea Freeman (Yaya DaCosta), the prosecutor who has developed a bond with Mickey.

TVLine responded to a question about DaCosta’s status for the upcoming season, revealing that she will not return as Andrea in The Lincoln Lawyer season 4. This is said to be because Andrea does not appear in The Law of Innocence novel by author Michael Connelly, which season 4 will adapt.

What Andrea Freeman Has Meant For The Lincoln Lawyer

Her Role Was Expanded In Season 3 Despite The Source Material

Andrea is introduced in The Lincoln Lawyer season 2 as Mickey’s adversary in the Lisa Trammell case. They start on the wrong foot, as Andrea attempts to bury Mickey and his modest legal team under a mountain of paperwork. She proved to be a worthy opponent in the courtroom as well, presenting evidence that painted Mickey’s client in a damning light. She’s also friendly with Maggie, a connection that makes DaCosta’s character more capable of getting under Mickey’s skin.

In the Michael Connelly books, Andrea is best known for appearing in The Fifth Witness novel. However, in the legal drama, her role is expanded from a mere rival to a character that eventually grows close to Mickey. This becomes clear in the season 3 finale, which marked Andrea’s final on-screen appearance for now. The former foes are there to comfort each other, with Andrea taking Mickey’s hands into her own. The interaction is not strictly romantic, though it does illustrate how the lawyers have grown to value each other.

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Lincoln Lawyer Book Title
Year Released

The Lincoln Lawyer
2005

The Brass Verdict
2008

The Reversal
2010

The Fifth Witness
2011

The Crossing
2015

The Law of Innocence
2020

Revolution Walk
2023

The Lincoln Lawyer hails from series creator and prolific TV producer David E. Kelley, who is known for putting prosecutors and defense attorneys together in his seminal legal series Ally McBeal and The Practice. Co-showrunners Ted Humphrey and Dailyn Rodriguez flirt with the possibility, but the characters ultimately help each other in more meaningful ways than mere romance.

Could Andrew Still Return In Season 5?

Season 3 Ended On A Hopeful Note For Andrea

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Andrea may not be appearing in the show’s immediate future, with the focus turning to the aftermath of Mickey’s shocking arrest in The Lincoln Lawyer season 3 finale. However, her story is not left as an afterthought. She comforts Mickey after a witness takes his own life on the stand, assuring Mickey that it’s not his fault. Mickey, in turn, encourages her to push for what she wants. Andy is last seen standing up to her boss and demanding to be put back to work on important cases.

It could be argued, even, that the series devoted a lot of time to Andrea and won’t just quietly neglect her presence.

It’s the kind of send-off that suggests DaCosta could return, potentially for the likely Lincoln Lawyer season 5. But, at least for now, the focus of Law of Innocence is big on Mickey and Maggie. It could be the case that the showrunners decided to sidestep the potential romance between Mickey and Andy to focus more fully on Maggie’s presence and its impact.

Our Take On Andrea’s Lincoln Lawyer Future

She’ll Likely Be Back

Just as Campbell took on a smaller role in The Lincoln Lawyer cast before coming back full-time for season 4, there’s no reason that DaCosta couldn’t rejoin in the future. Her final scene in season 3 suggests a new chapter. She walks out with a satisfied smile and a rediscovered confidence, signaling that DaCosta’s breakout follow-up to her Chicago Med role will be revisited. It could be argued, even, that the series devoted a lot of time to Andrea and won’t just quietly neglect her presence.