Recent from talks
Nothing was collected or created yet.
Partner Track
View on Wikipedia
| Partner Track | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Legal drama |
| Based on | The Partner Track by Helen Wan |
| Developed by | Georgia Lee |
| Showrunners |
|
| Starring |
|
| Music by | Allyson Newman & Heather McIntosh |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 10 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producers |
|
| Cinematography |
|
| Editors |
|
| Running time | 40–45 minutes |
| Production companies |
|
| Original release | |
| Network | Netflix |
| Release | August 26, 2022 |
Partner Track is an American legal drama television series developed by Georgia Lee, based on Helen Wan's 2013 novel The Partner Track.[1] It premiered on Netflix on August 26, 2022.[2] In November 2022, the series was canceled after one season.[3]
Cast and characters
[edit]Main
[edit]- Arden Cho as Ingrid Yun, a M&A lawyer who is trying to make partner at her law firm, Parsons Valentine & Hunt
- Alexandra Turshen as Rachel Friedman, Ingrid's best friend who works as a litigation attorney at Parsons Valentine & Hunt
- Bradley Gibson as Tyler Robinson, Ingrid's other best friend who works as an intellectual property lawyer at Parsons Valentine & Hunt and is trying to make partner
- Dominic Sherwood as Jeff Murphy, an attorney who recently transferred from Parsons Valentine & Hunt's London office and Ingrid's one-night stand from 6 years ago
- Rob Heaps as Nick Laren, Ingrid's love interest
- Nolan Gerard Funk as Dan Fallon, a fellow lawyer at Parsons Valentine & Hunt who is trying to make partner
- Matthew Rauch as Marty Adler, the M&A managing partner at Parsons Valentine & Hunt
- Roby Attal as Justin Coleman, Ingrid's paralegal at Parsons Valentine & Hunt
Recurring
[edit]- Lena Ahn as Lina Yun, Ingrid's younger sister
- Desmond Chiam as Zi-Xin 'Z' Min
- Catherine Curtin as Margo
- Fredric Lehne as Ted Lassiter
- Ronald Peet as Anthony, Tyler's boyfriend who is a political candidate in New York City
- Zane Phillips as Hunter Reed
- Will Stout as Todd Ames
- Rich Ting as Carter Min
- Daniel Gerroll as Raymond Vanderlin
- Alejandro Hernandez as Valdo
- Esther Moon as Soo-Jung Yun, Ingrid's mother
- Jo Sung as Sang-Hoon Yun, Ingrid's father
Guest starring
[edit]- Becky Ann Baker as Gigi Weaver
- Tehmina Sunny as Victoria St. Clair
Episodes
[edit]| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Material Adverse Change" | Julie Anne Robinson | Teleplay by : Georgia Lee | August 26, 2022 | |
|
Keen to make partner in the Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) division of prestigious law firm Parsons Valentine and Hunt, Ingrid Yun competes with her main rival Dan Fallon to work with the M&A managing partner Marty Adler on a deal for energy conglomerate Sun Corp to acquire Chinese firm Min Enterprises. Amidst her competition with Dan, matters are complicated for Ingrid by the new British transfer, Jeff Murphy, to the New York office. Jeff and Ingrid shared a passionate weekend together six years prior at a wedding, an encounter which left a lasting impression on Ingrid but that Jeff seemingly doesn't remember. Ingrid also begins dating wealthy philanthropist Nick Laren whilst simultaneously dealing with her wayward sister Lina. When Marty informs Dan and Ingrid that only one of them can continue working on the Sun Corp deal, Dan edges out Ingrid by using his DOE connections, devastating Ingrid. However, at a reception hosted by Nick, Ingrid encounters Dan's DOE contact and realizes he is drunkenly talking to a Financial Times journalist working on a story about the rumored acquisition. To save the deal from being prematurely revealed, Ingrid proposes an expedited plan to Marty and works through the weekend with her staff to get the deal ready for a Monday morning agreement. She successfully does so, outmaneuvering Dan in the process. As she celebrates her victory, Jeff reveals that he remembers their passionate weekend "very well". | |||||
| 2 | "Meta-Strategy" | Julie Anne Robinson | Sarah Goldfinger | August 26, 2022 | |
| 3 | "Change of Venue" | Kevin Berlandi | Conway Preston | August 26, 2022 | |
| 4 | "Due Diligence" | Kevin Berlandi | Nikki Goldwaser | August 26, 2022 | |
| 5 | "Out of Office" | Tanya Wexler | D.C. Rogers | August 26, 2022 | |
| 6 | "Client Relations" | Tanya Wexler | Kim Shumway | August 26, 2022 | |
| 7 | "Talking Points" | Lily Mariye | Katie Do | August 26, 2022 | |
| 8 | "Consequential Damages" | Lily Mariye | Mira Z. Barnum | August 26, 2022 | |
| 9 | "Pro Forma" | Adam Brooks | Kim Shumway | August 26, 2022 | |
| 10 | "Dawn Raid" | Adam Brooks | Georgia Lee | August 26, 2022 | |
Production
[edit]Development
[edit]On September 14, 2021, Netflix gave production a series order consisting ten episodes. Partner Track is developed by Georgia Lee who is expected to executive produce alongside Sarah Goldfinger, Tony Hernandez, and Kristen Campo. Lee and Goldfinger also served as co-showrunners. The series is based on Helen Wan's 2013 novel The Partner Track who is set to be a consultant for the series. Julie Anne Robinson is set to direct the first two episodes of the series. Tanya Wexler, Kevin Berlandi, Lily Mariye, and Charles Randolph-Wright are also set to direct some episodes. Jax Media is the production company involved producing the series. It was filmed in New York.[1] The series premiered on August 26, 2022.[2] On November 8, 2022, Netflix canceled the series after one season.[3]
Casting
[edit]Upon series order announcement, Arden Cho, Bradley Gibson, Alexandra Turshen, Nolan Gerard Funk, Dominic Sherwood, Rob Heaps, and Matthew Rauch were cast in starring roles.[4] On October 29, 2021, Desmond Chiam and Tehmina Sunny joined the cast in recurring roles.[5] On December 20, 2021, Lena Ahn was cast in a recurring capacity.[6]
Reception
[edit]The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 62% approval rating with an average rating of 5.7/10, based on 13 critic reviews.[7] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 45 out of 100 based on 4 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[8]
Between August 21 and September 11 the show was watched for 66.01 million hours globally.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (September 14, 2021). "Arden Cho Leads Cast Of 'Partner Track' Netflix Series From Georgia Lee Based On Helen Wan's Book; Julie Anne Robinson To Direct". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 14, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
- ^ a b Iannucci, Rebecca (July 29, 2022). "Partner Track Trailer: Teen Wolf Alum Arden Cho Lawyers Up in Netflix Series — Plus, Find Out When It Will Premiere". TVLine. Archived from the original on July 29, 2022. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
- ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (November 8, 2022). "'Partner Track' & 'The Imperfects' Canceled By Netflix After One Season". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 8, 2022. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
- ^ Iannucci, Rebecca (September 14, 2021). "Partner Track Adaptation, Starring Teen Wolf's Arden Cho, Ordered at Netflix". TVLine. Archived from the original on September 14, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (October 29, 2021). "'Partner Track': Desmond Chiam And Tehmina Sunny Join Netflix Series As Recurring". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 29, 2021. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (December 20, 2021). "'Partner Track': Lena Ahn Joins Netflix Drama Series As Recurring". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
- ^ "Partner Track: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
- ^ "Partner Track: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
- ^ Moore, Kasey (November 8, 2022). "'Partner Track' Season 2 Canceled at Netflix". What's on Netflix. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
External links
[edit]Partner Track
View on GrokipediaOverview
Synopsis
Partner Track is an American legal drama television series centered on Ingrid Yun, a first-generation Korean-American senior associate and mergers and acquisitions lawyer at the prestigious New York City law firm Parsons Valentine & Hunt.[1] As she aggressively pursues promotion to junior partner, Ingrid grapples with intense professional ambitions amid a competitive environment marked by workplace biases and traditional attitudes toward race and gender diversity.[1] The narrative follows her immersion in high-stakes mergers and acquisitions deals, which test her skills and ethical boundaries, while she balances complicated personal relationships, including romantic entanglements and close friendships with colleagues.[1] Central to her journey are conflicts with ambitious peers, such as the opportunistic senior associate Dan Fallon, who embodies the firm's entrenched privileges and rivalries.[3] Structured as a 10-episode limited series that intertwines legal procedural elements with interpersonal drama, Partner Track explores the pressures of corporate advancement in a high-powered setting.[4] It premiered globally on Netflix on August 26, 2022.[5]Background and source material
The Partner Track is based on Helen Wan's 2013 novel of the same name, a semi-autobiographical work that draws from her personal experiences as an Asian-American lawyer at a prestigious New York City firm. Wan, who practiced corporate law before transitioning to writing and advocacy, used the book to explore the pressures of high-stakes legal work, including racial microaggressions and the challenges of assimilation in elite professional environments. The novel follows protagonist Ingrid Yun, a young associate navigating the competitive path to partnership, reflecting Wan's observations of systemic barriers faced by women of color in Big Law.[6][7] The series was adapted for television by Georgia Lee, a filmmaker and writer known for her work on projects like Red Doors, who served as showrunner and emphasized themes of meritocracy—or its illusions—in elite professions. Lee's adaptation expands on the novel's core concept by incorporating contemporary real-world issues in Big Law firms, such as the "bamboo ceiling" that limits advancement for Asian-American professionals despite their qualifications. This invisible barrier, often rooted in stereotypes of Asians as competent but not leadership material, underscores the series' examination of diversity efforts that fall short in practice.[8][9] Netflix announced the series order on September 14, 2021, greenlighting a 10-episode first season produced by Jax Media, with Lee co-writing and executive producing alongside Sarah Goldfinger. The initial concept development stemmed directly from Wan's novel, which had garnered attention for its candid portrayal of corporate culture, prompting Netflix to pursue an adaptation that would bring these underrepresented stories to a broader audience. This move aligned with the platform's growing interest in workplace dramas highlighting intersectional inequities.[4][1]Cast and characters
Main characters
Ingrid Yun, portrayed by Arden Cho, is the ambitious protagonist of Partner Track, a first-generation Korean-American lawyer specializing in mergers and acquisitions at the prestigious New York firm Parsons Valentine & Hunt. As a driven senior associate, she faces significant hurdles in her pursuit of partnership, including navigating racial biases, ethical dilemmas, and the firm's entrenched old-boy network, all while striving to uphold her ideals.[3][10][11] Dan Fallon, played by Nolan Gerard Funk, serves as Ingrid's primary colleague and romantic interest, embodying white male privilege within the competitive corporate environment. A fellow senior associate vying for the same partnership slot, Dan is cunning in securing clients but often lacks maturity, resorting to underhanded tactics that highlight systemic advantages in the legal world.[3][10][12] Marty Adler, depicted by Matthew Rauch, is the no-nonsense M&A managing partner who oversees the evaluation of associates for promotion. With a high-powered demeanor and short fuse, Marty demands excellence from his team, including Ingrid, while his decisions carry substantial weight in determining career trajectories at the firm.[3][12] Jeff Murphy, played by Dominic Sherwood, is Ingrid's loyal junior associate and close friend at the firm. British and idealistic, he provides comic relief and support, often helping Ingrid navigate the firm's politics while dealing with his own career challenges.[3][10] The series' character dynamics center on Ingrid's professional relationships, where she relies on mentorship from authoritative figures like Marty Adler to advance, even as his demanding style tests her resilience. She also contends with rivalries from peers such as Dan Fallon, whose privileged shortcuts contrast her merit-based approach, and Tyler Robinson (Bradley Gibson), another associate competing for limited opportunities, underscoring themes of diversity and equity in high-stakes legal practice.[3][10][13] Arden Cho's casting as Ingrid marked a significant lead role for the actress, selected after an extensive search for someone capable of conveying both fierce determination and vulnerability; her prior breakout performance in Teen Wolf positioned her as a rising talent suited to the character's cultural and professional complexities.[14][15]Supporting characters
Rachel Friedman, portrayed by Alexandra Turshen, serves as Ingrid Yun's best friend and a senior associate at the same law firm, offering emotional support and comic relief while navigating the competitive corporate environment alongside her.[3] Rachel's interactions with Ingrid underscore themes of female solidarity and the challenges of balancing ambition with personal relationships in a high-stakes legal world.[10] Nick Laren, played by Rob Heaps, is Ingrid's romantic partner, a wealthy philanthropist whose lifestyle contrasts with the firm's demanding culture, influencing her decisions about career versus personal fulfillment.[3] His presence highlights the tension between professional aspirations and romantic entanglements, occasionally complicating Ingrid's path to partnership.[16] Lina Yun, enacted by Lena Ahn in a recurring capacity, is Ingrid's younger sister, whose appearances emphasize family dynamics and cultural expectations within their Korean-American household.[17] Through her, the series explores intergenerational pressures on success and identity. Ingrid's parents, Sang-Hoon Yun (Jo Sung) and Soo-Jung Yun (Esther Moon), appear in key family scenes that amplify themes of parental expectations and immigrant family sacrifices, adding depth to Ingrid's motivations without overshadowing the workplace narrative.[18] Notable guest appearances include those that influence pivotal client interactions, such as clients in merger cases that drive episodic conflicts, though specific high-profile guests like those in later episodes contribute to the exploration of ethical dilemmas. The series features approximately 20 recurring actors overall, enhancing the ensemble feel of the legal drama.[19]Production
Development and adaptation
The development of Partner Track began with Georgia Lee adapting Helen Wan's 2013 novel The Partner Track into a 10-episode Netflix series, shifting the narrative from a primarily rom-com structure focused on an Asian-American lawyer's career ambitions to a broader exploration of systemic racism, sexism, and diversity challenges in corporate America.[8] Lee, drawing from her own experiences as a woman of color in the industry, expanded the story's lens on Ingrid Yun's Asian-American identity to encompass intersecting issues faced by women of various backgrounds, including microaggressions and tokenism in elite law firms.[8] This evolution aimed to reflect contemporary workplace dynamics while retaining the novel's core tension between personal integrity and professional ascent.[6] The writing team was led by co-showrunners Georgia Lee and Sarah Goldfinger, with Lee penning the pilot episode to establish Ingrid's moral dilemmas and firm politics.[20] Additional key contributors included executive producers Kim Shumway and Kristen Campo, alongside staff writers such as Katie Do and Nikki Goldwaser, who handled subsequent episodes to weave in ensemble dynamics and escalating conflicts.[14] The series was ordered for one season.[4] Netflix invested in the series through a partnership with Jax Media, supporting a modest production budget that aligned with its targeted scope as a prestige legal drama rather than a high-effects spectacle.[2] This financial approach allowed for focused storytelling on interpersonal and institutional hurdles, without expansive world-building. Key adaptations from the source material included amplifying romantic subplots and interpersonal betrayals, which were less prominent in the novel, while deepening Ingrid's cultural identity struggles—such as navigating immigrant family expectations and workplace assimilation—as a central emotional thread beyond the book's more satirical tone.[6] These changes introduced diverse supporting characters to highlight broader equity issues, diverging from the novel's tighter focus on Ingrid's individual journey.[8] Despite its ambitious adaptation, Netflix canceled Partner Track in November 2022 after one season.[2] The decision underscored the streamer's data-driven renewal criteria amid broader content strategy shifts.[21]Casting process
The casting for Partner Track began in early 2021, with Netflix announcing Arden Cho as the lead Ingrid Yun, a first-generation Korean American lawyer, on September 14, 2021. Cho, known for her roles in Teen Wolf and Chicago Med, was selected to bring authentic Asian American representation to the role, reflecting the character's cultural and professional struggles in a predominantly white, male-dominated law firm environment.[14][22] Alongside Cho, the ensemble cast was assembled through targeted auditions emphasizing chemistry and diversity, with key hires including Alexandra Turshen as Rachel Friedman, Nolan Gerard Funk as rival Dan Fallon, Matthew Rauch as boss Marty Adler, Dominic Sherwood as Jeff Murphy, Bradley Gibson as Julian, and Rob Heaps as Hunter Reed, all announced in the same September 2021 reveal. Producers conducted extensive chemistry reads to ensure dynamic interactions among the leads, particularly for Ingrid's romantic and professional relationships; Cho participated in months of such sessions with Asian American actors before finalizing Desmond Chiam as her best friend Z in a recurring role on October 29, 2021. This approach supported a broader push for inclusive casting, highlighting underrepresented voices in legal dramas while maintaining narrative authenticity.[14][22][3] The process faced logistical hurdles amid ongoing COVID-19 protocols, which complicated in-person auditions and contributed to broader Hollywood delays in 2021, though specific impacts on Partner Track were managed to keep production on schedule for filming later that year. To prepare, actors like Cho immersed themselves in the world of big law by drawing on personal experiences with workplace bias and consulting legal consultants for procedural accuracy, ensuring performances captured the high-stakes intensity of corporate legal practice without prior firm visits noted in public accounts.[23][24]Filming locations
Principal photography for Partner Track took place primarily in New York City, New York, USA, which served as the primary backdrop for the series' Manhattan setting. Iconic locations captured the opulent and high-stakes atmosphere of the legal drama, including the Plaza Hotel for luxurious social and event scenes, the Oak Room within the Plaza for intimate bar settings, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum for artistic and transitional shots, and various sites in the financial district to depict the firm's bustling environment. Some additional exteriors were filmed at the Maple Ridge Wind Farm in New York to represent specific narrative elements outside the urban core.[25][26][27] The production schedule ran from September 13, 2021, to January 21, 2022, encompassing roughly four months of shooting amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Netflix implemented rigorous safety protocols for the series, including frequent testing, masking requirements, and controlled access to sets to minimize health risks for the cast and crew.[28][26][4] Set design emphasized authentic recreations of elite corporate law offices, utilizing detailed interiors with period-appropriate legal props, sleek modern furniture, and high-end office aesthetics to immerse viewers in the world of big-law ambition. These builds were constructed on soundstages and practical locations in New York to blend seamlessly with on-location footage.[1]Episodes
Season 1 overview
The first season of Partner Track consists of 10 episodes, released simultaneously on Netflix on August 26, 2022. Each episode runs approximately 40 to 45 minutes, contributing to a total runtime of about 7.5 hours. The season's narrative arc centers on the protagonist's journey through the rigorous partnership evaluation process at a high-stakes New York law firm, escalating from initial professional challenges and internal firm dynamics to a climactic resolution involving corporate intrigue and ethical dilemmas.[29] The series was canceled after one season in November 2022.[2] Directorial duties were shared among several filmmakers, including Julie Anne Robinson for the pilot episode, alongside Tanya Wexler, Kevin Berlandi, Lily Mariye, and Adam Brooks, whose varied styles enhanced the season's visual pacing and atmospheric tension in depicting the cutthroat legal environment.[14] This structure allows for a serialized exploration of ambition and workplace pressures, building momentum across the episodes without resolving key tensions until the finale.[30]Episode list
Season 1 of Partner Track consists of 10 episodes, all released simultaneously on Netflix on August 26, 2022.| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Material Adverse Change | Julie Anne Robinson | Georgia Lee & Helen Wan & Nikki Goldwaser | August 26, 2022 | Focused on making partner at her cutthroat New York City law firm, Ingrid finds her plans thrown off-kilter when a new colleague arrives from London.[31] |
| 2 | Meta-Strategy | Julie Anne Robinson | Helen Wan & Sarah Goldfinger & Nikki Goldwaser | August 26, 2022 | Ingrid works to develop a strategy for a major deal while navigating firm politics and personal dilemmas.[32] |
| 3 | Change of Venue | Kevin Berlandi | Helen Wan & Conway Preston & Nikki Goldwaser | August 26, 2022 | The team faces a shift in the case's location, requiring quick adaptations to their approach.[33] |
| 4 | Due Diligence | Kevin Berlandi | Helen Wan & Nikki Goldwaser & Conway Preston | August 26, 2022 | The lawyers conduct detailed reviews of a client's operations as part of a potential merger.[34] |
| 5 | Out of Office | Tanya Wexler | Helen Wan & D.C. Rogers & Nikki Goldwaser | August 26, 2022 | At the firm's annual retreat, Ingrid and Murphy tackle a SunCorp issue; Rachel gets creative.[35] |
| 6 | Client Relations | Tanya Wexler | Helen Wan & Kim Shumway & Nikki Goldwaser | August 26, 2022 | Efforts to maintain strong ties with clients are tested by emerging conflicts within the firm.[36] |
| 7 | Talking Points | Lily Mariye | Helen Wan & Katie Do & Nikki Goldwaser | August 26, 2022 | The team prepares critical arguments for an important presentation to stakeholders.[37] |
| 8 | Consequential Damages | Lily Mariye | Helen Wan & Mira Z. Barnum & Nikki Goldwaser | August 26, 2022 | On Thanksgiving, Ingrid races to close the SunCorp deal while Tyler and Rachel confront life changes.[38] |
| 9 | Pro Forma | Adam Brooks | Helen Wan & Georgia Lee & Nikki Goldwaser | August 26, 2022 | As the holiday party and partner announcements near, Ingrid draws closer to Murphy amid Rachel's setbacks.[39] |
| 10 | Dawn Raid | Adam Brooks | Helen Wan & Georgia Lee & Nikki Goldwaser | August 26, 2022 | Following the partner announcements, Ingrid launches a bold plan to address personal and professional injustices.[40] |
