Is Neve Campbell leaving The Lincoln Lawyer? (Spoilers)

From the very beginning, Neve Campbell has been a key part of The Lincoln Lawyer cast with her role as criminal prosecutor Maggie McPherson. Not only is Maggie an amazing lawyer, whose talents we get to see firsthand, but she’s also closely intertwined with our title character Mickey Haller.

Maggie is Mickey’s first wife and the mother of his daughter Krista. Although the two have been separated for some time when we first meet them in season 1, they’ve remained in one another’s lives and it’s made clear there is something special still between them.  Across the first season, there is a lot of will-they-won’t-they vibes from the pair which suggests the pair might not be over one another, and this dynamic continues in season 2.

In the first part of The Lincoln Lawyer season 2, Maggie is once again front and center as she tries to pick up the pieces of her life after the Angelo Soto case blew up her career. While trying to find her footing after her demotion, Maggie has also re-entered the dating pool and is seeing a new man.

This development suggests she’s ready to move on from Mickey and the divide between the pair grows further after attempts to get Andy, the prosecutor on his latest case and Maggie’s close friend, thrown off the case for conflict of interest by using a conversation Maggie had with Andy which their daughter, Hayley, overheard.

For many, the assumption was that we’d see Maggie continue to navigate her new dynamics both in her work and personal lives during the second part of the season. However, a major twist that unfolds in the season 2 part 2 premiere has many fans worried about what could be coming for Maggie.

Warning: The Lincoln Lawyer season 2 part 2 spoilers ahead! 

Is Maggie leaving The Lincoln Lawyer?

Following Mickey’s attack, Maggie and Hayley move in with Mickey to help him in his recovery and it seems that fate has pulled the two back together. The pair seem to grow closer across the sixth episode of the season and friendly banter quickly leads to much, much more. Mickey and Maggie end up sharing a passionate night together which seems to hint the pair might finally be getting back together.

However, the morning after their night together, Maggie informs Mickey she’s been offered a job with the DA’s office in San Diego as the Head of Major Crimes. While she tells him she loves him and always will, she’s come to the realization that as much as they care for one another, they’ll never be perfect for one another. She doesn’t want him to change who he is, and she can’t change who she is just to be with him.

After breaking things off, Maggie takes the job in San Diego and leaves town to chase her fresh start. In doing so, we don’t get to see Maggie in the final four episodes of the season with only mentions of her in passing to help provide updates.

Did Neve Campbell leave The Lincoln Lawyer?

Because of the way Maggie was written off in the midseason premiere of The Lincoln Lawyer season 2, there is a growing concern among audiences over what the move means for Neve Campbell’s future on the show. More specifically, whether Maggie’s new job was used to write her entirely out of the show. But is there actual cause for concern?

Technically speaking, Neve Campbell does leave The Lincoln Lawyer after episode 6; however, she has not permanently left the show.

Prior to the start of production on the second season of The Lincoln Lawyer, Neve Campbell’s status on the show was changed from series regular to recurring. This was the result of Campbell booking a new show which was going into development at ABC.

Due to the ABC project, a drama called Avalon also based on a Michael Connelly property, Campbell was unable to return for season 2 as a series regular. When Campbell was cast in the series, it was reported she would have a reduced role in season 2 which is why we only see Maggie in one episode from Part 2.

Unfortunately, ABC passed on Avalon, but that could be good news for Lincoln Lawyer fans as the door has been opened for Campbell to return as a series regular in season 3 — should Netflix order another season.

The Lincoln Lawyer season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.