Diksha Sundriyal
The fourth season of Netflix’s ‘The Lincoln Lawyer‘ presents the most challenging case of Mickey Haller’s life. The stakes have never been higher as he is fighting for his own innocence, and his complete focus is on winning the case and exonerating his name for good. The to and froing between his home and prison leaves him no time to pursue romantic relationships, which explains why his love interest from the previous season, Andrea Freemann, doesn’t feature so strongly in his storyline. However, her complete absence from this season, especially since she was a main cast member in the last one, raises many questions. SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Lincoln Lawyer Season 4 Acknowledges Andrea Freemann’s Absence
Being a star prosecutor and Mickey Haller’s love interest made Andrea “Andy” Freemann an important character to follow in the third season of ‘The Lincoln Lawyer.’ While she wasn’t directly tied to his case, she did help him at crucial points. Most of her storyline was focused on her burgeoning romance with Mickey while dealing with the complications of her own case. Her failure to notify her client about the early release of her abusive husband led to the client’s murder, and Andy felt deeply guilty about it. For her mistake, she was also demoted and put on calendar duty, but her mind never left the case, especially as the husband’s case was finally brought to court.
At the end of the third season, Mickey encourages her to go after the case because the system is messed up as is. She takes his advice and confronts her boss, the new DA, Suarez, and gives him an ultimatum: either he puts her back on the case, or he fires her. Her boss’ decision is not revealed, but the expressions on her face show that she is confident about the decision. She is mentioned next in the first episode of the fourth season, where Lorna asks Mickey if he is sure about not contacting Andy. Lorna thinks she can help them because she is an excellent lawyer, but Mickey points out that she already has a lot going on at the DA’s office, and he doesn’t want to bother her. The fact that Andy is still working at the DA’s office proves that she got what she wanted.
Suarez reinstated her to the case, and now, she is fighting for justice for her client. Given that there isn’t a significant time jump between the third and fourth seasons, it is fair to assume that the trial of the murderous husband is still ongoing, which means Andy has a lot on her plate. Mickey knows how important that case is for her, which is why he is so insistent on not bothering her with his problems. It is unlikely that she hasn’t heard of his case and hasn’t reached out to him. In all certainty, the duo has probably had a chat about his circumstances. She may even have offered to help, but given that she is on the other side, it is also possible that interacting with him might cause her a conflict of interest, which is why she is not around as much when Mickey might need her the most.
Andrea Freemann Might Return in Future Seasons of The Lincoln Lawyer
While it is disappointing not to see Andy Freemann again, her absence isn’t really shocking. The announcement of Yaya DaCosta not being a part of Season 4’s cast was made in early 2025, before filming was to commence. It is possible that the writers tried to accommodate her into the storyline, but with the entire focus being on Mickey, there wouldn’t have been enough space to bring her in and do justice to her character. With so much already going on with Mickey and his team, Andy’s subplot would have seemed irrelevant, especially with her and Mickey not being involved anymore.
Moreover, with Maggie becoming a more prominent part of the storyline, the show goes back to exploring her and Mickey’s feelings for one another, and Andy’s presence would have made it even more complicated. DaCosta talked about her character’s departure from the fourth season, noting that while Andy’s absence was “not expected or explained to the audience,” she is not fretting about it as much. She is focusing on “the now and future.” Sure enough, the ‘Chicago Med’ actress has been busy with new projects.
In 2025, she appeared in the lead role in ‘Not My Family: The Monique Smith Story,’ and has her hands full with the filming of her new TV series, ‘Group Chat.’ Meanwhile, showrunner Ted Humphrey has stated that while Andy might not be in the fourth season, it doesn’t mean we have seen the last of her. With her still working at the DA’s office in LA, it is highly possible for her to cross paths with Mickey in another case and come back into his orbit at the most unexpected of times.
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