When it was announced that the USA network would be bringing John Grisham fans a small-screen version of The Rainmaker, cries of injustice were everywhere thanks to some key changes the series would be making from not only the novel, but the 1997 Matt Damon flick. Many called the new legal thriller “woke” before ever seeing an episode, mainly due to the gender-swap change that made Bruiser Stone a female and slapped her with the name Jocelyn. With that being said, now that the series is two-episodes deep, it appears as if many jumped the gun, as fans have been loving what they’re seeing. At least, that’s according to The Rainmaker’s Rotten Tomatoes audience score, which sits at a healthy 76% so far early on in the series. “Hooked after the premiere, can’t wait to watch it all unfold,” said one RT user, while another commented that they “love the characters” and that it will be “enjoyable watching them develop.” Users over on IMDb that have taken the time to write a review are also impressed with what they’ve seen thus far in The Rainmaker, with one person thoughtfully writing:
“The Rainmaker series offers a refreshing new perspective on John Grisham’s story. What exists in the book and the earlier adaptations will always differ, and that’s natural; this is the artistic vision of the director and the creative team. Their job isn’t to replicate the past but to capture the essence in a way that resonates today. I’m not looking at it as a comparison; I see it as something new, designed for a new audience. And so far, it’s been promising, engaging, and I’ve truly loved watching it.”
That’s a great attitude to have, especially when you consider that the series has made some other key changes from Grisham’s novel. The main storyline revolves around a wrongful-death suit brought against a hospital, but in the book it focused on a bad-faith case against a life insurance company that exposed habitual corporate denial of claims. Other changes include making Dot Black an African American rather than the working-class white woman she was in the novel, and Rudy’s girlfriend, Sarah, working for the defense team representing the hospital he’s suing. In the book, she was Rudy’s ex and was only mentioned in passing, as the story centered around his new love interest, Kelly Riker.
Critics Have Not Been Impressed with ‘The Rainmaker’

John Slattery in The Rainmaker.
USA Network

While fans might have had a change of heart and are willing to give The Rainmaker a chance despite its obvious changes from the source material, critics have not been impressed with what they’ve witnessed so far. The legal thriller currently holds a rotten rating of just 45% on Rotten Tomatoes, with Nina Metz from the Chicago Tribune writing that “the pilot episode is promising enough, only for subsequent episodes to devolve from there.” Rory Doherty of Paste Magazine was another who was critical of the USA’s efforts, writing:
“Unless The Rainmaker course corrects to the juicy, theatrical courtroom sparring promised by a Grisham reboot, USA Network’s hopes of a new scripted golden era are more ‘pie in the sky.'”
It might not be the Suits replacement many were looking for, and while The Rainmaker is off to a shaky start in the eyes of some, it definitely has the potential to be its own thing separate from the novel and big screen adaptation. It’s been intriguing so far, which means we’ll keep watching to see where it all goes, and hopefully things improve enough for it to be renewed for another season. You can catch new episodes every Friday on USA, and watch for them to appear a week later on Peacock.

The Rainmaker

Release Date

August 15, 2025

Network

USA Network

Milo Callaghan

Rudy Baylor

Madison Iseman

Sarah Plankmore

Lana Parrilla

Jocelyn ‘Bruiser’ Stone