The Jury Is Still Out On The Future Of ‘Trial & Error’

It's been a rough season for Northeaster Josh Segal (Nicholas D'Agosto) on Trial & Error: Lady, Killer. Not only are his old law school classmates all millionaires, but his former client, Lavinia Peck-Foster (Kristin Chenoweth), is likely a murderer. Not to mention the fact that his on-again, off-again paramour, Carol Anne Keane (Jayma Mays) is pregnant. And worst of all, the out-of-towner apparently has the interior decorating tastes of an old lady. And yet things are finally looking up for "lawyer," as Trial & Error Season 2 draws to a close with two episodes airing on Aug. 23, at 9 p.m. ET. Audiences will finally learn if Lavinia is really homicidal — not to mention who Carol Anne's baby dad is. And hopefully poor, sweet Dwayne Reed (Steven Boyer) will discover his mom's true identity. With so many questions left to answer, Trial & Error could use a Season 3.

Update: Trial & Error has been canceled after two seasons, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Earlier: But before looking at the likelihood of that, a recap of what has happened so far in Lady, Killer. Josh decided to move to East Peck permanently after winning Larry Henderson's (John Lithgow) murder case in Season 1. His dream? To be "a transplanted Pecker," as he put it. But this season's murder case has been a doozy: Lavinia, the unofficial first lady of East Peck, was put on trial for murdering her husband, Edgar. As her lawyer, Josh successfully acquitted her before realizing that she may have been the murderer after all.

And then there's Jesse Ray Beaumont (Michael Hitchcock), the clock enthusiast who was imprisoned for killing Lavinia's brother, Chet. But did Lavinia actually kill Chet, too? All signs point to yes; however, there's two episodes left for the heiress to clear the Pecker name. Season 2 also introduced the crime podcast M-Towne: Where Murder Happens (a clear spoof of S-Town). Its host, Nina Rudolph (Amanda Payton), has an ongoing flirtation going with Josh, but he also might be the father of Carl Anne's unborn baby? It's all very complicated.

Fans have also learned more of Anne Flatch's (Sherri Shepherd) various disorders, which include "The Jumping Frenchmen of Maine," which causes her to leaps to extreme heights when startled. "It's very common if you're a Frenchman and from Maine," Anne said.

So will Josh and his faithful team of misfits at the taxidermy office live to chant "Murder Board!" another season? It's been a bit of a bumpy road for this NBC comedy. Per The Hollywood Reporter, Season 2 opened with a 0.6 rating, which is some of the lowest on record. For context, Trial & Error Season 1 had an average rating of 0.9. That being said, its critical ratings are up. While Season 1 had a score of 86 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, its current season has a glowing 91.

But while many TV critics find its over-the-top antics charming, it appears that the show's network doesn't agree. Per Deadline, NBC didn't renew Trial & Error for Season 3, which means the rights revert back to Warner Bros TV, its producing studio. In other words, it's currently being shopped around. Hopefully the beloved comedy will be picked up. "I’m trying to maintain optimism," Showrunner Jeff Astrof told Entertainment Weekly after the news broke. "It’s very easy to be sad and depressed, and if I find out every network and every streamer passed on season 3 of the show, I’m still not going to give up hope until the last second."

With the last-minute rescue of beloved comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine (by NBC, no less!), Astrof is right to stay optimistic. "I want to keep our show alive, that’s my goal," he told EW. "I’m looking for any place that will take us. Trial & Error is my firstborn baby, and I’m going to do everything I can to get it to season 3." So hopefully someone will rescue Trial & Error for a third installment — and soon.