The Lincoln Lawyer ending explained: Who was in the trunk and will there be a season 4?

Some viewers were left so far on the edge of their seats during the finale of The Lincoln Lawyer season 3, they have questions about the ending - and whether the series will continue.

The Lincoln Lawyer has a large and dedicated following, who have been left more gripped than ever following the latest season 3 cliff-hanger. The runaway success of the show is totally unsurprising - Manuel Garcia-Rulfo's defense attorney, Mickey Haller, provides pure TV escapism as he drives around Los Angeles often working from the back seat of his chauffeur-driven Lincoln Navigator.

Based on the novels by Michael Connelly, season 3 saw hero Mickey defending an innocent man, avenging a poignant death, and exposing the worst levels of corruption in the justice system. If you were overwhelmed by the avalanche of action, you might need a breakdown of the season 3 ending - we have done this for you, and also reveal what we know about season 4.

The Lincoln Lawyer ending explained

In a first for Mickey, it transpires the client he's been defending, La Cosse, is actually innocent. Having previously only defended guilty clients, this was a shock for everyone. Visiting drug dealer Moya in prison, she helps Mickey understand Gloria wasn't solely responsible for alerting the DEA to his criminal activity, and had a bit of help with this - he correctly guesses the accomplice to be James De Marco.

Detective Neil Bishop offers testimony suggesting De Marco killed Gloria to cover up his dubious actions when Moya was arrested. Buckle up for this one because it turns out De Marco and Gloria set up Moya before De Marco murdered Gloria - he then framed Julian. In a horrifying turn, once his testimony was over, Bishop grabbed a gun stashed by his ankle and took his own life by shooting himself in the head.

With all suspects deceased and La Cosse innocent, he even gets a settlement for his trouble and Mickey looks like he might be able to take a breather - until his Lincoln is badly damaged what appears to be an attempt to bump him off, disguised as a accident.

Making his way home, Mickey is pulled over by the police, who find a dead body in the trunk. All we know is that Mickey isn't the killer, but who did is, and how did they get the body in the trunk? Mickey could be on for the legal challenge of his life, if he's forced to defend himself in the future.

Who was in the trunk at the end of The Lincoln Lawyer?

The corpse in the trunk at the end of The Lincoln Lawyer season 3 is none other than Mickey's former client from previous season, Sam Scales. Con artist Sam, took money purportedly raised for underprivileged communities, instead spending it on himself. He's behind a string of fake charities all set up with the appearance of benefitting cancer patients, children in foster care and veterans, but simply keeps most of proceeds made, only making tiny donations to altruistic causes.

Appearing once again in season 3 for further charges of fraud, the prosecution and the defense offer to drop charges against Sam if he pays back the stolen money. Sam refuses, and is told by Mickey he'll end up dead if he doesn't pay the money back or his legal expenses. Of course, this very public statement is now really incriminating for everyone's favourite lawyer, with Sam now dead in Mickey's trunk.

Will there be season 4 of The Lincoln Lawyer?

The Lincoln Lawyer season 4 has yet to be announced. Previous renewals were made within two months of a season premiere, so it could be a little early to expect news at the moment, but watch this space. In an interview with TV Insider, series co-showrunner, Ted Humphrey, suggests he remains hopeful that a renewal will arrive.

"I mean, we’re in the hands of the audience, right?", he said, adding, "We’re quietly optimistic about it, but obviously, with Netflix, it always depends on how the current season goes. And so I would say to our fans and viewers of the show, if you want a fourth season, which we very much want to bring you a fourth season, then by all means watch and tell your friends."

Speaking about potential themes for season 4, he explained, "Obviously Mickey is now the client, the jeopardy that his clients have been in up until now, now he’s in, and it’s truly the toughest case of all. And if you think back over the course of three seasons, what is the mantra that his father taught him and that Legal Siegel [Elliott Gould] has reminded him of?

"There’s no worse client than an innocent man. Well, what happens when you’re that innocent man and how do you handle that? And how do you deal with the fact that traditionally a lawyer who represents himself is a fool for a client? So we’ll see."