Reasonable Doubt (TV series) explained

Image Alt:Official promotional poster. Lead actress Emayatzy Corinealdi is depicted sitting at a table with her fingers laced together looking directly at the camera. The skyline of Los Angeles is behind her.
Genre:Legal drama
Creator:Raamla Mohamed
Starring:Emayatzy Corinealdi
McKinley Freeman
Tim Jo
Angela Grovey
Thaddeus J. Mixson
Aderinsola Olabode
Michael Ealy
Composer:Adrian Younge
Country:United States
Language:English
Num Seasons:1
Num Episodes:9
Executive Producer:Raamla Mohamed
Kerry Washington
Pilar Savone
Larry Wilmore
Shawn Holley
Runtime:46–55 minutes
Company:Good Home Training
Simpson Street
Wilmore Films
ABC Signature
Onyx Collective
Network:Hulu
Released:, but not both -->

Reasonable Doubt is an American legal drama television series created by Raamla Mohamed for Hulu. The series stars Emayatzy Corinealdi as a corporate defense lawyer navigating challenging high-profile cases.[1] The series also stars McKinley Freeman, Tim Jo, Angela Grovey, Thaddeus J. Mixson, Aderinsola Olabode, and Michael Ealy. Reasonable Doubt is Onyx Collective's first scripted television series. It premiered on September 27, 2022.[2] On April 17, 2023, it was renewed for a second season which is set to premiere on August 22, 2024. The series generally received positive reviews from critics.

Plot

Jax Stewart is a successful defense lawyer at an up-scale Los Angeles law firm. She navigates difficult cases amid a separation from her husband and the reappearance of a former client she worked with in her previous job as a public defender.

Cast

Production

The series was created by former Scandal writer Raamla Mohamed.[4] It is loosely based on the experiences of celebrity attorney Shawn Holley, who is also a producer for the show.[5] Reasonable Doubt was produced through the Walt Disney Television's Onyx Collective.[6] Kerry Washington directed the series pilot.[7] On April 17, 2023, it was announced that the series was renewed for a second season. Morris Chestnut will join the cast as a series regular.

Release

The show premiered on September 27, 2022, on Hulu. The first season has nine episodes.[8] The first episode aired on ABC on November 10, 2022.[9] Internationally, the series is available on Disney+. The second season is scheduled to be released on August 22, 2024 with two episodes.[10]

Reception

Critical response

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating with an average rating of 7.80/10 based on 8 critic reviews.[11] Metacritic assigned the series a weighted average score of 76 out of 100 based on 5 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[12]

Daniel D'Addario of Variety asserted, "Reasonable Doubt plays like the juicy soap Shonda Rhimes would never write; its excesses, often, grab and hold our attention."[13] Angie Han of The Hollywood Reporter praised Emayatzy Corinealdi's performance, saying, "Corinealdi is lots of fun to watch as Jax, and she's blessed with scripts that allow her to embody multitudes," and wrote, "Reasonable Doubt serves up plenty of the juicy thrills and emotional dilemmas that wine-soaked group chats were made for."[14]

Nina Metz of Chicago Tribune gave the series a grade of 3 out of 4 stars and said, "There's a lot to like about "Reasonable Doubt," which is sharp and fun and moves at a good clip. And it's smart about keeping things just this side of ridiculous."[15] Kristen Baldwin of Entertainment Weekly gave the show a B+, stating, "Reasonable Doubt is enjoyably Shonda-esque, in that it's a steamy, speed-plotted soap built around a morally ambiguous female power player whose life is filled with ridiculously attractive men. But Mohamed also weaves in frank and nuanced stories about marriage, parenting, and the importance of (and challenges with) female friendships," and complimented Corinealdi's performance.[16]

Accolades

Kerry Washington received a nomination for Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series at the 2023 Black Reel Awards for Television.[17] [18]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Hoffmeyer . Corey . December 8, 2022 . Reasonable Doubt's Emayatzy Corinealdi Was Shocked By A Lot Of Jax's Decisions In The Show . 2023-06-14 . . en-US.
  2. Web site: Schwartz . Ryan . September 27, 2022 . Reasonable Doubt and Rookie Spinoff Debut, Most Wanted's New Recruit, La Brea Returns and More . 2023-06-14 . . en-US.
  3. Web site: Cordero . Rosy . April 17, 2023 . Morris Chestnut Boards Onyx Collective's 'Reasonable Doubt' As Hulu Series Lands Season 2 Renewal . 17 April 2023 . Deadline Hollywood.
  4. Web site: Gutzmore . Clayton . November 5, 2022 . 'Reasonable Doubt' Creator Raamla Mohamed and Larry Wilmore on Hulu Legal Drama and Supporting Black Creatives . 2023-06-14 . . en-US.
  5. Web site: D'Addario . Daniel . September 23, 2022 . Soapy 'Reasonable Doubt' Centers One Very Flawed Lawyer: TV Review . 12 October 2022 . Variety.
  6. Web site: Gallucci . Nicole . September 30, 2022 . Emayatzy Corinealdi Mesmerizes As 'Reasonable Doubt' Attorney Jax Stewart . October 12, 2022 . Decider . en-US.
  7. Web site: Wimore . Larry . October 9, 2022 . Kerry Washington and Raamla Mohamed on 'Reasonable Doubt' . October 12, 2022 . The Ringer.
  8. Web site: Baldwin . Kristen . 'Smile' lays out horror bait, 'Bros' is rom-com bliss, and 'Andor' requires some patience . October 12, 2022 . EW.com . en.
  9. Web site: Otterson . Joe . November 3, 2022 . ABC to Air First Episode of Onyx Collective Streaming Series 'Reasonable Doubt' . 2023-06-14 . . en-US.
  10. Web site: 'Reasonable Doubt' Sets Premiere Date; Drops First-Look Photos. Deadline Hollywood. Rosy. Cordero. May 17, 2024. May 17, 2024.
  11. Web site: Reasonable Doubt (2022) . October 11, 2022 . Rotten Tomatoes.
  12. Web site: Reasonable Doubt (2022): Season 1 . Metacritic.
  13. Web site: D'Addario . Daniel . September 23, 2022 . Soapy 'Reasonable Doubt' Centers One Very Flawed Lawyer: TV Review . 2023-06-14 . . en-US.
  14. Web site: Han . Angie . September 26, 2022 . 'Reasonable Doubt' Review: Hulu's Legal Drama Is a Soapy Good Time . 2023-06-14 . . en-US.
  15. Web site: Metz . Nina . September 28, 2022 . Review: "Reasonable Doubt" improves the Shonda Rhimes template . 2023-06-14 . Chicago Tribune.
  16. Baldwin . Kristen . September 30, 2022 . 'Smile' lays out horror bait, 'Bros' is rom-com bliss, and 'Andor' requires some patience . 2023-06-14 . . en.
  17. Web site: 2023 Black Reel TV Award Nominees . 2023-06-23 . . en-US.
  18. Web site: Complex . Valerie . June 15, 2023 . Black Reel 7th Annual Television Awards Featuring Gender Neutral Categories Announces Nominations; 'The Best Man: Final Chapters' Leads With 18 Noms . 2023-06-23 . . en-US.