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Reasonable Doubt (TV series)

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Reasonable Doubt
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.
GenreLegal drama
Created byRaamla Mohamed
ShowrunnerRaamla Mohamed
Starring
Composers
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes16
Production
Executive producers
Running time46–55 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkHulu
ReleaseSeptember 27, 2022 (2022-09-27) –
present (present)

Reasonable Doubt is an American legal drama television series created by Raamla Mohamed for Hulu.[1] The series stars Emayatzy Corinealdi as a corporate defense lawyer navigating challenging high-profile cases.[2] 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.[3] It premiered on September 27, 2022.[4] On April 17, 2023, it was renewed for a second season which premiered on August 22, 2024.[5][6] The series generally received positive reviews from critics.

Plot

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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

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Main

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  • Emayatzy Corinealdi as Jacqueline "Jax" Stewart (née Nicholas), a defense lawyer, and mother of two children currently separated from her husband, Lewis
  • McKinley Freeman as Lewis Stewart, Jax's husband
  • Tim Jo as Daniel Kim, Jax's investigator
  • Angela Grovey as Krystal Walters
  • Thaddeus J. Mixson as Spenser Stewart, Jax's teenage son
  • Aderinsola Olabode as Naima Stewart, Jax's tween daughter
  • Michael Ealy as Damon Cooke, a previous client of Jax's recently released from prison (season 1)
  • Morris Chestnut as Corey Cash, a talented defense attorney Jax brings in to assist on a case (season 2)[7]

Recurring

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  • Sean Patrick Thomas as Brayden Miller, a billionaire and new client of Jax's (season 1)
  • Pauletta Washington as Mama Lu, Jax's mother
  • Christopher Cassarino as Rich Reed, a colleague of Jax's (season 1)
  • Shannon Kane as Shanelle Tucker
  • Perri Camper as Kaleesha Moore, a murder victim who accused Brayden Miller of sexual assault (season 1)
  • Nefetari Spencer as Sally Braswell
  • Tiffany Yvonne Cox as Autumn Owens
  • Paul Fox as Theo James (season 1)
  • Victor Rasuk as Mike Ortiz
  • Brooke Lyons as Sarah Miller (season 1)
  • Eugene Byrd as CJ Cooke, Damon's brother (season 1)
  • Melissa Ponzio as Lucy Wargo (season 2)
  • Vaughn W. Hebron as Adrian Hunter (season 2)
  • Essence Atkins as Dr. Brandy Michaels (season 2)
  • Kandi Burruss as Eboni Phillips (season 2)

Episodes

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Series overview

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SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
19September 27, 2022 (2022-09-27)November 15, 2022 (2022-11-15)
210August 22, 2024 (2024-08-22)October 17, 2024 (2024-10-17)

Season 1 (2022)

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No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
11"Can't Knock the Hustle"Kerry WashingtonRaamla MohamedSeptember 27, 2022 (2022-09-27)
22"Family Feud"Pete ChatmonResheida BradySeptember 27, 2022 (2022-09-27)
33"99 Problems"Neema BarnetteRyan Richmond & Loy A. WebbOctober 4, 2022 (2022-10-04)
44"Guilty Until Proven Innocent"Darren GrantTash GrayOctober 11, 2022 (2022-10-11)
55"So Ambitious"Sylvain WhiteMichelle Flowers & Jason WilbornOctober 18, 2022 (2022-10-18)
66"Renegade"Julie DashLoy A. WebbOctober 25, 2022 (2022-10-25)
77"N**** What, N**** Who"Carl SeatonJason WilbornNovember 1, 2022 (2022-11-01)
88"Song Cry"Numa PerrierResheida Brady & Raamla Mohamed and Michelle Flowers & Natalia TemesgenNovember 8, 2022 (2022-11-08)
99"Already Home"Pete ChatmonTash Gray & Ryan RichmondNovember 15, 2022 (2022-11-15)

Season 2 (2024)

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No.
overall		No. in
season		Title [8]Directed byWritten by [9]Original release date [10]
101"Can I Live?"Anton CropperRaamla MohamedAugust 22, 2024 (2024-08-22)
112"Say Hello"Pete ChatmonTash GrayAugust 22, 2024 (2024-08-22)
123"Part II (On the Run)"Crystle Roberson DorseyMichelle FlowersAugust 29, 2024 (2024-08-29)
134"Primetime"Julie DashZahir McGheeSeptember 5, 2024 (2024-09-05)
145"Guilty Until Proven Innocent"Mo MarableLoy A. WebbSeptember 12, 2024 (2024-09-12)
156"This Can't Be Life"Rob HardyNatalia TemesgenSeptember 19, 2024 (2024-09-19)
167"Venus vs. Mars"Anton CropperRyan RichmondSeptember 26, 2024 (2024-09-26)
178"Change the Game"Numa PerrierAnil K. ForemanOctober 3, 2024 (2024-10-03)
189"Who You Wit"TBAResheida BradyOctober 10, 2024 (2024-10-10)
1910TBATBARaamla Mohamed & Dallas RicoOctober 17, 2024 (2024-10-17)

Production

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The series was created by former Scandal writer Raamla Mohamed.[11] It is loosely based on the experiences of celebrity attorney Shawn Holley, who is also a producer for the show.[12] Reasonable Doubt was produced through the Walt Disney Television's Onyx Collective.[13] Kerry Washington directed the series pilot.[14] On April 17, 2023, it was announced that the series was renewed for a second season.[15] Morris Chestnut joined the cast as a series regular for season 2.[16]

Release

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The show premiered on September 27, 2022, on Hulu. The first season has nine episodes.[17] The first episode aired on ABC on November 10, 2022.[18] Internationally, the series is available on Disney+.[19] The second season was released on August 22, 2024 with two episodes.[6]

Reception

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Critical response

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The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating with an average rating of 7.80/10 based on 9 critic reviews.[20] Metacritic assigned the series a weighted average score of 76 out of 100 based on 5 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[21]

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."[22] 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."[23]

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."[24] 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.[25]

Accolades

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Kerry Washington won Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series at the 2023 Black Reel Awards for Television.[26][27]

References

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  1. ^
    • Fang, Marina (September 27, 2022). "With 'Reasonable Doubt,' Raamla Mohamed Gives The Legal Drama Some Sex Appeal". HuffPost. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
    • Schepp, Calie Schepp (September 28, 2022). "'Reasonable Doubt' creator Raamla Mohamed shares her entertainment inspirations". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
  2. ^ Hoffmeyer, Corey (December 8, 2022). "Reasonable Doubt's Emayatzy Corinealdi Was Shocked By A Lot Of Jax's Decisions In The Show". Looper. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
  3. ^
  4. ^ Schwartz, Ryan (September 27, 2022). "Reasonable Doubt and Rookie Spinoff Debut, Most Wanted's New Recruit, La Brea Returns and More". TVLine. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
  5. ^
  6. ^ a b Cordero, Rosy (May 17, 2024). "'Reasonable Doubt' Sets Premiere Date; Drops First-Look Photos". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  7. ^ Cordero, Rosy (April 17, 2023). "Morris Chestnut Boards Onyx Collective's 'Reasonable Doubt' As Hulu Series Lands Season 2 Renewal". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
  8. ^ "Reasonable Doubt: Season 2". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  9. ^ "Reasonable Doubt (2022)". Writers Guild of America West. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  10. ^ Ting, Jasmine (August 22, 2024). "Here's When Every Episode of Reasonable Doubt Season 2 Drops". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  11. ^ Gutzmore, Clayton (November 5, 2022). "'Reasonable Doubt' Creator Raamla Mohamed and Larry Wilmore on Hulu Legal Drama and Supporting Black Creatives". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
  12. ^ D'Addario, Daniel (September 23, 2022). "Soapy 'Reasonable Doubt' Centers One Very Flawed Lawyer: TV Review". Variety. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  13. ^ Gallucci, Nicole (September 30, 2022). "Emayatzy Corinealdi Mesmerizes As 'Reasonable Doubt' Attorney Jax Stewart". Decider. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  14. ^ Wimore, Larry (October 9, 2022). "Kerry Washington and Raamla Mohamed on 'Reasonable Doubt'". The Ringer. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  15. ^
  16. ^
  17. ^ Baldwin, Kristen. "'Smile' lays out horror bait, 'Bros' is rom-com bliss, and 'Andor' requires some patience". EW.com. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  18. ^ Otterson, Joe (November 3, 2022). "ABC to Air First Episode of Onyx Collective Streaming Series 'Reasonable Doubt'". Variety. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
  19. ^
  20. ^ "Reasonable Doubt (2022)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  21. ^ "Reasonable Doubt (2022): Season 1". Metacritic.
  22. ^ D'Addario, Daniel (September 23, 2022). "Soapy 'Reasonable Doubt' Centers One Very Flawed Lawyer: TV Review". Variety. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
  23. ^ Han, Angie (September 26, 2022). "'Reasonable Doubt' Review: Hulu's Legal Drama Is a Soapy Good Time". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
  24. ^ Metz, Nina (September 28, 2022). "Review: "Reasonable Doubt" improves the Shonda Rhimes template". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
  25. ^ Baldwin, Kristen (September 30, 2022). "'Smile' lays out horror bait, 'Bros' is rom-com bliss, and 'Andor' requires some patience". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
  26. ^ "2023 Black Reel TV Award Nominees". Black Reel Awards. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  27. ^ 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". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
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