Reasonable Doubt: Season 2 Episode 1 – Review/ Recap
“Reasonbable Doubt” returns without skipping a beat as it addresses the events of the season 1 finale.
Spoiler Alert: This post may contain spoilers. Additionally, some images and text may include affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission or receive products if you make a purchase.
Storyline Recap
It’s Been Two Months – Jax, Lewis
Jax has serious PTSD after Damon kidnapped her and ended his life in front of her. She has taken off work, allowed Lewis to be in the house part-time, and has even gone to therapy. Jax is even prescribed a medication that she isn’t too fond of having or taking but has just in case.
It Finally Happened – Shanelle, JT
Shanelle and JT have been going back and forth for years, and in their latest fight, she kills him. Note, it wasn’t an instant kill. Shanelle watched that man die. But, it is because she watched, rather than just acted, that sets the trajectory for everything that happens this season and complicates her self-defense claim.
But It’s Self-Defense – Shanelle, Jax, Mike, Lucy
Naturally, with her friend group being aware of what she was going through, Jax thinks self-defense would be easy, and she even checks with the DA’s office, Mike, to confirm. He can’t say a thing and ends up not even having the case for a woman named Lucy Wargo, who is new to the office, gets the case. But, even with all Shanelle went through, this is an uphill battle because this is the first time the public learned about it, so now she is dealing with all the negative press while in prison and missing her daughters something awful.
I Got To Tag Out On This – Jax, Corey, Dr. Webb, Lewis
Shanelle’s case is too much for Jax. Not only because of the Damon situation but also because she has really been trying to heal her relationship with Lewis, and that cannot happen if she throws herself into work as she did before. She knows this, Lewis does, and their couple’s therapist, Dr. Webb, also recognizes a lack of intimacy in the relationship. The only sign both are still invested is because they are fighting.
However, with both sides keeping score, there is an impasse, and Jax knows that there is going to come a point where Lewis might, once again, decide to stick to co-parenting and never mind what is or could be with Jax. So, she is aware of a lawyer named Corey, and she tags him in to handle this case.
New Character Descriptions
Morris Chestnut As Corey
Corey is a lawyer who formerly was protecting whoever was the highest paying client, but now he defends the vulnerable and lives up to a multi-generational legacy of Howard men who use the law to benefit those it wasn’t written for.
- The actor is also known for their role in “Our Kind of People.”
Melissa Ponzio As Lucy Wargo
Lucy is a prosecutor with a reputation for bouncing around a few offices. It isn’t clear why, as she doesn’t open up much, but she makes it clear she can’t be bought and won’t be bossed, and makes it seems she doesn’t have political aspirations either. She simply wants to do her job the best she can, earn her check, and care for her child.
Jay Devon Johnson As Dr. Vernon Webb
Dr. Webb is Lewis and Jax’s marriage therapist who is trying to push them to communicate better, learn to engage, once again, in an intimate matter, and fight towards something and not against one another.
- The actor is also known for their role in “Greenleaf: Season 5 Episode 4.”
Review
Highlights
JT’s Murder Not Being Straightforward
They could have made JT’s death straightforward and just had Shanelle dealing with the court of public opinion more than actual, legal court. However, they didn’t do that, and on top of that, they complicated the situation. As noted in the next episode, there are details involved, especially since Shanelle was looking to leave, which complicates using self-defense as a means to justify killing someone.
It taps into how complicated freeing oneself from domestic violence is, especially when public figures are involved and they are considered beloved. Which, even if not on purpose, hopefully, will allow for some sort of sympathy for those who find themselves in the same position as Shanelle, even if no one died.
Jax Deciding Not To Be Superwoman
Often in shows like “Reasonable Doubt,” the lead pushes through their trauma to be everything to everyone. They are the reliable boss, the best worker a client could have, all while breaking down every few episodes because they never took a moment to truly heal or slow down their life to avoid pulling a 180 and ending right back to what caused them so much trouble.
So for Jax to recognize she has to change, cut her hours, refocus what is important to her, and do that even when Shanelle’s freedom is on the line? That’s the kind of selfishness I wish we got to see more Black women get to have. For way too often, they have to give everything up, sometimes including their life, for someone else to be or have better.
Jax And Lewis Fighting For Their Marriage
I recognize that Jax and Lewis are messy in ways that can be frustrating. Also, them working on their marriage after all we saw in season 1 requires some suspension of disbelief. Yet, the depiction of Black love is in short supply, and alongside no marriage being perfect, you often have to make the relationship perfect for your needs.
In the case of Jax and Lewis, it’s clear they want a certain lifestyle for themselves and their kids, which requires demanding work for lucrative compensation. However, having a work/life balance will be a challenge, especially considering both of their backgrounds. And I hope that, beyond their relationship problems, like Lewis’ often cited ultimatum, they dig deep into their individual issues, creating problems in their relationship.
General Information
Additional Information
- Previous Episode: Season 1/ Episode 9
- Series Page
Episode Title
Can I Live?
Release Date
August 22, 2024
Network
Where To Buy, Rent or Subscribe To Watch This:
Director(s)
Anton Cropper
Writer(s)
Raamla Mohamed
The Gist
1. It has been two months since the events of season 1 and Jax is still going through it, but in her sabbatical from work, she has reconnected with her family.
2. However, with Shanelle killing JT, and doing so in a way that draws suspicion, she finds herself tempted to be all in as she used to be with work and undo the progress she made with Lewis and her family.
3. But, with prioritizing herself for once in her life, she decides to hand the case off to a man named Corey, whose association with Jax isn’t fully revealed just yet. | Morris Chestnut As Corey
4. It isn’t too often that a 2nd season of a show doesn’t feel like a stumble as you get reacquainted with names and where the show left off.
5. However, with “Reasonable Doubt,” it does feel like we may not have that struggle as Shanelle’s case is strong, as is the person looking to see her rot in prison, in Lucy Wargo. | Melissa Ponzio As Lucy Wargo
6. The combination sets up what feels like the beginning of a great season, and one can only hope that looks aren’t deceiving. | Jay Devon Johnson As Dr. Vernon Webb
- It has been two months since the events of season 1 and Jax is still going through it, but in her sabbatical from work, she has reconnected with her family.
- However, with Shanelle killing JT, and doing so in a way that draws suspicion, she finds herself tempted to be all in as she used to be with work and undo the progress she made with Lewis and her family.
- But, with prioritizing herself for once in her life, she decides to hand the case off to a man named Corey, whose association with Jax isn’t fully revealed just yet.
- It isn’t too often that a 2nd season of a show doesn’t feel like a stumble as you get reacquainted with names and where the show left off.
- However, with “Reasonable Doubt,” it does feel like we may not have that struggle as Shanelle’s case is strong, as is the person looking to see her rot in prison, in Lucy Wargo.
- The combination sets up what feels like the beginning of a great season, and one can only hope that looks aren’t deceiving.
