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. In November 2024, the series was renewed for a third season.
| Reasonable Doubt | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Legal drama |
| Created by | Raamla Mohamed |
| Showrunner | Raamla Mohamed |
| Starring |
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| Composers | |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 19 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Running time | 46–55 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | Hulu |
| Release | September 27, 2022 – present |
Plot
editJax 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
editMain
edit- 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; guest star season 2)
- Morris Chestnut as Corey Cash, a talented defense attorney Jax brings in to assist on a case (season 2)[7]
Recurring
edit- 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)
- Kandi Burruss as Eboni Phillips (season 2)
- Essence Atkins as Dr. Brandy Michaels (season 2)
Episodes
editSeries overview
edit| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | |||
| 1 | 9 | September 27, 2022 | November 15, 2022 | |
| 2 | 10 | August 22, 2024 | October 17, 2024 | |
Season 1 (2022)
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Can't Knock the Hustle" | Kerry Washington | Raamla Mohamed | September 27, 2022 |
| 2 | 2 | "Family Feud" | Pete Chatmon | Resheida Brady | September 27, 2022 |
| 3 | 3 | "99 Problems" | Neema Barnette | Ryan Richmond & Loy A. Webb | October 4, 2022 |
| 4 | 4 | "Guilty Until Proven Innocent" | Darren Grant | Tash Gray | October 11, 2022 |
| 5 | 5 | "So Ambitious" | Sylvain White | Michelle Flowers & Jason Wilborn | October 18, 2022 |
| 6 | 6 | "Renegade" | Julie Dash | Loy A. Webb | October 25, 2022 |
| 7 | 7 | "N**** What, N**** Who" | Carl Seaton | Jason Wilborn | November 1, 2022 |
| 8 | 8 | "Song Cry" | Numa Perrier | Resheida Brady & Raamla Mohamed and Michelle Flowers & Natalia Temesgen | November 8, 2022 |
| 9 | 9 | "Already Home" | Pete Chatmon | Tash Gray & Ryan Richmond | November 15, 2022 |
Season 2 (2024)
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title [8] | Directed by | Written by [9] | Original release date [10] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 1 | "Can I Live?" | Anton Cropper | Raamla Mohamed | August 22, 2024 |
| 11 | 2 | "Say Hello" | Pete Chatmon | Tash Gray | August 22, 2024 |
| 12 | 3 | "Part II (On the Run)" | Crystle Roberson Dorsey | Michelle Flowers | August 29, 2024 |
| 13 | 4 | "Primetime" | Julie Dash | Zahir McGhee | September 5, 2024 |
| 14 | 5 | "Guilty Until Proven Innocent" | Mo Marable | Loy A. Webb | September 12, 2024 |
| 15 | 6 | "This Can't Be Life" | Rob Hardy | Natalia Temesgen | September 19, 2024 |
| 16 | 7 | "Venus vs. Mars" | Anton Cropper | Ryan Richmond | September 26, 2024 |
| 17 | 8 | "Change the Game" | Numa Perrier | Anil K. Foreman | October 3, 2024 |
| 18 | 9 | "Who You Wit" | Geary McLeod | Resheida Brady | October 10, 2024 |
| 19 | 10 | "Encore" | Anton Cropper | Raamla Mohamed & Dallas Rico | October 17, 2024 |
Production
editThe 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] On November 13, 2024, the series was renewed for a third season.[17]
Release
editThe show premiered on September 27, 2022, on Hulu. The first season has nine episodes.[18] The first episode aired on ABC on November 10, 2022.[19] Internationally, the series is available on Disney+.[20] The second season was released on August 22, 2024 with two episodes.[6]
Reception
editViewership
editReasonable Doubt had its pilot episode aired as a special on ABC on November 10, 2022. The episode attracted 1.8 million viewers and scored a 0.2 rating in the 18-49 demographic.[21] TVision, which utilizes its TVision Power Score to evaluate CTV programming performance by factoring in viewership and engagement across over 1,000 apps and incorporating four key metrics—viewer attention time, total program time available for the season, program reach, and app reach—calculated that Reasonable Doubt was the fourth most-streamed series from August 19 to August 25, 2024.[22] Luminate, which measures streaming performance by analyzing viewership data, audience engagement metrics, and content reach across various platforms, calculated that it was the tenth most-streamed streaming original series during the week of August 23 – August 29, 2024, with 190.7 million minutes of watch time.[23] TVision later announced that Reasonable Doubt was the twentieth most-streamed show during the week of September 23 to 29, 2024.[24]
Critical response
editThe review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating with an average rating of 7.80/10 based on 9 critic reviews.[25] Metacritic assigned the series a weighted average score of 76 out of 100 based on 5 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[26]
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."[27] 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."[28]
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."[29] 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.[30]
Accolades
editKerry Washington won Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series at the 2023 Black Reel Awards for Television.[31][32]
Notes
edit- ^ Credited as ABC Signature for seasons 1-2
References
edit- ^
- 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^
- Villei, Matt (September 7, 2022). "New 'Reasonable Doubt' Trailer Shows Emayatzy Corinealdi's Love for Criminals". Collider. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
- Petski, Denise (November 3, 2022). "'Reasonable Doubt': ABC To Air Premiere Episode Of Onyx Collective Streaming Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^
- Anderson, Julia (April 17, 2023). "Reasonable Doubt Lands Second Season, Adds Morris Chestnut". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
- Wehniainen, Grace (April 17, 2023). "'Reasonable Doubt' Season 2 Will Feature A Beloved 'Best Man' Alum". Bustle. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
- ^ a b Cordero, Rosy (May 17, 2024). "'Reasonable Doubt' Sets Premiere Date; Drops First-Look Photos". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Reasonable Doubt: Season 2". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
- ^ "Reasonable Doubt (2022)". Writers Guild of America West. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ Ting, Jasmine (August 22, 2024). "Here's When Every Episode of Reasonable Doubt Season 2 Drops". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ D'Addario, Daniel (September 23, 2022). "Soapy 'Reasonable Doubt' Centers One Very Flawed Lawyer: TV Review". Variety. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
- ^ Gallucci, Nicole (September 30, 2022). "Emayatzy Corinealdi Mesmerizes As 'Reasonable Doubt' Attorney Jax Stewart". Decider. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
- ^ Wimore, Larry (October 9, 2022). "Kerry Washington and Raamla Mohamed on 'Reasonable Doubt'". The Ringer. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
- ^
- Harris, Raquel (April 17, 2023). "Reasonable Doubt Lands Season 2 Renewal at Hulu". TheWrap. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
- Major, Michael (April 17, 2023). "REASONABLE DOUBT Renewed for Season Two on Hulu". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
- ^
- Bell, BreAnna (April 17, 2023). "Onyx Collective's 'Reasonable Doubt' Renewed for Season 2, Morris Chestnut Added to Cast". Variety. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
- Gelman, Vlada (April 17, 2023). "Reasonable Doubt Renewed for Season 2 at Hulu, Morris Chestnut Joins Cast". TVLine. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (November 13, 2024). "Onyx's 'Reasonable Doubt' Renewed For Season 3 By Hulu, Creator Raamla Mohamed Inks Overall Deal With 20th TV". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
- ^ Baldwin, Kristen. "'Smile' lays out horror bait, 'Bros' is rom-com bliss, and 'Andor' requires some patience". EW.com. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (November 3, 2022). "ABC to Air First Episode of Onyx Collective Streaming Series 'Reasonable Doubt'". Variety. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
- ^
- Tripathi, Arin (November 15, 2022). "Reasonable Doubt Episode 9: Release Date, Plot & Streaming Guide - OtakuKart". OtakuKart.com. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
- West, Amy (August 31, 202). "New on Disney Plus in September 2022: All the new movies and shows arriving this month". GamesRadar+. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
- ^ Oganesyan, Natalie (November 11, 2022). "Ratings: ABC's Special 'Reasonable Doubt' Pilot Airing Captures 1.8 Million Viewers". TheWrap. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
- ^ "The TVision Power Score - Week of August 19-25, 2024". TVision Insights. August 28, 2024. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
- ^ Hailu, Selome (September 3, 2024). "Luminate Streaming Ratings: 'The Accident' and 'The Union' Lead TV and Film Charts August 23-29". Variety. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
- ^ "The TVision Power Score - Week of September 2-8, 2024". TVision Insights. September 10, 2024. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
- ^ "Reasonable Doubt (2022)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
- ^ "Reasonable Doubt (2022): Season 1". Metacritic.
- ^ D'Addario, Daniel (September 23, 2022). "Soapy 'Reasonable Doubt' Centers One Very Flawed Lawyer: TV Review". Variety. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
- ^ Han, Angie (September 26, 2022). "'Reasonable Doubt' Review: Hulu's Legal Drama Is a Soapy Good Time". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
- ^ Metz, Nina (September 28, 2022). "Review: "Reasonable Doubt" improves the Shonda Rhimes template". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "2023 Black Reel TV Award Nominees". Black Reel Awards. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
- ^ 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.