Reasonable Doubt

So the acting could be better but I'm struggling to understand how some of the reviews are saying that the show is trying too hard to meet the Black experience. First, the outfits are not that far removed from what my black self has seen in my black office. While I personally do not use the "n" word, and I get and agree that it can be offensive, many of my Black friends and associates do use the word frequently amongst themselves. And unfortunately, the references to White people are pretty consistent with my experience. And the comments about Jax being unlikeable are not surprising because many black women in leadership are often characterized as unlikeable. Strong leadership skills in a woman, especially a Black woman, tends to be criticized harshly. But a man that moves like Jax is often considered the best leader EVER. Some of the sex scenes were a bit much but that's what sells these days. I'm looking forward to the show getting better each season.

There's some nice ensemble work, and all of the actors are quite committed. Set design, costumes, and camera work are all fitting, for the most part.

For me, the weakest link is the writing. It feels pushed. Nearly every scene contains a sense of heightened drama and engaged conflict. To which I say, how about infusing a bit of human awkwardness, fragility, and humorous elements? The script gushes over with hip banter, but it feels like trendiness-on-steroids. It seems like the producers are overextending themselves to prove something. I've watched just one episode, and I'm disappointed to say that I've had enough.

This show is not for everyone. It's written with the Black culture in mind. Successful Black people (although some questionable ones) are plot of the show. This plot keeps everyone guessing and there is a twist around every corner. It's nice to see all spectrums of Blackness being highlighted. From struggling criminals to high power Black people. It's "Scandal" with more POCs and less degrading Black women.

The cast is a list of those I have not heard of or from other lesser successful projects. With that said, this series is the perfect opportunity to make a heightened name for some of the actors. On the other hand it is a safe choice for the producers.

Overall I believe the show is great with great potential. Not everything is for everyone. But for the Black community, this is a win.

This show is terrific, let's first say that. The plot, the character development from the first episode, the intrigue, the style, the dialogue... everything is so professionally done, so interesting. But... can we PLEASE stop constantly ragging on white people and calling them every name in the book for absolutely zero reason? It's not ok; it wouldn't be ok if the races were reversed, and it's not ok this way. I mean, it's all the way to the point of, the only mention of a white woman is the one who lied about being sexually assaulted and is discredited without a second thought, but a black woman who claims to be sexually assaulted (also by a rich black man) gets upset that she isn't immediately believed by opposing counsel? Come on. It's fine when it's done in a way that fits in with the storyline, but the characters are talking badly about white people and calling them names without any provocation whatsoever. I still recommend this show, but I really hope all this "f whitey" stuff takes a back seat unless it's relevant to the story.

Good plot. Poor execution. Characters are a bit annoying because the AAVE seems forced. The excessive use of n-word, unnecessary vulgarity, & soft porn nature of the drama diminished what this could have been.

Also, the legal portion of the show was more elementary than clever.. it was super basic so I couldn't even fall in love with the main character. Speaking of the main character, whoever styled her couldn't figure out if they wanted her look to be stylish yet conservative versus racy and totally out of regs for a law office. But they did include the quintessential red bottoms * sigh *eye roll.

I'm a Black professional womam who was raised in a poor urban city so I was hoping to connect...I didn't. Not interested in season 2. We deserve better work from Kerry.