Can’t Knock The Hustle
The camera jumps back to show the woman’s terrified face as she realizes that she has been shot. She gasps and tries to scream, but is silenced by the gunman. He pulls the gun away from her and points it at her head. She looks up in terror as he pulls the trigger.
A few weeks earlier, Jax was preparing for her big day. She had a lot on her plate, but she was confident that she would pull through. Her two kids were with her and they all had a good time. Jax skipped out on the Pastor’s speech to return a call to a fellow lawyer.
Mark Noonan, a lawyer at Kender and Franklin, is calling back from his new client Madison Stiles. Madison claims she was assaulted by one of Jax’s clients, Devin MacDonald. Apparently they met at a club and she went back to his place. Devin exposed himself to her and she ran out scared. She now wants to press charges. ..
Jax scoffs at the claims, writing them off as her just trying to extort him and making a quick buck. She eventually hangs up and goes back inside with her family.
Jax is a little hesitant at first, but she eventually decides to go to the meeting. She’s not sure how she’ll do, but she’s willing to take on the challenge. She meets with Miller and they have a great conversation. Jax is impressed by how smart and successful he is and she decides that this is the opportunity that she’s been waiting for.
Jax works for celebrity clients, and it seems to bring heat on the family. Lewis organizes security detail to keep watch of the house, as well as keeping security cameras inside. They’re not officially together anymore either, with some big unspoken drama between them that I’m sure we’ll explore more of across the season.
The crux of the issue though is that Jax resents Lewis for leaving her 3 months back because of how dangerous her job is. She believes this is a smokescreen to the real issue – masculine insecurity; Lewis can’t stand that she has a high paying and high-flying job. Lewis refuses to elaborate and wants to have an earnest talk but Jax simply retorts back with “n*gga, bye.” Eventually their conversation ends with Jax removing her wedding ring.
That night, Jax opens up her secret stash of cigarettes and decides to smoke them out the window. Will, the hired security guard, is outside and the two exchange glances with one another. ..
Jax and Richard are tasked with finding a way to get Mr. Miller to trust Kaleesha enough to tell him the truth. They must also figure out how to get Brayden to trust her enough so that they can work together.
Kaleesha is apparently the Executive Vice President of Sales and Branding, second in power to the Chief Financial Officer. Kaleesha has accused Brayden of sexually assaulting her. As for Miller, he admits to having sex with her and points out that although it was rough at times, it was consensual. ..
Kaleesha is no longer with the company because it clouded their professional relationship and she became irrational. Now that she’s gone, Jax wants money. Kaleesha suggests that Kaleesha just wants an apology. She goes on to throw shade at Miller, scoffing at the idea of drawing up an NDA, claiming sexual assault is a crime.
Devin is frustrated with Madison Stiles for using him and his reputation to line her own pockets. He believes that Madsion should confront her and make an example of her. This comes from Devin’s messaging to Madsion, offering a fully paid vacation – which is essentially entrapment given the messages are leaked with her reply – but Devin shrugs it off, claiming it’s done the trick and changed public sentiment.
Jax turns her attention back to Kaleesha Moore, wanting dirt against her and tasking Daniel, her personal detective, to dig into this.
Jax heads home after learning that Damon Cooke is up for parole and he’s going to admit to murder. Apparently their relationship is “strictly professional,” but it’s very clear, especially when she visits him and he holds her hands, it’s not. Jax promises never to speak to him again if he admits to the murder.
That night, we learn that Lewis is watching Jax remotely from the security cameras he’s set up around the house. He heads outside when Jax shows up drunk, and things get hot and heavy between them in the car. They only kiss but when Jax wants more, Lewis blows her off with a simple “Good night, Jax”.
Kaleesha shows up to work the next day and decides to break the NDA and speak out. She complains about Jax on the way in, claiming she should have been present during the meeting. Jax immediately goes off to compose herself, while Rich delivers bad news to Mr Miller, telling him he needs to hire a PR firm given Kaleesha is going onto Good Morning America and going to blow this whole case wide open. ..
Jax is angry when Damon gets his parole and is allowed to go free, but he’s also sad that Lewis will have to take care of the kids. Jax points out that she’s selfish and always looks out for herself. Jax is silent.
Jax and Will end up having sex knowing that Lewis is watching them on the security camera. They both seem to exchange a knowing look.
Rich rings Jax and delivers some bad news. Kaleesha has been declared dead. The episode closes out with Rich ringing Jax to deliver the news that Kaleesha has been declared dead. ..
The Episode Review
Reasonable Doubt starts out with a lot of melodrama and discussion about race. While some of this is well implemented into the story, other times it feels like social commentary for the sake of it, without a reasonable explanation. A good example of this is the way Jax segregates her own office, claiming that there’s a “black side” and a “white side.”
She bemoans going to the big meeting, despite clearly being well respected by her peers and offered A-list clients. She makes a few jabs about not being paid the same and being the “token” among them but we see nothing to suggest this after that. She’s given a lot of leeway, she’s clearly very successful and even told that she’s one of the best workers they have. So why is Jax herself putting these invisible barriers for herself there?
This show may be going the route of giving Jax humility over the season and levelling her character out to being a fairer judge of character and more likable protagonist, but we’ll have to wait and see on that front.
In a year that’s given us a lot of law dramas already, both in the west and from Asia, Reasonable Doubt seems like an unlikely proposition for an outstanding drama but we’ll have to wait and see.
