Reasonable Doubt

So disappointing. Gorgeous,talented cast. Clearly aimed at black viewers. But first, clothes worn to the office are hilariously inappropriate. Great looks, but one can only chuckle at seeing them in the office. Background music with frequent use of N word seems far too contrived. Then the continued use of N word in conversations is actually offensive. If meant to seem real, I must object. My friends of color do not converse in that manner. Trying to get a rise out of the audience? Well, you've done that. And it has turned us off. I anticipate watching another episode and then deciding re continue or not.

So many formulas are being tapped into for this glossy but vapid series. Most obvious is the famous Kerry Washington vehicle "Scandal." The sexy business clothes, the amoral behavior. Throw in "Real Housewives" of say- Baldwin Hills, or is this "Sex in the City" of Black Angels? The cast is a talented ensemble that deserves better. The main character, a female lawyer, never does any research, or preparation, but finds time for sexual dalliances the nights before big days in court. And the men in her life are kind of limp. Heck, the estranged husband even hires a bodyguard with whom she cuckolds him. Black women deserve real professional depictions.

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.

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 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.