Episode three of Reasonable Doubt continues delivering the drama but it also does a deep dive into the world of working mothers and Black people’s relationship with law enforcement.
Once again the ending was a cliffhanger as we wait to find out how badly Daniel the investigator was beaten up. While this was a big moment in the episode, it would be wrong of us not to admit there were even bigger moments in this episode. As each issue was discussed, focusing on societal issues as well as character issues. It’s safe to say this episode left no character undeveloped. The show has proven that despite the fact the show very much lives in Jax’s world, all of the characters will grow and develop as she does.
The Struggles of the Working Mother
Many mothers face a struggle balancing the demands of work, their children and taking time for themselves. The shows portrayal of how Jax deals with the many hats she has to wear, was extremely realistic to mothers who work long hours to provide for their family. Watching Jax field 10 different phone calls at once, the police issuing a search warrant for Brayden’s home, Damon needing a new parole officer and a sick child, meant that Jax’s character was made even more relatable. By showing viewers how Jax juggles being a mother, a wife, a friend and a lawyer showed how women are never just one thing and as Jax says it not the same for men. The show did well to show the differences between what women and men face. All while managing not to undermine the difficulties that men go through. As the particular struggle of Black men was still discussed in this episode.
The demands of being successful women as well as having a life at home is that it’s hard to juggle and sometimes important things slip through the cracks. This was shown beautifully in the scene where Jax discusses with her daughter why she didn’t tell her sooner that she was bleeding and getting her period. Additionally how powerful a moment it was to hear Jax’s daughter says she doesn’t want to bother her mother because she knows she’s busy. It acknowledges the sacrifices on both sides of the relationship.
One of Jax’s friends talk about the murder victim Kaleesha Moore and how “that Girl was the only black department head.” The comment was focused on Kaleesha but it showed how rare it was for a Black woman to climb the career ladder. Like Kaleesha, by Jax being this powerful successful woman she is still vulnerable and therefore loses things as well as gains from her success. Seeing Jax break down after having that conversation was heart-breaking but it also was real and I feel that a lot of women will relate.
The Period Talk
Despite Jax and Lewis daughter, Naima, only being 10 years old she got her period in this episode. Initially I found it quite funny how Lewis was very unprepared to deal with his daughter having a period. But what I did like was how they explored children are getting their period at younger ages and the effects of that not only on children but also on their parents. Also, the period conversation that they had to happen was excellently done and also very rarely done on TV showing the stigma still surrounding periods in media.
Female Friendships and the Wrongs of Cheating
Jax’s girl chats are slowly becoming important moments in the episodes as they show the importance of friendships to balance both your personal and professional life. This week’s episode focussed more on the personal as it discussed a very controversial topic which is cheating.
This is a topic at the heart of the show as all of Brayden Miller’s issues stemmed from him having an affair with Kaleesha. But this episode really goes to town on how women suffer from their partner cheating. They are ridiculed if they stay with them and forced to stay if they don’t want to. Jax is very much a hypocrite in this episode because was she not the person sleeping with her bodyguard Will while her husband watched on the cameras? Yet she judges her friend Shanelle for staying with her husband and having in her eyes her rhetoric handwritten by him. Shanelle said that men “don’t get a trophy for all the no’s but the onetime” they slip up they get all the blame. Regardless of your view on cheating it’s up to Shanelle what she wants to do and that can’t be judged. But what the show does well is to contrast that with how Jax manipulates Brayden’s wife,, Sarah, into staying with him.
Jax convinces Brayden’s wife to stay with him as if she doesn’t it will say he’s guilty. While this is potential opinion that people will have towards Brayden, I think it’s very hypocritical of Jax to tell her friend to leave her man but then in the same breath tell another woman she must stick it out. All while she’s happily cheating on her husband and having flirtatious encounters with the very hot Damon (which we don’t blame her for.)
The Way Black Men Are Treated by Law Enforcement
The most poignant representation in this episode was the way it portrayed law enforcement. Particularly it’s relationship with the Black community. Reasonable Doubt explores how Black men often feel the brunt of the violence by the police and how the community as a whole feels let down by the system.
We see three different portrayals of law enforcement encounters with Black people in Reasonable Doubt through the characters of Damon, Brayden and Fallon.
When his drugs test comes back inconclusive, Damon is not believed by his parole officer that he doesn’t take drugs. Instead of just having him take another test to see if the test results are the same, the officer proceeds to tear up his room, throwing things around while saying “I know it’s in here.” Similarly, when a cop says to Brayden “I can’t wait to see you behind bars” and he responds “you’re going to be waiting a long time” while turning to face the office.
The officer immediately reaches for his gun because the very fact Brayden is a Black man is enough probable cause for the officer to deem his gun is warranted. Despite Brayden not showing any violent tendencies in the past or now. Both Brayden and Damon are treated harshly because they are Black and Reasonable Doubt illustrates because of that they are treated as criminals first. The shows decision to illustrate that so clearly and so well shows that Reasonable Doubt aims to be a tv show also tackling real issues realistically.
Fallon’s meeting with the DA also explored the mistrust inherent in Black people’s relationship with police as she said “I’ve been Black long enough to know you can’t trust an unjust system” the words of Fallon showcase how mistrust is built upon by constantly being let down by the system.
I’m excited to see how this theme is something the show develops over the course of the series.
Other Thoughts
- I predict Fallon is going to get herself in trouble
- Despite not vibing with Daniel, I hope he’s ok
- Lewis needs to get a new hobby because him watching Jax every night is creepy
- I thought Jax smoking a cigarette was her Olivia Pope wineglass but I’m starting to think it’s running instead.
