Summary
The plot slows down a little in this third episode, but the character moments remain strong.
It’s a bit concerning that so early in Season 2, Reasonable Doubt already seems to be going through the motions. There is little movement in the case in Episode 3, “Part II (On the Run)”, and despite some strong individual character moments and the hint of ulterior motives for a main player, I just didn’t feel like the momentum was there.
Don’t get me wrong — the theme remains important is expressed in some interesting ways, and the approach to Jax and Lewis’s marriage is very good. I especially love Lewis, who spends the entire episode at home with the kids trying to have a Zoom call without losing his mind. This mature approach to adult relationships is the clear selling point of Reasonable Doubt, which is perhaps just as well since, at least right now, as a crime thriller it isn’t that great.
Shanelle Is On The Run
Living up to the title, Episode 3 features Shanelle on the run, with a couple of welcome complications.
Initially, her motive remains in question. After she absconded at the end of the two-part premiere with a lot of her late husband’s fortune, the possibility was raised that she might have planned his murder to enrich herself, and it’s still not entirely clear — though one concedes it’s unlikely — if that’s the case by the end of this episode.
When Jax and Corey finish blaming each other, a safety deposit box reveals that Shanelle entrusted Sally to be the kids’ legal guardian. She also documented evidence of JT’s abuse with Sally’s help, though the photos can’t be disseminated to the public yet. Still, they do for proof that Shanelle was being abused, which helps to corroborate her claims of self-defense.
Partners In Crime
Security footage from the bank reveals that Shanelle visited with someone else — JT’s mentee, Adrian, with whom it becomes clear she is having quite an intense relationship.
“Part II (On the Run)” spends some time with Shanelle and Adrian. The former is planning on skipping the border to Mexico with the latter’s help, but they’re so in love that they decide to go together.
This revelation once again doesn’t make Shanelle look good — if she was having an affair, that’s justification to knock off her husband. The fact that she misses her preliminary hearing to abscond with him is also a bad look, turning her into a fugitive and swaying public perception — not to mention landing Sally with the bill for the bail money.
Social (Media) Justice
There’s an interesting bit in Reasonable Doubt Season 2, Episode 3 when Corey tries to turn the public to Shanelle’s side by appearing on IG Live on the account of a domestic violence advocate. He gives an impassioned speech about how the justice system is rigged to penalize women who finally pluck up the courage to defend themselves against their abusers. It’s clearly a deeply personal subject for Corey, but the reminder of how vital social media is to shaping public discourse helps Reasonable Doubt to put a contemporary spin on an age-old issue.
But Corey’s intentions, at least insofar as Shanelle’s case, are cloudy. As we see, he’s clearly backing on success here to help him achieve clemency for another woman who ended up being imprisoned for killing her abusive husband. The introduction of a more self-serving motive for him will invariably lead to problems with Jax down the line. And speaking of which…
Is there a hint of a romantic connection between Corey and Jax? The hug was weird, right?
Anyway, Reasonable Doubt Season 2, Episode 3 ends with Jax and Lewis sitting down to discuss Shanelle’s case, and predictably Jax finalizes her decision to take it on. Naturally, King Lewis is happy to support her given its importance, but how many Zoom calls can this guy miss?
