REASONABLE DOUBT – “Ignorant Sh*t” – Secrets come to light. A shocking discovery puts Ozzie’s parents in the hot seat. (Disney/Parrish Lewis) EMAYATZY CORINEALDI
Disney
Reasonable Doubt is back, and with a few episodes remaining this season, it’s clear that the hit series is better than ever. Currently in its third season, this iteration finds our fearless heroine, Jax Stewart, portrayed by Emayatzy Corinealdi, continuing to navigate the interwoven world at the intersection of her life and career. This season finds the fictional attorney dealing with the circumstances surrounding her latest explosive case involving a former child star, Ozzie Edwards, portrayed by Kyle Bary, who happens to be embroiled in a high-profile case involving murder and the debut of a new colleague and rival, Bill Sterling, played by Joseph Sikora, whose presence makes things even more complicated for Jax. All of that, coupled with working alongside her onscreen husband, Lewis Stewart, played by McKinley Freeman, as they work to preserve and honor their marriage and family, provides for a beautifully nuanced season full of highs and lows that fans worldwide have resonated with. When it comes to the way Jax has approached all these peaks and valleys, Corinealdi feels it’s rooted in her character’s healing, something that influences her decision-making in the show.
REASONABLE DOUBT – “Lost One” – Mama Lu’s news forces Jax to confront her own fears and perceptions of parenthood rooted in past trauma. Daniel gets messy chasing a key witness who could change the case. (Disney/Parrish Lewis) EMAYATZY CORINEALDI, MCKINLEY FREEMAN, RICHARD BROOKS
Disney
“We started off seeing a softer side of Jax this season in comparison to what we’ve seen. She’s really leaning into healing and peace, and she’s never allowed herself to do that before,” the actress said. “In doing so, it’s given her almost a lot more permission just to be, permission to exist, permission to make choices that she probably wouldn’t have made had she not had the help of therapy and her husband really helping her through a lot of these situations she’s been in. So we really get to see a more healed version of Jax, even from before the first season. This is her in a new place, and she’s making decisions from this new perspective.”
That healing journey, while a significant theme in this third season, is not only singular to Jax but also to Freeman’s character, Lewis. As we see the couple make strides towards working together, in and outside of therapy, to resolve the issues that threaten their relationship, Freeman believes that Lewis’ storyline is heavily influenced by the duality of who he is and who his wife needs him to be.
“A lot of what Lewis wrestles with is ‘Who am I and who does Jax need me to be today?’ He tries to understand where he falls short and how he can be the best version of himself, so he can find the best way to support without being inauthentic to who he is as a person, what he believes, and what they’re trying to build. I think that as the world of Reasonable Doubt starts unfolding, things get more complicated with her job. I think a lot of that, for Lewis, is holding himself accountable to being what Jax needs him to be, not what he thinks he should be, and then reconciling those two things, because most often, those two things aren’t the same, especially in real life. So it’s like there’s a part of Lewis that shows up and then there’s a part of him that needs to evolve to be able to show up in the best possible way, and I think over the course of the season, hopefully people can see the kind of growth that Jax and Lewis have had. They’re using some of the things they’ve learned in therapy and even the consequences of their own choices to make better, more informed decisions that hopefully lead to a smoother road.”
REASONABLE DOUBT – “Lost One” – Mama Lu’s news forces Jax to confront her own fears and perceptions of parenthood rooted in past trauma. Daniel gets messy chasing a key witness who could change the case. (Disney/Parrish Lewis) EMAYATZY CORINEALDI, MCKINLEY FREEMAN
Disney
With this season continuing to unfold, viewers have noticed that Jax’s partnership with Lewis isn’t the only relationship in her life that’s being explored—her partnership with Sterling, Sikora’s character, is also a hot topic. While the two colleagues continue to maneuver their working relationship, privy to its own ebbs and flows, Sikora makes it clear that Jax is actually in the position of power, as it is her assistance that the ambitious attorney needs to achieve his goals.
“What we can expect from Bill is probably what Jax is expecting, which is loyalty, and that’s loyalty with maybe not a whole lot of question. I think Bill has an agenda, and he’s going to follow it by any means necessary. Now, hopefully, that coalesces with Jax’s desire not only to have a loyal partner but also to win this case. Jax is a force of nature, but Bill certainly needs Jax more than Jax needs him. But in Bill’s mind, he is almost equal to Jax, and I think we’re going to find time and time again how deficient he really is in many aspects of his existence.”
REASONABLE DOUBT – “Lost One” – Mama Lu’s news forces Jax to confront her own fears and perceptions of parenthood rooted in past trauma. Daniel gets messy chasing a key witness who could change the case. (Disney/Parrish Lewis) EMAYATZY CORINEALDI, JOSEPH SIKORA
Disney
The case in question, involving Bary’s character Edwards, not only introduces a new set of storylines but a new face as well. As his character sits on trial for the murder of his girlfriend while grappling with every emotional imaginable in such a case, Bary teases that Edwards’ newfound relationship with his attorney, Jax, could be considered a saving grace for him.
“It’s been such a blessing to step into such a wonderful, well-built, and well-cared-for story,” Bary said. “Ozzie is searching for control, control of his own life, which is something he’s never had before, and he meets someone like Jax, and he’s never had a truth teller like her who doesn’t really want anything from him other than the best and freedom. I think he leans on her in a way that’s really special and new for him.”
REASONABLE DOUBT – “Ignorant Sh*t” – Secrets come to light. A shocking discovery puts Ozzie’s parents in the hot seat. (Disney/Parrish Lewis) KYLE BARY
Disney
