Your Honor narrates the journey of the prestigious judge: Michael Desiato (Bryan Cranston), who seeks to keep safe the life of his only son: Adam (Hunter Doohan), after the young man, after a carelessness caused by an asthma attack, causes an accident in which a boy his age dies. Under this premise a judicial drama unfolds, where the love of a father for his son, will lead him to exceed the limits of his honorability.
When Adam confesses to his father that he accidentally killed a young man with his car and left him in the middle of the sidewalk, the story unfolds a series of events that hinder the happy resolution of the conflict, because when Adam goes to the police to confess the crime, his father discovers that the deceased was the son of Jimmy Baxter (Michael Stuhlbarg), a known mob boss.
From this encounter, Michael decides to protect his son at all costs, even from his position as supreme representative of justice, since if it is discovered that Adam caused the death of Baxter's youngest son, this could end the lives of both in a matter of seconds and in the most terrifying way.
Showtime's miniseries sells us a powerful plot, but the development becomes confusing due to brief gaps in space-time that leave us with more questions than answers, taking us out of focus of the main story.
The more the story progresses, it becomes hard to believe that we will know the whole truth in 10 episodes, as there are things that are not even fully addressed, such as the mystery of Michael's wife's death, and Adam's untimely tour of the streets where the traumatic event happened.
Court and medical dramas continue to capture the attention of audiences because they have the power to add value to stories through their characters, decisions and motivations.
Although critics have questioned the narrative of the miniseries, the message of the plot manages to transcend through the links it ties in each episode, keeping viewers expectant, with touches of suspense and incredible interpretations.
No need to remind why Bryan Cranston continues to be in the eye of film directors, as the actor has histrionic gifts that he exploits in each role, this time as a protective father, but also as a respected judge who is forced to explore the dilemma of truth and justice.
It is not the first time we are part of this type of questioning, a year ago Apple TV presented the miniseries Defending Jacob, a crime drama starring Chris Evans and Jaeden Martell, as father and son in a situation similar to that of Michael and Adam, where the struggle of parents to uphold their professional ethics, slips when their children are the ones on trial.
However, only in the premise we could compare these stories, this due to the approach that exposes each one and the reflection of each family: while in Defending Jacob the plot takes place on the edge of the scrutiny of public opinion, media and social networks, Your Honor presents a more chilling scenario, in the midst of inequality, racism, precariousness and mafia in the United States.
Throughout each episode we enjoy Cranston's performance in circumstances that play with the limits of reality, for example when Michael retraces Adam's steps to erase all evidence of the accident, so that his son can move on with his life, but things get complicated after everything is discovered by Baxter, which imprisons the judge's actions, turning them against him.
Michael bears the physical and emotional burden of Adam's mistake, submitting to the clutches of the mobster Baxter to the ultimate consequences, while his son begins to trace a new pothole in his father's every step to save their lives.
Just when there seems to be a chance of a second chance for the Desiato's, love and deception break the few moments of stability in the plot, to once again bet on an unexpected ending. Few scenes manage to connect with the audience, and its denouement is one of them, which leaves us with a frustrating and painful emptiness.
The production of the series frames punctual moments where the scenes overflow a horrifying realism, such as the death of the Baxter boy or the murder of Kofi Jones (Lamar Jhonson), the framing of the plot allows us to feel the emotions of the characters, turning us into witnesses of a society broken by the domination of a few and the vulnerability of the majority in the face of injustice.
Your Honor reveals the collateral effects of a web of lies that reaches the greatest fears of human beings, through a look at the injustice of the privileged and the condemnation of the innocent.
If you were thinking of giving Paramount+ a chance, don't miss Your Honor: a contrasting and thoughtful story.
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