“Your Honor” wrapped its second season Sunday night, leaving the door ajar for Season 3 — and I even have mixed feelings about that.
On the one hand, I would like to see more of the labyrinthian drama starring Bryan Cranston, Michael Stuhlbarg, Hope Davis, Andrene Ward-Hammond and Isiah Whitlock Jr., originally slated for a one-season run unlike its predecessor, “Kvodo” (“His Honor”), which ran for 2 seasons (and 22 episodes) on Israeli television from 2017 to 2019.
Plan A modified after “Your Honor” set Showtime viewership records upon its December 2020 premiere, triggering a no brainer second season, though it was hard to fathom where the series could go after the finality of Eugene Jones (Benjamin Flores Jr.) — looking for vengeance against Carlo Baxter (Jimi Stanton) for killing his older brother, Kofi, in prison — missing his goal and shooting Adam Desiato (Hunter Doohan), who died in his father Michael’s arms.
That wrapped the Shakespearean storyline in poetic fashion, with Adam’s death karmic payback for unintentionally killing Rocco Baxter, the son of Recent Orleans mobster Jimmy Baxter (Stuhlbarg) — setting into motion the resulting disastrous coverup orchestrated by Judge Michael Desiato (Cranston) … and its tragic conclusion.
Season 2 returned in January, and my trepidation was quickly quelled because the narrative arc branched in lots of directions a yr after the events of Season 1.
Disgraced/disbarred Michael Desiato is sprung from prison by US Attorney Olivia Delmont (Rosie Perez) to infiltrate/take down the Baxters’ criminal enterprise, discovering he’s now a grandfather via Adam’s relationship with Fia Baxter (Lilli Kay) — Jimmy’s daughter.
Eugene escapes to Houston with the assistance of Little Mo (Keith Machekanyanga) and eventually returns to face the music; Jimmy and his vengeful wife, Gina (Davis), the daughter of old-school mobster Carlo Conti (Mark Margolis), hit the skids; Fia abandons her family and moves in, baby in tow, with Michael; drug lord Big Mo (Ward-Hammond) buys a club directly across the road from The Baxter House and experiences strife each personal and skilled; and Michael’s best friend, Mayor Charlie Figaro (Whitlock Jr.), is pulled deeper into the unique cover-up vis-à-vis surprising revelations.
“Your Honor” may need — and maybe must have — ended its run with Sunday night’s finale, which included, amongst other didn’t-see-it-coming twists: Eugene vindicated and placed into the Witness Protection Program; Michael returning to prison; Big Mo selling her club to Gina Baxter and striking an uneasy alliance; and Fia, in spite of everything the soul-crushing lies she’s been fed, giving Rocco up for adoption (via her church) and fleeing Recent Orleans for parts unknown.
That tied up many loose ends … and here’s the “but” … the episode’s penultimate scene, greater than every other plot twist, signaled there could possibly be more “Your Honor” in our future.
The camera cuts to Jimmy, previously gunned down by Carlo Conti within the hallway of The Baxter House (successful deviously arranged by Gina), lying on a hospital bed with a respiratory tube down his throat.
Then his eyes suddenly open. He lives, somewhat unbelievably, considering the pools of blood surrounding him after he was shot.
That opens a pandora’s box of narrative possibilities should Showtime renew the series although, within the run-up to Season 2, Cranston told Dax Shepherd on his “Armchair Expert” podcast that he was “preparing for the second and last season of ‘Your Honor.’”
Which may be true, however the world of television is rife with spinoffs, including “Higher Call Saul” from Cranston’s “Breaking Bad.” So who knows? Perhaps we’ll see a season dedicated to the Baxter clan as Jimmy, out for revenge, squares off against Gina as their son, Carlo, chooses sides and Fia returns to Recent Orleans. Or not.
Suffice it to say that “Your Honor,” finished on a high note and checked all of the boxes — and it’s all the time best to bow out on top.
