'Your Honor' episode 1: Bryan Cranston as Michael Desiato reimagines Micah Alkoby of Israeli original 'Kvodo'
'Your Honor' episode 1 began with a happy scene. One was about a family that decided to splurge on a gift for a young son. It is a classic vintage bike that the father is proud to present to his son, and the son is extremely excited to ride it. On the other hand, we have another young man, who seems to be of an age close to this happy young man. This young man looks sad as he sees a picture of his mother and the indication is clear. He is mourning a loss. This is Adam and what Adam is going to do in the next few minutes is what will change his and his father Michael Desiato's (Bryan Cranston) life.
Adam after a scary situation ends up getting an ashthma attack while he is on the road, driving his car. His medicine is out of reach and as he desperately tries to reach out and take it from his glove compartment, the anxiety leads to him dropping his medicine. After a few nervewracking moments, just when you think he might have got it, he runs a bike over and quite violently at that. This young boy on this bike ends up flying away, hitting hid head and even as he bleeds out, Adam does his best to help. Despite his breathing issues, he tries CPR and even goes as far as calling 911. However, a sense of self preservation, we feel, keeps him from reporting the incident and abandon the young man on the street. This young man bleeds out quite dramatically and Adam attempts to flee the scene.
He first gets his hands on the medication, then he drives away and despite the patrol cars that he comes across, Adam's thinking is lucid enough to ensure that he doesn't panic. From getting his car washed to then attempting to erase any traces he might have left behind -- beginning with the phone -- it is only gradually that Adam veers towards burying this entire incident. What Adam is not aware of at the moment is that the young man that he killed is none other than the son of New Orleans' crime lord Jimmy Baxter (Michael Stuhlbarg). So if Adam were to be caught as the person who abandoned a victim after an accident, he will have to face the wrath of Jimmy. So the fact that his father would come to defend him is not surprising, however, the scene where Adam places a call to his father to ask for help and instead reaches a voicemail where there is a transition of Michael hearing a case in court is an indication of the how this judge's life is going to get a lot more complicated very soon.
The episode sees Michael cross examine a cop in a case where he is the witness to a black woman procuring and distributing drugs. As his questions corner the cop who is lying on the stand, it becomes clear that Michael has an understanding not only of law, but of crimes as well. From how it is committed to if it can be committed, he doesn't just hear the case but even investigates them. So this is foreshadowing of the kind of knowledge that we will see the judge use to spring his son free. Whether it will work on not is something that we will have to wait and watch. However, what is interesting is how Cranston has managed to reimagine Micah Alkoby of 'Kvodo'. In the Israeli original show, the father seemed a lot more timid and precautious than Cranston's Michael, however, as we are just one episode in, we would have to see how this pans out for the show.
For now though, we are constantly reminded of Apple TV+ show 'Defending Jacob', which was about a prosecutor defending his son on charges of murder. So the crux of the shows is similar enough to warrant this comparision.
'Your Honor' will air on Sundays at 10 pm ET on Showtime. Starring Bryan Cranston, Hunter Doohan, Michael Stuhlbarg among others, the show premiered on December 6.