[WORKSHOP ]
The Scandal and Grey's Anatomy alum and Reasonable Doubt creator and showrunner opens up about her approach to writing winning scripts
UpRising: One element that makes Reasonable Doubt such a captivating watch is that all of the primary characters—especially Jax—feel fully developed. What is the key to ensuring that characters present in that way on screen?
Raamla Mohamed: The most important thing to me when creating characters is not to make them linear. A lot of times people decide this character does this. Anything that happens, this character is going to do that, right? But that's really not the case with people. In the pilot, you see Shanelle talk about [her] husband cheating. In the next scene, Shanelle is like, “Here's some advice about your marriage, Jax.” Jax is like, “Wait a minute, she just talked about her husband, now she’s trying to tell me how to be in my marriage?” That's how people are. So I try to incorporate the hypocrisies of people. Even Jax. Lewis says to her, “You give all this grace to your clients and then I get none at home.” I always think: What are the two things that can be true about people?
That's why I like to show Jax’s full life, because she's one way at work, she’s another way with her friends, and another way with her husband. And it's still all her; everyone's getting different sides. Even between her friends—she has one relationship with Autumn and a different relationship with Sally or Shanelle. If I want to really get real, unbiased advice, I have a friend I call. But if I want someone to just co-sign on what I'm saying, I have another friend I call. I wanted to show that it wasn't just friend A, friend B, friend C. Really think about what are the interactions and relationships between the friends and how that affects how they move with each other.
You were a writer for Scandal, which was so revolutionary in the way it became a communal viewing experience thanks to Twitter. Do you think about the moments that will resonate on social media while you’re in your creative process?
Yeah. I think about tweets, memes, lines in the trailer. What you can quote, the mic-drop lines. I think about all that stuff, because I’m a fan of television, too. I remember the pilot of Empire; Taraji said someone “smells like a goat's ass.” I don't really know what that means, but it's hilarious. Very memorable. I think about how can I contribute to the zeitgeist in that way while being true to the characters and everything that’s important about the show. I'm thinking about the emotion, the songs. All that stuff is important.
Speaking of songs, music almost feels like an additional character in Reasonable Doubt. Why is that so important to integrate it into the show the way you do?
I came up with the show’s title because of Jay-Z’s Reasonable Doubt album. Every episode is [named for] a Jay-Z song. So it's ingrained into the show. It evokes a different emotion when you're watching something with music. Hip-hop and R&B is so emotional for us in our culture. That's why in the pilot [episode, Jax] puts on [OutKast’s] “Liberation” and she's sipping on bourbon—you know the mood she’s in. Ace Hood plays in the pilot. I wanted people to understand this is a different kind of show. This isn't gonna be just the score and some pop song. I like creating a vibe, so I put songs in the script so everyone gets a feel of what I'm going for. A lot of times, I hear music and see scenes—they become linked together.
What are some other series that you feel incorporate music well?
The Americans would integrate music well. Insecure did a good job; so did Atlanta. Grey's Anatomy early on—some of those songs are very memorable. Miami Vice was one of the first shows that put on a song and they’re just driving through Miami. People remember the songs that play in certain moments.
Reasonable Doubt delves into some important topics like domestic violence and mental health. Why was it important to work that subject matter into the story?
What Jax—and a lot of people—battles with is this idea of, "If I take medication for anxiety or depression, what does that say about me?" There's such a stigma in our community. Not only therapy, but this idea of like, “You're on something? Is it that serious?” It's okay to ask for help. It's okay to say, “I don't got this.” Especially someone like Jax who just went through all this trauma.
It's also important to show that Jax, like you said, is a real human being. Emayatzy [Corinealdi] is a woman who works out and looks great. So I try to show Jax, the character, working out. You see someone who runs—that’s why she looks like that, not just "I woke up like this." She's crying. She's in therapy. Things are tough for her. I don't want women or men to watch and think she wakes up perfect and other women need to be like this. I really wanted to show someone who felt real.
I’m really happy we're able to dive deep into these topics this season. We've talked more about domestic violence the public eye between the seasons, but this isn't a new topic. This is something that affects women and men. I think people need to understand that it's not just about, “Why didn't you leave him?” It's much more complicated than that.
Do you ever get stuck as a writer? If so, how do you navigate hitting creative walls?
Before I became a professional writer, that happened more often. When you start to get paid and your job is dependent on it, it's interesting how unstuck you get. Scandal was a hit show when I was writing on it. Because it was a network show, I had to learn how to be good and fast—and I was neither. There's all these brilliant people around me. The room was moving fast. So I had to learn how to do that. On Reasonable Doubt, I talk through different things in the writers' room. That's what's great about having a writers' room—it’s not just you doing everything. I'm the big-picture person, but I often hear ideas and sometimes I'm like... forget my idea, I like that better.
There was an episode where I had an outline and I was like, “Something is wrong and I don't know what.” I had Larry Wilmore—who's one of the executive producers—read it. We had our own little writer's room, talking about things. That was super helpful to understand what I’m trying to say. I'm lucky to have people around who can help pull me out of quicksand. That's why you don't want to be the smartest in the room. You want to have other people around you who can make you rise up to challenges.
What do want people to take from watching the second season of Reasonable Doubt?
Season twos are really special. I feel like you get connected even more to the characters. Honestly, I'm really proud of this season because it’s so full of emotion, but it's also funny, sexy, and soapy. It’s a show you could watch with a partner or your friends. It's a show you want to talk about with people.
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Reasonable Doubt’s second season stars Emayatzy Corinealdi, Morris Chestnut, McKinley Freeman, and Shannon Kane. Episodes air every Thursday via Hulu.
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