American documentary-style sitcom comedy series Jury Duty (2023) lays out its premise right at the beginning, stating it’s a show where everyone is an actor except for one character. It is that one character who thinks that he is on real jury duty and is witnessing how the actual American legal system works. The premise appears quite interesting, though the audience might wonder how the show will go smoothly when everything depends on this non-actor’s behavior.
This is where the beauty of Jury Duty lies. With a premise this uncertain and dependent on chance, it resembles life itself. Just like life, where we decide our course of action based on what’s thrown at us, the show progresses based on the reactions of Ronald Gladden. The trial gets more bizarre with each passing episode, yet the unsuspecting Ronald keeps cooperating. The whole show could have unfolded differently if he had acted out or said no. But he genuinely believed that this was something he had wanted to do for a while, and when he had the chance, there was no point in backing out.
The show feels like a mixture of reality TV and classic sitcoms but cannot really be pinned to a single genre because of the presence of Ronald and how he behaves with different characters. Interestingly, despite using some classic sitcom tropes, the makers did not include any conflict between the actors. Everyone went along with each other despite there being clear chances of fights and arguments. Though initially not included in the script, elements of friction could have been shown in the show if Ronald had behaved differently. But he turned out to be the most accommodating and trusting juror who gladly accepted every hurdle thrown his way.
The comedy of Jury Duty is not loud. It’s very subtle and mainly works because of its resemblance to life. In the post-pandemic world, where people have had a traumatizing experience of being inside for a prolonged duration, the members of Jury Duty do not show signs of distress while being sequestered. These strangers seem to get on better than many family members would, as the pandemic showed us. But here also, they can only be merry because of how Ronald responds to every bizarre occurrence. From taking the blame for Marsden to helping Jeannie and Noah have weird sex, he does it all with a non-suspecting smile and honest energy.
There are not many laugh-out-loud moments, and the audience will also not get any shocking revelation at the end because they are already aware of the premise. However, despite being so honest from the beginning, the show keeps one hooked, guessing if Ronald will snap with the next absurd problem. But Ronald treats it like a classic journey where he had come with a completely blank mind and would accept whatever comes his way.
The most intriguing part of the show was understanding how the makers prepared themselves for Ronald’s diverse reactions. This is revealed in the last episode, where everything is exposed, and Ronald is shocked and intrigued to learn the truth. We learn to what lengths the whole cast and crew had to go to ensure Ronald remains unsuspecting and behaves as he usually would. Even when everything is revealed to Ronald, he takes it all very gladly and does not lash out, claiming that he has been betrayed.
It’s marvelous how a show simply works because of one single person. While the idea and the execution were great, it would have been a completely different show if they had selected someone else. The show becomes a classic example of how one person can really make a lot of difference. In the show, where everyone knew what they were doing, there was only Ronald, who had to act based on his own wit and instincts, and he made Jury Duty what it is: a slice-of-life comedy.
It is also an excellent example of how things happen out of the blue and give you experiences and memories for life. As presented at the show’s end, we learn that Ronald still remains in touch with the cast members with whom he bonded for real. We also get an insight into what he thinks of this whole experience and how this will always stay with him. As Ronald looks back, he realizes there had been clues all along that he missed simply because he never suspected that this could all be staged. It seems like he only saw what he wanted to see, never digging deeper, never questioning the ridiculousness of certain situations and decisions made by the judge.
While Jury Duty is not a brilliant show, it works well on multiple levels. With a protagonist as lovable as Ronald, the show does not bore the audience despite not being full of drama. The other characters are equally engaging, and James Marsden playing himself puts the icing on the cake. The relationships shown among the other characters and the little light thrown into their personal lives further add to the points of interest of the show.
Watching Jury Duty might remind one of the true-crime mockumentary American Vandal (2017-2018) or the hilarious legal mockumentary Trial and Error (2017-2018). Nevertheless, this one stands out on its own because of its absolute dependence on chance, a single character’s activities, and his genuineness.
