In a time of endless sequels, reboots, and spinoffs, it’s rare to find something on television that is doing something new, but occasionally it happens. Such is the case with the new Amazon Prime series “Jury Duty,” which combines reality television, improv comedy, and social commentary.
The show follows a real person who thinks he’s participating in a documentary on jury duty, but he’s actually participating in a fake trial while surrounded by actors who are pretending to be jurors and court officials. It’s a little like “The Truman Show,” except it takes place for two weeks inside the dingy rooms of an L.A. courthouse and nearby hotel.
Although “Jury Duty” mainly works as a comedy, there are also moments of thoughtfulness and depth. This is made possible by the non-actor protagonist Ronald Gladden, a friendly average Joe. Gladden works with his fellow jury members to reach a fair verdict for a deadbeat employee. The employer has accused the employee of gross incompetence that cost millions of dollars in damages. Despite regularly facing the most ridiculous and awkward situations the show’s writers could think up, Gladden is always trusting, kind, and patient.
It is clear that both the show’s writers and the actors hope to rattle Gladden and provoke a reaction, but he successfully maintains his calm disposition. Whatever white male privilege he was supposed to exhibit simply doesn’t appear.
The same can’t be said for his foil James Marsden, who plays an exaggerated version of himself —
