Did Natasha kill J.T. in Reasonable Doubt Season 2? Details from the Hulu drama explored

The Reasonable Doubt Season 2 finale, titled "Encore," was not only one of the most emotional episodes in Hulu's legal drama series but also revealed the raw and unfiltered altercation between Shanelle and J.T.

Season 2 explored the intense themes of domestic abuse and partner violence, which culminated in Shanelle's arrest on a first-degree murder charge of her husband, J.T. While Tucker was violent and physically abusive toward her throughout Reasonable Doubt, their marriage ended in tragedy.

The Reasonable Doubt Season 2 finale revealed that Natasha was the one who killed J.T. (her father) to protect her stepmother, Shanelle. In an interview with The Wrap, showrunner Raamla Mohamed explained this shocking twist and stated that Natasha was always intended to be shown as J.T.'s killer.

''Yeah, it was always the plan for it to be Natasha...I really don’t know who else she would go through all of this for if it wasn’t for her.''

More on this in our story.

Why did Natasha kill J.T. in Reasonable Doubt Season 2?

After a season filled with suspense and twists, the Reasonable Doubt Season 2 finale revealed the details of Shanelle and J.T.'s altercation. The sophomore season started with Shanelle calling Jax after she murdered her husband in self-defense. While Shanelle's actions were partly justified, since her husband was a violent man who regularly abused her, it was clear she was protecting someone else. After Jax uncovered J.T.'s true killer in the Season 2 finale, we finally saw a flashback of that tragic night.

The Reasonable Doubt Season 2 finale began with a flashback showing Shanelle being physically abused by J.T. However, just as Tucker was choking his wife, Natasha arrived from her dorm. Reacting instinctively, she grabbed an object and struck her father hard. As Tucker fell to the ground, seemingly taking his final breaths, Shanelle told her stepdaughter to change out of her bloodied clothes and go back to her dorm.

In a moment of sacrifice, Shanelle changed into Natasha's clothes and rearranged the crime scene to make it look like she had killed Tucker in self-defense. After her husband took his last breath on the floor, she called Jax and prepared herself for a harrowing murder trial.

What happened to Shanelle and Natasha in the Reasonable Doubt Season 2 finale?

After Jax discovered that Natasha is J.T.'s actual killer, she approached Lucy to find a way to save Shanelle. Finally, the jury announced its verdict in Shanelle's trial, and she was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter.

However, Jax was not ready to give up on her best friend and convinced Lucy to request leniency from the judge. Inspired by Lucy's statements, both as a prosecutor and a fellow domestic abuse survivor, the judge eventually reversed her decision.

In the Season 2 finale, the judge canceled Shanelle's suspension and instead placed her on five years of formal felony probation, 52 weeks of community service, and one year of psychological counseling. Shanelle was finally released from prison and given a second chance at life. Now that the haunting presence of Tucker was out of their lives, Shanelle took a step in the right direction and also reunited Natasha with her mother, Ebony.

Reasonable Doubt is back with a third season on Hulu. The legal series released its first two episodes on September 18 and will continue dropping new episodes every Thursday.

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