‘Your Honor’ Dominates Streaming Charts: A Beginner’s Guide to the Bryan Cranston Drama

The last time a Bryan Cranston drama hit Netflix, it sparked a pop culture phenomenon, with Breaking Bad earning an all-new array of fans and becoming watercooler viewing in its last few seasons. Now, another of his shows is getting a resurgence in viewership: Your Honor.

The two-season series, which aired on Showtime from 2020 to 2022, was previously available to stream for subscribers of Paramount+ with Showtime, but in late May, it hit Netflix, and it’s been dominating the streaming charts.

According to Variety, the series notched over 1.5 billion minutes from June 3 to June 9 on Netflix and Paramount+, making it the most-streamed property of the time period.

The series stars Cranston as Michael Desiato, a New Orleans judge who has to turn back on his own ethical code to protect his son Adam (Hunter Doohan) after a tragic accident involving the son of crime boss  Jimmy Baxter (Michael Stuhlbarg). The actor gave fans a big push to check it out, writing on social media, “Please do catch it. We have a terrific cast, and you’ll be on the edge of your sofa watching the story unfold.”

If you’re one of those TV fans planning to binge the show on Netflix or Paramount+ now that it’sthis weekend, here’s a guide to help you enjoy it the same way original audiences did when it aired on a weekly basis.

BEFORE YOU STREAM

Before you click play on the premiere episode, here’s a run-through of what audiences knew about the show before it aired.

• It was adapted from an Israeli TV show called Kvodo by The Good Fight‘s executive producers Robert and Michelle King and was written by The Night Of‘s Peter Moffat.
• Cranston first joined the series in January 2019.
• The official logline of the show was: “a high-stakes game of lies, deceit and impossible choices.”
• Production on the series began in New Orleans in fall 2019, but it was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• It resumed in October 2020 and concluded mere weeks before the series premiered on Showtime on December 6, 2020.
• The episodes do not have individually significant titles.

SEASON 1

Season 1 Review: Judging Bryan Cranston’s ‘Your Honor’ for Questionable Actions

What to know: 

• Bryan Cranston spoke to TV Insider about his decision to join the show and how he related to his character’s plights as a father himself.
• Hunter Doohan also spoke to TV Insider about what it was like to work with such a highly decorated TV legend as Cranston.

Episode 1: “Part One” – “When his teenage son is involved in a tragic accident, New Orleans Judge Michael Desiato is faced with an impossible decision that will impact his family forever.”

Episode 2: “Part Two” – “On the anniversary of his wife’s death, Michael creates an alibi for Adam on the day of the accident; Michael pulls his close friends into the web of deception; Kofi is approached about a job.”

Episode 3: “Part Three” – “Michael uses his power to hide details regarding the accident; Jimmy Baxter and Gina plot their revenge; Lieutenant Nancy Costello grows suspicious; Kofi receives bad advice; Gina strikes a deal for Carlo.” 

Episode 4: “Part Four” – “Adam moves from one dangerous liaison to another as tensions escalate; Elizabeth protects her grandson; a family dinner is plagued by secrets and lies.”

Episode 5: “Part Five” – “Michael discovers that someone is blackmailing him. Jimmy and Gina Baxter remain committed to avenging their son’s death.”

Episode 6: “Part Six” – “Adam spends the day with a dangerous new love interest, while Michael searches for his blackmailer; Lee ramps up her involvement in Kofi’s case.”

Episode 7: “Part Seven” – “Michael’s solution to his blackmail problem digs up deeper troubles; Eugene finds family in Big Mo’s crew; a problematic relationship threatens to out Adam’s secret.”

Episode 8: “Part Eight” – “Jimmy pressures Michael regarding Carlo’s trial, Adam announces his future plans, and Nancy and Lee discover some cops aren’t what they seem.”

Episode 9: “Part Nine” – “As pressure mounts, Michael finds an answer to keeping Carlo out of prison; Charlie makes a shocking discovery while helping Adam.”

Episode 10: “Part Ten” – “Adam reels from new information about his mother’s death; Carlo’s trial ends, but Michael and Adam’s secrets are dangerously unraveling.”

• Following the finale, TV Insider spoke to Michael Stuhlbarg to break down his character’s motives and that shocking death.

SEASON 2

What to know:

• It was initially ordered as a miniseries but was surprisingly renewed for a second season in August 2021.
• Following the renewal, TV Insider had some major questions about what the show would even be about at this point.
• Ahead of the Season 2 premiere, Cranston ensured Season 2 would be its last.
• Peter Moffat left the series as showrunner for personal reasons; Joey Hartstone (The Good Fight) took over captaining Season 2.
• The show marked a reunion between Cranston and Breaking Bad costar Mark Margolis, who joined in Season 2.
• Rosie Perez also joined the series in this season as an assistant U.S. Attorney, and Cranston told TV Guide Magazine that she would be a “thorn” in his character’s side.
• The premiere for Season 2 was delayed by one month in order to avoid the Christmastime holidays.

Episode 1: “Part Eleven” – “A grieving Michael Desiato is beyond hope; Eugene is aided by unlikely benefactors; Jimmy Baxter looks to expand his criminal empire while Gina Baxter channels her anger.”

• After this episode, Cranston and Perez spoke to TV Insider to break down all of the action that transpired — and to tease what would be ahead.

Episode 2: “Part Twelve” – “Michael Desiato discovers a secret while Olivia seizes an opportunity to push him to make a dangerous decision; a desperate business deal threatens Eugene; Elizabeth shelters Michael.”

Episode 3: “Part Thirteen” – “Michael resists a request from Fia, but Olivia pushes him to exploit a newfound connection; Little Mo’s deal goes sour, leaving Eugene to pick up the pieces; a face-off between Michael and Jimmy results in a startling confession.”

Episode 4: “Part Fourteen” – “Olivia’s plan to get Michael closer to the Baxters sees him invited to Jimmy’s 50th birthday party where he witnesses the return of Gina’s gangster father; Eugene repays Little Mo for his kindness, but his good deed threatens to expose corruption.”

Episode 5: “Part Fifteen” – “Following the events at Jimmy’s birthday party, Michael vows to quit aiding Olivia; Charlie makes an unexpected move; Little Mo gets on the wrong side of Big Mo after he helps Eugene; Nancy chases a lead connected to the murder of Michael’s wife.”

Episode 6: “Part Sixteen” – “Michael and Elizabeth pursue a lead in Robin’s murder case; the Baxters make arrangements to silence Eugene; pushed by Gina and Carmine, Jimmy enters into a dangerous alliance; an overdose causes a major rift with the trusted lieutenants of Big Mo.”

Episode 7: “Part Seventeen” – “Michael’s pursuit of the truth creates life-threatening consequences for him and for Nancy Costello, who has joined him in the hunt for his wife Robin’s murderer; Fia faces the hard reality about her family.”

Episode 8: “Part Eighteen” – “Eugene escapes danger only to run headfirst into new jeopardy; frustrated with Michael, Olivia sets her sights on an unlikely new mark; Big Mo’s triumphant opening night takes an unexpected dark turn.”

Episode 9: “Part Nineteen” – “Prompted by Olivia, Michael goes to see Jimmy Baxter, who makes him an unexpected offer. Shifting loyalties in Big Mo’s crew force her hand.”

Episode 10: “Part Twenty” – “Michael exposes shocking information that impacts everyone; a revelation pushes Fia to make a life-altering decision; Big Mo proposes a deal with Jimmy Baxter; Gina makes a move of her own.”