Bryan Cranston Legal Crime Thriller Breaks Free And Lands On Netflix

By Britta DeVore | Published

Whether you know him as the loving father of four in Malcolm in the Middle or the ruthless drug kingpin in Breaking Bad, you know that Bryan Cranston gives a demanding performance no matter what the genre. And whether you slept on it because you didn’t have Showtime or for a different reason entirely, now’s the time for fans of Cranston to catch his critically acclaimed performance in Your Honor as the two-season drama will soon arrive on Netflix.

Bryan Cranston In Your Honor

Trading in his pork pie hat for a judge’s robe, the actor takes on the part of a dutiful father willing to do just about anything to keep his son alive and out of prison. 

In the first season of Your Honor, audiences meet Cranston’s Michael Desiato, a beloved New Orleans judge known for being hard on crime and a stickler for the playbook.

However, Desiato’s entire moral compass shifts after his son, Adam (Hunter Doohan) accidentally kills another teenager in a hit-and-run. At first, the judge pushes Adam to come forward to the authorities and turn himself in for the accidental homicide but all that changes when he learns that the victim is the son of a premiere mob member.

A Fall From Grace

bryan cranston your honor

Throughout the rest of the season, viewers watch as Desiato continues to fall from grace in hopes of keeping his beloved child safe.

What was just to be a miniseries grew into a two-season TV show when Your Honor was picked up for a sophomore installment in 2021. While the first batch of episodes came to a somewhat satisfying conclusion, there was still plenty of story to tell which the creative team proved in the gripping follow-up.

A Complicated Personality

bryan cranston

Like his character in Breaking Bad, Cranston’s Michael Desiato is a complicated personality who only continues to find himself in sticky situations as he strays further and further from being the man in the pilot episode. 

Several months before the Season 2 premiere, it was announced that this would be the final chapter in Your Honor‘s story, giving fans a heads-up that this really was it.

Your Honor Reception

bryan cranston your honor

Overall, critical reactions and ratings for the Showtime series were split, with many praising Cranston’s performance while also slamming the played-out storyline.

Along with Cranston and Doohan, Your Honor also featured performances from Hope Davis (American Splendor), Sofia Black-D’Elia (The Mick), Isiah Whitlock Jr. (The Wire), and more.

A Netflix Bump?

bryan cranston your honor

Now preparing for a release on Netflix, Your Honor may be close to a new wave of praise and attention thanks to the Netflix effect.

In the recent past, titles like Suits and Ballers have launched to shockingly high viewership numbers after they were given a second chance on the streaming platform.

In bringing these productions that are either a few years old or on lesser subscribed to services (like Your Honor’s Showtime), the Netflix effect is breathing new life into the shows and giving them an unfathomable number of new eyes focusing in. 

Coming At End Of May

bryan cranston your honor

As we approach the end of the month, there’s a changing of the guard across the streaming services as titles are picked up and dropped.

When it comes to Your Honor, those eager to see it for the first time or to watch it over again can tune in on May 31.