Jury Duty's Company Retreat: The Unbelievable TV Hoax Returns with Higher Stakes
If there was ever a television series that seemed destined for a single season, it would be Jury Duty. The Amazon show became a slow-burning, word-of-mouth sensation in 2023 by executing a frankly unbelievable stunt: convincing one man, Ronald Gladden, that he was participating in a documentary about LA courtroom procedures, when in reality, everything was staged, and he was the only non-actor involved.
Despite constant escalations from the cast—including actor James Marsden playing an arrogant parody of himself—and the ever-present risk of Gladden discovering the truth and derailing the production, the creators managed to sustain the deception long enough for the "jury" to reach a verdict. Remarkably, 30-year-old Gladden was not upset when the hoax was revealed; instead, the resulting comedy was warm, kind, and genuinely humorous. Jury Duty even won a Peabody award for demonstrating that reality television could "bring out the best" in people.
Doubts and Triumphs: The Making of Season Two
When a second season was announced, even fans reacted with trepidation. Jury Duty had been a critical and commercial success, making it extremely challenging to replicate the hoax. Could they possibly find another gem like Ronald Gladden? Director Jake Szymanski admits over Zoom, "We did not know if it could be done again ... It is a lot of work, and there's a lot of risk." Yet, against the odds, they have succeeded.
Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat follows 25-year-old Anthony Norman from Nashville, a temp worker hired via Craigslist to support a family-owned hot sauce company during its annual retreat. When his manager abruptly leaves, Norman is thrust into the role of "Captain Fun" for his eccentric new co-workers. Additionally, with the company's founder stepping down, Norman finds himself responsible not only for the retreat's smooth operation but also for saving the business—all while believing he is part of a documentary about the company at a pivotal moment in its history.
Raising the Stakes: A More Elaborate Hoax
Executive producer David Bernad explains that the inspiration for season two was a "David v Goliath story," featuring an unassuming hero against corporate interests. "The aspiration wasn't trying to beat or match or top Jury Duty—it was to create something unique and effective on its own." However, Company Retreat doesn't merely repeat the first season's success; it elevates the concept with a more intricate hoax, a larger filming location, and increased cameras, filming for a longer duration—heightening the risk of exposure.
Bernad notes, "Season two is way more ambitious in terms of storytelling." In the first season, Gladden was immersed in a setting reminiscent of 12 Angry Men, with the confined courtroom and opaque legal system aiding the production. This time, Bernad says, "we didn't have the conceit of a jury trial, where the audience knows the beats ... This is a completely created story."
Production Challenges and Ingenious Solutions
The hurdles were significantly higher for the production team. With 48 cameras deployed across a 300,000-square-foot site—ten times the size of the original courtroom—entire structures had to be built to conceal equipment and accommodate an 80-person crew. The props team even developed a range of hot sauces to enhance authenticity.
Moreover, while Gladden's fellow jurors had no prior connections, Norman was joining close-knit co-workers with decades of shared history and inside jokes. All this lore had to be meticulously developed and memorized by the actors to ensure consistency. Szymanski emphasizes that preparation extended far beyond what appears on screen, covering details like characters' educational backgrounds and living situations. "If you're real people who've known each other for over a decade, and suddenly you don't know something basic about each other, it could break the whole world."
The High-Wire Act: Improvisation and Risk
Company Retreat often resembles a scripted workplace comedy, satirizing absurdities while celebrating genuine relationships. Viewers might forget Norman is unaware of the hoax until they see him trying to suppress laughter at his colleagues' antics. Some actors wore earpieces to receive lines or directions from the control room, relying heavily on improvisation to keep Norman on track. Szymanski explains, "This is going to play as an eight-episode TV show; we've still got to hit these moments. How do we best do that when our lead actor doesn't know he's in a TV show?"
The solution involved months of writing, world-building, and rehearsals to prepare for every possible scenario. Executive producer Nicholas Hatton compares it to "building a Jenga tower": each move risks alerting "the hero," as Norman and Gladden were designated behind the scenes. "You can't have another take, you can't reset, you can't pause ... and if anything goes wrong, you can end up without a TV show, which is a terrifying prospect."
Close Calls and Casting the Perfect Hero
The first season nearly collapsed when a bailiff accidentally used an actor's real name in Gladden's presence, requiring an on-the-fly cover-up. Season two had a similarly heart-stopping moment just hours before the big reveal. Hatton recalls, "You can see just how close we get to ruining the entire thing ... I think we've been fortunate, both seasons."
For Bernad, the element of risk enhances the thrill for viewers. "The hope is, as audiences are watching this season, that the ending is unpredictable ... Do we get through it? And how do we get through it? That's part of the fun." However, the pressure on the production team is immense. Bernad, also an executive producer on The White Lotus, notes, "There's nothing like the stress of making Jury Duty: there's so much that's unknown, and so much that's unpredictable."
Success hinges on casting the right hero, who serves as the heart and soul of the show. Over 10,000 people responded to a Craigslist ad for a two-week temp job, with applicants vetted for traits like kindness, empathy, and humor. Practical considerations included ensuring the hero hadn't seen the first season or recognized any cast members. For Szymanski, the key factor was whether the participant would appreciate the experience after the reveal. "To me, it's kind of the only thing that makes it worth it ... it has to be positive and uplifting, not only to the audience, but to the person experiencing it," he says. "Otherwise it's not worth the risk."
Aftercare and Ethical Considerations
A cash prize of $150,000 in season two helps soften the blow of the deception. Szymanski confirms that professional aftercare is offered to the hero post-reveal, and the documentary premise allowed Norman to receive support during filming without raising suspicions. However, the cast sometimes struggled with building real connections under false pretenses. Szymanski advises them, "What I tell them—which is true—is that we have to view this as if we are throwing Anthony a big surprise party. You have to lie, and to keep some secrets, but if we do it right ... he's excited, and loves it, and feels like it was all worth it."
Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat premieres on Prime Video on March 20 with three episodes, followed by two episodes on March 27, and a three-episode finale on April 3.
