Presumed Innocent is a crime mystery drama. A horrific murder takes place and then a key member of the Chicago prosecuting attorney’s office is arrested as a murder suspect.
Created by David E. Kelley, this crime series is based on the Presumed Innocent (1987) novel by Scott Turow. Interestingly, this novel was also adapted into a movie in 1990, which starred Harrison Ford in the lead role. Now, after a three-decade-long hiatus, the said book and the movie have been made into a thrilling series.
‘Presumed Innocent’ – Jake Gyllenhaal & Peter Sarsgaard Duel In This Shocking Murder Mystery Drama
Trailer: Presumed Innocent (S1/2024) Series
Spoiler Free Review: Presumed Innocent (S1/2024) Series
The synopsis/summary
In this murder crime drama series with eight (8) episodes, the viewers are taken on a compelling journey through the disturbing murder that shakes up the Chicago Prosecuting Attorney’s office, with Chief Deputy Prosecutor Rusty Sabich (Jake Gyllenhaal) at the centre of suspicion. Furthermore, this series delves into themes of obsession, sex, politics, and the dynamics of love, as the accused fights to keep his family and marriage intact.
Jake & Peter duel in this intense courtroom drama
Taking the story forward in this murder mystery, we learn that the chief deputy prosecutor Rusty Sabich (Jake Gyllenhaal) emerged as the main suspect. Soon after, Rusty is arrested on the suspected murder charges of Carolyn Polhemus (Renate Reinsve in the featured image at the top), and the court date is fixed for his trial. Although Rusty loudly claims that he is innocent and he has not committed the murder of Carolyn, not many people (including his family members and office colleagues) believe him.
In real life, both Jake Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard come from Scandinavian backgrounds. In fact, Jake Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard, despite portraying adversaries in this courtroom murder drama, share a real-life bond as brothers-in-law. Peter Sarsgaard tied the knot with Jake's sister Maggie Gyllenhaal and the two actors have a strong family relationship.
So, in this high-profile case, Chief Deputy Prosecutor Tommy Molto (Peter Sarsgaard) and Chief Prosecutor Nico Della Guardia (O-T Fagbenle) decide to go up against their former co-worker Rusty in this murder trial.
On the opposite side, the defendant Rusty is represented by his former boss – the senior lawyer Raymond Horgan (Bill Camp) and the junior lawyer Mya Winslow (Gabby Beans), as they try to prove that Rusty is innocent.
Bill Camp (Raymond Horgan) and Elizabeth Marvel (Lorraine Horgan) have been married in real life since 2004. They have previously portrayed a married couple on multiple occasions on screen.
All the lawyers named in the above paragraph played their part well. The intense courtroom scenes are the highlight of this legal drama. However, we liked the legal duel between Jake and Peter. They are quite good at it.
A bunch of murder suspects in this murder mystery
The show creator David E. Kelley has reimagined this series. So, he has made some changes to the original storyline. Therefore, this eight-part series plays with the minds of its viewers. As in his defence, Rusty tries to push the needle of suspicion away from himself. In the fierce courtroom battleground, Rusty lists out the names of the possible killer(s) of Carolyn – Liam Reynolds, Brain Ratzer, Michael Caldwell, Dalton Caldwell, and Tommy Malto. In addition, Rusty also provides the reasoning for his suspicion.
One of the good aspects of this series is that it involves the viewers in solving the murder mystery. While watching it, we also played along and kept guessing the identity of the killer but then the horrifying murder truth emerged.
The conclusion
Along with the actors and actresses we mentioned above, the entire ensemble cast of this show acted very well. Quite a few of them led us to believe that they could be the potential killers. But all those were the red herrings.
When the murderer was finally revealed at the end, honestly, we were unable to accept the rationale for the brutal murders of the pregnant Carolyn and her unborn baby by the (spoilers are shared below) said killer. Then came the final montage scene in the end. That showed that the Sabich family lived happily ever after. So, it seems that everything was hunky-dory, as they have forgotten all about the tragic murder case. Now that is a shocking finale, to say the least. It seems that season 2 of this series will come out in future and hopefully, that will answer the burning question (in the spoilers shared below), still lingering in our minds. Till then, check this murder mystery.
Rating:
| FM Rating | 3.85/5 |
One of the reasons Jake Gyllenhaal was interested in the role was the chance to work alongside David E. Kelley and J.J. Abrams, who are both executive producers of the show.
J.J. Abrams co-created the "Lost" (2004-2010) Series, and David E. Kelley created the "Ally McBeal" (1997-2002) Series and "Nine Perfect Strangers" (2021) Series, among other works.
Key Details:
| Genre | Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller |
| Original Language | English (USA) |
| Season | One (1) |
| Episodes | Eight (8) |
| Writers | Scott Turow, David E. Kelley, Miki Johnson, & Sharr White |
| Creator | David E. Kelley |
| Directors | Greg Yaitanes & Anne Sewitsky |
| Cast | Jake Gyllenhaal (Rusty Sabich), Ruth Negga (Barbara Sabich), Chase Infiniti (Jaden Sabich), Kingston Rumi Southwick (Kyle Sabich), Bill Camp (Raymond Horgan), Elizabeth Marvel (Lorraine Horgan), O-T Fagbenle (Nico Della Guardia), Peter Sarsgaard (Tommy Molto), Renate Reinsve (Carolyn Polhemus), Tate Birchmore (Michael Caldwell), Noma Dumezweni (Judge Lyttle), Gabby Beans (Mya Winslow), Lily Rabe (Dr. Liz Rush), James Hiroyuki Liao (Herbert Kumagai), etc. |
| Network | Apple TV+ |
Poster:
Spoilers Alert: Episodes Summary & Ending Explained
Summary of Eight (8) Episodes of the Series
Bases Loaded (S1, E1)
Chief Deputy Prosecutor Rusty Sabich is determined to investigate the murder of his colleague Carolyn Polhemus.
People vs. Rozat Sabich (S1, E2)
Tommy Molto continues to build his case as Raymond comes to Rusty’s defence.
Discovery (S1, E3)
Rusty learns there is evidence against him. Barbara seeks to protect herself and her family as new secrets emerge.
The Burden (S1, E4)
Kyle is confronted about his whereabouts on the night of the murder. Tommy questions Carolyn’s son when the case takes a complicated turn.
Pregame (S1, E5)
Raymond insists Rusty is innocent, but the weight of the looming trial pushes the Sabich family to its breaking point.
The Elements (S1, E6)
The trial begins. Startling events inside the courtroom threaten to derail proceedings.
The Witness (S1, E7)
Rusty is forced to pivot his legal strategy. Tommy receives a disturbing message.
The Verdict (S1, E8)
The real reason behind the horrific murder of Carolyn comes to light.
Ending Explained – the season one finale
But then we all know that in all the good murder mystery dramas, the murderer hides in plain sight. Usually, they are the least suspected ones.
What did Rusty do with Carolyn?
On the night of the murder, Rusty returned to Carolyn’s residence and discovered her lifeless body in the living room. He immediately pointed the finger at Barbara and, in a disturbing turn of events, staged Carolyn’s body to implicate Liam Reynolds, who was already incarcerated for a previous offence. Rusty believed he could manipulate a false confession out of Liam.
Did Barbara murder Carolyn?
No.
The killer's identity in season 1, revealed in the last episode of the Presumed Innocent (2024) series, is different than that in the Presumed Innocent (1987) novel by Scott Turow and the 1990 film.
When Rusty claimed his role in staging Carolyn’s dead body, Barbara appeared to be in a state of shock, but her demeanour seemed disingenuous.
Barbara: " You think I killed Carolyn?"
Rusty: "No, it was somebody else, but somebody in your body, like it was probably, somebody else in my body who tied her up."
In the 1990 Harrison Ford film, Barbara is revealed as the murderer, but something doesn’t add up.
Barbara refused to confess. Even Rusty appeared perplexed. He claimed to have bugged her car and witnessed her planting the fire poker at Tommy’s. Why else would she have been there?
Finally, Jaden walked in and confessed to killing Carolyn
Then Jaden walked in and their conversation (dialogues) went like the following.
Jaden: "I did."
Rusty: "What?"
Jaden: "I...I thought you were going to be convicted after your testimony. It was the only thing I could think to do."
Rusty: "Wait...What?"
Jaden: "I drove there in mom's car."
Rusty: "What?"
Jaden: "I put the poker in his kitchen.
Rusty: "Jay...Jay?
Barbara: No
Rusty: "How did you have the fire poker?
{Flashback scene opens up}
Jaden: "I just went there to confront her, and..."
Carolyn: "Hey"
{Flashback scene closes up}
Barabara: (sobs) "No"
{Again flashback scene opens up}
Carolyn: "You sure you don't want any tea?
Jaden: "No"
{Again flashback scene closes up}
Jaden: "...tell her to stay away from you. Stay away from our family."
{Once again flashback scene opens up}
Carolyn: "It's not me, it's your father. He won't leave me alone."
Jaden: "That isn't true. You need to quit your job and stay away from my family forever. Stay the fcuk away."
Carolyn: "I will stay away from him. But our lives are going to be intertwined a little. Because I am pregnant...with his child.
{And then in a fit of uncontrolled rage, Jaden killed Carolyn brutally}
Jaden: "And then I was driving home, and I thought it was just a dream. And it wasn't. And when you guys went to breakfast, I said I wasn't feeling well, and I cleaned the car, and I buried the poker."
Rusty: " Okay, listen to me. We will never speak of this. Listen very carefully, Jay. This is something came out of you in a form of self-defence...in defence of this family. And it was put into motion by me. This is my doing. We will survive as a family. Okay. We love each other...We are a family, and we love each other.
The last and final scene
Lastly, in the final scene montage, we see Raymond Horgan and Lorraine Horgan tending to flowers in their garden. Jayden is relaxing in her garden. The courtroom is empty. Along with his cate, Tommy Molto is enjoying the game of American Football match on his TV at his home. Barbara and Jayden cook and soon Rusty and Kyle join them at the dining table for the family meal. All in all, everyone is happy and content.
But what about Carolyn and her unborn child, will they get justice?
Well, this query is posed to you. So, you get to decide and answer.
Poster, Featured and Other Images of the Presumed Innocent (S1/2024) Series are courtesy of Apple TV+.