Warning! Contains spoilers for Apple TV+’s Presumed Innocent.
Summary
Apple TV+‘sPresumed Innocentsets the stage for its courtroom drama in episodes 1 and 2 by revealing the details of the central murder and its impact on the main character, Rusty. Adapted from the 1990Harrison Ford thriller movieof the same name,Apple TV+‘sPresumed Innocentmakes good use of its long runtime by taking a slow-burn and character-driven approach towards the original story. In its opening moments, it walks through the day-to-day snags of Jake Gyllenhaal’s character, Rusty, emphasizing his solid relationship with his family.
However, the very foundation of Rusty’s family ties starts crumbling when one of his former coworkers, Carolyn, gets murdered. As the details of Rusty’s secret relationship with Carolyn begin to emerge, he finds his life spiraling into chaos, forcing him to confront his own past actions and choices. After paving the way for a compelling drama with these early story developments, Apple TV+‘sPresumed Innocentintroduces many more twists and turns in episodes 1 and 2.
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10Carolyn Polhemus Is Found Murdered In Her Home
Rusty Arrives At The Crime Scene After A Call
InPresumed Innocent’s opening arc, Jake Gyllenhaal’s Rusty receives a phone call while spending time with his family. What he hears over the call stuns him to the point where he starts stammering while telling his wife about the news he has just heard: Carolyn Polhemus has been murdered. His wife’s reaction to the news suggests the couple knew Carolyn well, but the details of their relationship with her only become more evident much later in the show. Soon after hearing the news, Rusty goes to the crime scene to learn what happened.
Rusty is initially stunned when he looks at Carolyn’s body and notices the grizzly details of her murder. He discovers she was bludgeoned to death and seemingly hogtied moments before she was killed. This leads him to believe thata man named Liam Reynolds could have been involved in the crime because he was imprisoned for killing a woman, Bunny Davis, in a similar manner. The details of Bunny Davis’ murder are fresh in Rusty’s mind because he and Carolyn had worked together as Liam’s prosecutors. However, since Liam is in prison, he could not have killed Carolyn himself.
8Raymond Convinces Rusty To Handle Carolyn’s Case
Unaware Of Rusty’s Past Relationship With Carolyn, Raymond Assigns Him The Case
Seeing it as an opportunity to win the State Attorney elections, Raymond asks Rusty to take the Carolyn case, believing that a high-profile victory would significantly boost his chances of winning. However, little does he realize thatthere was way more to Rusty and Carolyn’s relationship than met the eye. Raymond blindly puts his faith in Rusty, and, even though Rusty is initially apprehensive about taking the case, he accepts Raymond’s offer. Instead of telling Raymond the truth about his relationship with Carolyn before her demise, Rusty, too, plays along.
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Rusty Grows Increasingly Anxious About Others Learning The Truth About His Affair
Many flashbacks throughoutPresumed Innocent’s episodes 1 and 2 reveal that Rusty was having an affair with Carolyn. The two started as co-workers in the Bunny Davis case but soon developed a more personal relationship. Story beats from the episodes suggest that Rusty’s wife, Barbara, was initially unaware of the relationship but eventually came to know about it. Even though it almost destroyed their marriage,she decided to stay with Rusty because she did not want their kids to suffer the trauma of a broken family.
When Rusty takes up the case, Barbara’s concerns worsen, making her wonder if her family’s old wounds will resurface.
However, after learning about Carolyn’s death, Barbara starts worrying about how it may affect her relationship with Rusty. When Rusty takes up the case, Barbara’s concerns worsen, making her wonder if her family’s old wounds will resurface. Meanwhile, Rusty is haunted by his memories of Carolyn, reminding him of the early days of his affair and its eventual end.
6Tommy Reveals Carolyn Was Pregnant At The Time Of Her Murder
Carolyn’s Pregnancy Makes Rusty A Potential Suspect
AsPresumed Innocentprogresses, Raymond loses the elections, and Della Guardia gets appointed as the new State Attorney. This leads to Rusty getting demoted to the position of chief deputy prosecutor. Meanwhile, Tommy Molto takes Rusty’s place and uncovers new details surrounding Carolyn’s case. During a meeting with Rusty and Raymond, Tommy reveals thatRusty’s fingerprints were found in Carolyn’s home, especially in her bedroom. Although Rusty initially attempts to downplay the significance of the evidence, Tommy doubles down and asks Rusty about his relationship with Carolyn.
Rusty tries to stand his ground but only grows more frustrated when Tommy keeps confronting him. He eventually comes clean, which shocks Raymond because he had previously trusted him with the case. Tommy also adds that Carolyn was pregnant at the time of her murder, which further complicates the case and potentially makes Rusty a prime suspect.
5Rusty Learns A New Detail About The Bunny Davis Murder
Rusty Realizes Liam Reynolds Might Have Been Wrongly Convicted
After going through the details in Bunny Davis’ case file, Rusty realizes he missed one significant detail when he prosecuted Liam Reynolds. Reynolds was convicted of the crime because his spermatozoa was found on the victim’s body. However, the case file reveals thatunidentified spermatozoa of another person were also found on the victim, which could have proven that Reynolds did not commit the crime. Flashbacks reveal Carolyn had gone through the case file long before Rusty and even knew about this little detail. However, she never told him about it.
When the killer learned about Carolyn’s new discovery surrounding the case, they likely killed her before she could prove Liam Reynold’s innocence.
This new development suggests that Carolyn had likely realized that Liam Reynolds was wrongly convicted of the crime, and the Bunny Davis killer was still on the loose. When the killer learned about Carolyn’s new discovery surrounding the case, they likely killed her before she could prove Liam Reynold’s innocence. If this is true, Rusty will have to race against time and find the real killer to avoid meeting the same fate as Liam Reynolds inPresumed Innocent.
4Rusty Requests Raymond To Defend Him In Court
Raymond Agrees Despite Being Betrayed By Rusty
After feeling helpless about his situation, Rusty approaches Raymond and asks him to defend him in court. Since Rusty had previously betrayed him by not telling him about his relationship with Carolyn, Raymond is initially appalled by his request. However, he still believes that Rusty did not kill Carolyn and gives his request a long thought. Although his wife does not support his decision to represent Rusty,Raymond’s passion for his work and fear of growing old encourage him to take on Rusty’s defense. Despite Rusty’s betrayal, he also feels a sense of loyalty to him, further convincing him to support him.
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3Liam Reynolds Refuses To Help Rusty
Reynolds Is Resentful Toward Rusty & Carolyn
Rusty approaches Reynolds again in prison, hoping to find new leads on what happened to Bunny Davis. He believes that even if Reynolds did not commit the crime, he might still know who actually killed her. However, Reynolds quickly notices Rusty’s desperation and deduces he is a prime suspect in Carolyn’s murder. Realizing that this could be his opportunity to get back at Rusty for getting him convicted,he vows to exploit Rusty’s troubles to his advantage.
It seems likely, however, that Reynolds will eventually open up and disclose what he knows about Bunny Davis’ death.
Despite Rusty’s best efforts to convince him that he could significantly get his sentence reduced by telling him the truth, Reynolds refuses to give him anything. It seems likely, however, that Reynolds will eventually open up and disclose what he knows about Bunny Davis' death. This could help Rusty get to the bottom of the mystery behind Carolyn’s murder.
2Rusty Gets Arrested After A Confirmed Paternity Test
The Paternity Test Confirms Carolyn Was Pregnant With Rusty’s Child
As Rusty and Barbara had feared, the paternity test confirms Carolyn was pregnant with Rusty’s child. In a previous scene, Rusty had told Barbara how he could get arrested because Barbara was pregnant at the time of her death. This shocked Barbara because she believed that Rusty and Carolyn’s relationship had ended over a year ago. After the confirmed paternity test, cops show up at Rusty’s home and arrest him. Rusty, too, has no choice but to surrender because evidence from the case points towards him.
1Rusty Receives A Worrying Text Message From An Unknown Number
The Message Suggests Rusty Was At Carolyn’s Home During Her Murder
After Raymond represents Rusty in court and requests a trial, Rusty returns home and prepares for the worst. InPresumed Innocentepisode 2’s closing scene,Rusty receives a cryptic message from an unknown number that says, “YOU WERE THERE. I SAW YOU.“This suggests that someone saw him at the crime scene when Carolyn was killed. Only time will tell if this will be a valuable lead or the real killer’s ploy to get Rusty out of the way inPresumed Innocent.
NewPresumed Innocentepisodes are released every Wednesday on Apple TV+.
Presumed Innocent
An eight-episode limited series based on the New York Times bestselling novel of the same name by Scott Turow. Starring Gyllenhaal in the lead role of chief deputy prosecutor Rusty Sabich, the series takes viewers on a gripping journey through the horrific murder that upends the Chicago Prosecuting Attorney’s office when one of its own is suspected of the crime. The series explores obsession, sex, politics, and the power and limits of love, as the accused fights to hold his family and marriage together.
