What happens when the very prosecutor who is given the task of investigating a murder is also one of the prime suspects? From the very first scene of Apple TV’s whodunit, you are sucked into a complicated universe where criminal prosecutors, law enforcement agencies harbour professional rivalry towards each other. Prosecutor Carolyn (Renate Reinsve) is murdered in a manner very similar to the way one of the criminals she helped convict (Bunny Davis) killed one of his victims.
Carolyn’s ex-husband, who she has a child with, is a “weirdo” who could be another suspect—Raymond Horgan (Bill Camp), the District Attorney. His arch rival is Nico Della Guardia (O-T Fagbenle), who wants to prove Raymond is incompetent as an attorney general and eventually ends up replacing him. Jake Gyllenhal is Rusty, a father and a husband who helped Carolyn convict Davis. He was also romantically involved with Carolyn which makes everyone’s alarm bells go off.
Much to Rusty’s dismay, he is now a prime suspect in Carolyn’s murder. From the very first scene, Rusty’s guilt is on full display. He becomes uneasy at the mention of Carolyn’s child. When he fails to make progress in the case, his frustration grows as his arch rivals try to sabotage his career. This explosive dynamic culminates in a shocking finale which no one saw coming.
Presumed Innocent: Ending Explained
Based on American writer Scott Turow’s novel of the same name, the Apple TV plus whodunit deviates not just from the ending Turow wrote in his novel but also the climax of Alan J. Paluka’s 1990 film. The finale opens with Tommy (Peter Sarsgaard) turning over the fire poker he found to the judge, a move which would make the jury suspect that it was him who murdered Carolyn. Meanwhile, Raymond suspects that this fire poker is, in fact, a plant. The judge offers to declare the case as a mistrial and put it to rest. As the crossfire gets intense, both the prosecution and the defendants give up hope of finding who exactly it is the killer.
Meanwhile, Rusty requests Raymond to let him argue his case. We see Rusty argue before the jury. After much back-and-forth, the case remains unsolved. Much to Rusty’s dismay, Barbara (Ruth Negga) is having an affair with the local bartender which his lawyer discovered via a private detective.
Presumed Innocent: Did Rusty Kill Carolyn?
And the murderer is…not Rusty. It isn’t even Barbara, whose relationship with Rusty deteriorated over his affair with Carolyn. In the penultimate scene of the eight-episode series, Rusty walks into his garage where he sees Barbara running on a treadmill. He reveals that in order to protect Barbara (and therefore, as a way to atone for his infidelity), he revisited the crime scene to tie up Carolyn in a way similar to Bunny Davis so that Barbara can escape the trial.
That is when Rusty and Barbara’s daughter Jaden (Chase Infiniti) enters the garage and confesses to murder. In a surprising turn of events, Jaden explains that Barbara did not plant the fire poker at Carolyn’s house. Jaden, on discovering that her father is having an affair with another woman, confronts Carolyn.
Presumed Innocent: Who Was The Murderer?
Carolyn tells Jaden that she is pregnant with Rusty’s child and therefore, their lives are now intertwined. That is when Jaden murders Carolyn with a fire poker and leaves her a note telling her to go “f**k yourself”. The revelation is a significant departure from the 1990 film where Barbara is revealed to be the murderer.
It is also a departure from the novel because in the show, we see Raymond have a heart attack in the courtroom which makes Rusty appoint a new lawyer. The end is indeed surprising. It shows Jaden, a teenage girl’s quest to have a happy family—one where her parents aren’t at loggerheads with each other. As a result, Jaden goes as far as killing the woman her father had an affair with. A classic case of intergenerational trauma ruining a young adult’s life. Grief begets grief. Trauma passed on from one family member to another till one of them is ready to feel it. Presumed Innocent Series Review
The key to writing effective whodunits is always staying one step ahead of the viewer. The ideal way to do this is throwing sufficient red herrings in between that takes the eyes of the prime suspect. Think Agatha Christie’s ‘Murder of Roger Ackroyd’ where the omniscient narrator of the novel is the murder. Obviously, Rusty as Gyllenhal is the prime suspect. ‘Presumed Innocent’ is right there in the title, isn’t it?
So of course there are many reasons why Rusty could kill Carolyn. The unexpected plot twists, pensive background score and evocative dialogue only add to the stakes and elevate this gritty, pathbreaking whodunit which keep you guessing till the very last episode. The way plot interweaves professional rivalry, romantic relationships into a complicated web of deceit and murder is refreshing, indeed. If true crime is your thing (and frankly, even if it isn’t), you must not miss out on Presumed Innocent.
Rating; 4 / 5 stars
All episodes of Presumed Innocent are now streaming on Apple TV.
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