By: Bill Cushing – 8-24
A high-profile Chicago attorney is brutally murdered, and one of her colleagues isn’t the clean-cut family man he appears to be as the truth starts to slowly trickle out. That’s how the new limited series ‘Presumed Innocent,’ my recommendation for this month, starts to unfold.
Jake Gyllenhaal is Rusty Sabich. He seemingly has it all. A loving wife and two kids, a beautiful house, and he’s a rising star in the Chicago prosecutor’s office. When Rusty receives a call that his colleague Carolyn Polhemus has been found bludgeoned to death, he jumps to take the case without disclosing that he and Carolyn had a torrid affair, an affair that his wife Barbara knew about.
Although he’s now reconciled with his wife, his life begins to unravel in ways that he or his family could never have anticipated, when the story of the affair is made public.
Deputy DA Tommy Molto, played by Peter Sarsgaard, openly hates Rusty and uncovers Carolyn’s past with his enemy. Tommy begins to build a case against Rusty and through a series of flashbacks we are shown some of the history of Carolyn and Rusty’s relationship from moments of passion, to gruesome images of the crime scene.
With each episode of ‘Presumed Innocent’ the suspicion of Rusty’s guilt gets stronger and stronger. Increasingly desperate, we see him make one misguided mistake after another. Rusty quickly goes from the golden boy to the prime suspect in a brutal murder.
‘Presumed Innocent’ is so effective because it allows the viewer to get to know each character intimately. From Barbara’s therapy sessions with her psychologist, to the Sabich teens’ reactions to and understanding of their father’s lies, the series’ breathability gives it a haunting realism.
The cast is excellent, Gyllenhaal is terrific in the lead role, and Sarsgaard plays his part with such smarmy deviousness. Let’s not forget the always great Bill Camp, who is top notch as Rusty’s best friend and now his lawyer, Ray.
We also have David E. Kelley as the showrunner here. Kelley is a master of legal dramas, and depicts the politics that playout behind the scenes of a big city DA’s office perfectly. As in all Kelley shows, the courtroom sequences are thrilling and extremely watchable.
If you’re a fan of the original novel by Scott Turow, and the 1990 film starring Harrison Ford, that doesn’t mean you know what’s going to happen.
The series does deviate from the source material enough so that you will still be surprised by what takes place.
‘Presumed Innocent’ has been renewed for a second season, which will focus on an entirely new case, with likely a new cast as well.
If you love a great murder mystery, then you’ll love ‘Presumed Innocent.’ All of the episodes are available to stream on Apple TV+.
If you have any questions about TV, you can email me at BillsTVTalk@gmail.com. I will answer all of your questions and will feature some of the questions I receive in a future Mailbag column. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @BillsTVTalk and on Facebook at BillsTVTalk for daily up-to-the-minute TV news and discussion. ◊