Jake Gyllenhaal and Renate Reinsve in a still from 'Presumed Innocent'
(Apple TV+)

‘Presumed Innocent’ Has Me Picking A New Murder Suspect Each Episode

Fans of Defending Jacob, Assemble!

You’ve probably got your plate full with dragons, supes, and Jedis every week. But if you’re missing out on the plain old murder and legal drama of Presumed Innocent on Apple TV+, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, I urge you to reconsider and catch up before the final episode this month.

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Created by David E. Kelly, Presumed Innocent is the first television adaptation of Scott Turow’s 1987 novel of the same name. It was adapted into a movie starring Harrison Ford in 1990.

What is Presumed Innocent about?

The miniseries is a legal thriller in which a prosecutor in the Chicago Prosecuting Attorney’s office, Rozat ‘Rusty’ Sabich, becomes a suspect in the murder of one of his coworkers, Carolyn Polhemus. Her body is found tied up exactly like that of a victim in a case she worked with Rusty, but the murderer in that case is already behind bars. So who could it be?

The fallout from the case on his psyche, his family (he’s married and has two kids), and his career is disastrous. As a case is built against him, each episode, through flashbacks, explores his relationship with the victim, giving the viewer more reasons to not presume his innocence. But soon enough, he isn’t the only suspect, and there’s a tangled mess of lies and secrets that needs to be unraveled to get to the truth.

The series is gripping and keeps you on your toes as each episode brings forth new evidence and makes you question your own beliefs about Rusty’s innocence. At the same time, there are enough characters—Rusty’s son, his wife, his workplace arch nemesis—acting sus to make you wonder if they did it!

Who is in Presumed Innocent?

A man in a courtroom is led away by a police officer in "Presumed Innocent"
(Apple TV)

The series stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Ruth Nega, Peter Sarsgaard, and Bill Camp, who’ve all been getting rave reviews for their performances. There’s also O-T Fagbenle, Nana Mensah, Chase Infiniti, Kingston Rumi Southwick, Elizabeth Marvel, and Renate Reinsve who plays the deceased lawyer, Carol Polhemus.

How many episodes of Presumed Innocent are there?

The miniseries has eight episodes, and it began airing on June 12, 2024, with a two-episode premiere on Apple TV+. The remaining six episodes have been dropping weekly, with the final episode slated for July 24, 2024.

Here’s a list of all the episode titles and their corresponding release dates.

Episode
Number
Episode TitleRelease Date
1“Bases Loaded”June 12, 2024
2“People vs. Rozat Sabich”June 12, 2024
3“Discovery”June 19, 2024
4“The Burden”June 26, 2024
5“Pregame”July 3, 2024
6“The Elements”July 10, 2024
7“The Witness”July 17, 2024
8“The Verdict”July 24, 2024

Apple TV+ has really been serving up some incredible shows, with Slow Horses, Severance, Dark Matter, and more. With Presumed Innocent, it adds another name to the list of some really good TV. The show is reminiscent of another crime thriller from Apple TV+, the 2020 miniseries Defending Jacob, starring Chris Evans, Michelle Dockery, and Jaeden Martell. If you enjoyed Defending Jacob, you’re surely going to enjoy Presumed Innocent!


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Jinal Bhatt
Jinal Bhatt (She/Her) is a staff writer for The Mary Sue. An editor, writer, film and culture critic with 7+ years of experience, she writes primarily about entertainment, pop culture trends, and women in film, but she’s got range. Jinal is the former Associate Editor for Hauterrfly, and Senior Features Writer for Mashable India. When not working, she’s fangirling over her favourite films and shows, gushing over fictional men, cruising through her neverending watchlist, trying to finish that book on her bedside, and fighting relentless urges to rewatch Supernatural.