‘They’re gonna see that I was obsessed with her…’
It’s a rare thing for a TV show to hit that sweet spot in which I have to watch the next episode and then the next until I’ve devoured a whole season in two days. That is exactly what happened with Presumed Innocent. Despite some lukewarm reviews, for my money, this is peak television. Just look at the talent involved for chrissakes. David E. Kelley as showrunner. Jake Gyllenhaal as the star. A supporting cast that boasts Ruth Negga, Bill Camp and Peter Sarsgaard. How could this show not be a hit?
When public prosecutor Carolyn Polhemus (Renate Reinsve) shows up dead, her colleagues Rusty (Gyllenhaal) and Tommy (Sarsgaard) fight over who will take the case. Their boss Raymond (Camp) favours Rusty and counts him as a confidante whereas up-and-coming hotshot Nico (O-T Fagbenle) is fighting Tommy’s corner. I can’t give much more away plotwise, instead, I would urge you to jump straight in.
Adapted by Kelley from Scott Turow’s novel (it had previously been adapted as a Harrison Ford vehicle in 1990), Presumed Innocent is prestige television that genuinely gripped me. I grew to care about these characters. I was desperate to know how things would turn out for them. The plot keeps us guessing, not just about who is guilty of what, but also about who we should be rooting for. Is anyone here a good person? Kelley allows the question to hang over the case of Carolyn Polhemus’ murder like a black veil over the face of a grieving widow. Having a cast of this calibre for a TV show is rare even in this era of peak TV. Gyllenhaal is phenomenal. As the tension builds for the character we see every moment of agony and ecstasy played out across his constantly furrowed brow. It’s captivating stuff.
It’s a shame that it’s stuck out on Apple TV+ so most people won’t watch it. If this were a Netflix property it would be one of the most talked about shows of the year and rightly so—top-notch television.