One of the most fun parts of Presumed Innocent is seeing the real-life brothers-in-law – Jake Gyllenhall and Peter Sarsgaard – as mortal enemies on stage. Seriously, has anyone else forgotten this? I am unable. That said, let’s look at a rare example of a remake that improves on the original, something we often end up saying is impossible. The Apple TV Plus series, which will have a second season, is one episode away from the conclusion of the first, without having made it clear whether whoever killed Carolyn Pollhemus (Renate Reinsve) will be the same person from the original work. It seems so to me.

If there is one thing that American cinema and TV know how to do masterfully, it is to transform trials into suspense and drama, far from the boring reality of the judicial process. And here we are, seven episodes later still discussing evidence of the brutal crime that killed the rising prosecutor, leaving her colleague and ex-lover, Rusty (Gyllenhaal), as the main suspect. The prosecutor in the case, who we find suspicious because he was also in love with Carolyn, is Tommy Molto (Sarsgaard), who needs to convict his disaffection “above all suspicion”, or, “without reasonable doubt”.

There are so many twists and turns that it’s not worth mentioning them one by one, it’s enough to know that Rusty underestimated Tommy and fell into the prosecutor’s trap with testimony full of flaws, especially when he has a short fuse and insists on saying that he’s “not violent”. Not even we at home fell for it, much less the people in the series. In the room alone were two immediate victims of Rusty’s “non-violent” outbursts.

The problem with everything is that no one is looking for who killed Carolyn and without an investigation, there is no way to exonerate Rusty. This is someone who effectively killed the prosecutor, managed to enter Tommy’s house, leave the murder weapon, and still send him to hell. Without glue to what I’ve already posted here, can you suspect who is to blame?

Well, with the second season confirmed, we already have a potential spoiler, but I’m curious to see the series’ alternative and here it’s worth giving the necessary praise to Jake Gyllenhaal, very comfortable in the role that many still associate with Harrison Ford, that is, a lady shadow over him. But Jake brought to the screen a Rusty much more consistent with what is in Scott Thurow‘s pages. Yes, he looks young to be the father of two teenagers, but he brings the arrogance that made Rusty a ruthless and interesting prosecutor.

And with a purposefully dubious performance, the question remains: do you believe in Rusty’s innocence?

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