The Presumed Innocent season finale answered a lot of viewer questions but also left some things up in the air.
The Jake Gyllenhaal-led series became a phenomenon thanks to social media after its Apple TV+ premiere in June 2024, becoming the streamer’s most-watched drama. Based on the bestselling book of the same name by Scott Turow, this eight-episode series wasn’t the novel’s first onscreen adaptation. The 1990 Presumed Innocent film starred Harrison Ford — but has a completely different ending.
Spoilers for Presumed Innocent ahead.
Gyllenhaal stars as Chicago prosecutor Rusty Sabich, who was accused of a brutal first-degree murder after his colleague Carolyn Polhemus (Renate Reinsve) was found dead in her home. It’s later revealed that married man Rusty and Carolyn were having an affair — which she tried to end, much to his chagrin. While it looked dicey for Rusty as the trial went to court, he was eventually acquitted of the crime.
As for who killed Carolyn, it initially seemed that viewers would be left without answers. However, in the final moments of the season 1 finale, the killer is revealed. The night of Carolyn’s death, Rusty returned to her home, discovered her brutalized corpse, and staged the crime scene — falsely linking Carolyn’s killing to the M.O. of a previously convicted killer. After tracking his wife Barbara’s (Ruth Negga) car, Rusty confronts her about committing the crime. Barbara, horrified by her husband’s accusation, starts to deny her guilt but is cut off by their teenage daughter Jaden (Chase Infiniti) who admits that she did it.
While visiting Carolyn to demand she end the affair, Jaden finds out that her father’s girlfriend is pregnant. In a rage, she picks up the fireplace poker and viciously beat Carolyn with it, killing her. Jaden then attempts to cover up her crime by burying the fire poker. The fire poker does make an eventual return as Jaden attempts to save her father’s case by planting it in prosecutor Tommy Molto’s (Peter Sarsgaard) apartment.
Presumed Innocent season 1 comes to an end with Rusty telling Jaden and Barbara that they will never speak of Carolyn’s death again, keeping their once-shaky marriage and family intact despite all odds.
As the show has been announced a second season, there are still tons of questions that need answers. Keep scrolling for a full breakdown:
What Will Happen to Jaden?
Jaden mentions that she learned about dissociative states in her high school psychology class, but it seems she remembered killing Carolyn. Will the guilt eat her alive or will the family be able to live with a killer under their roof? There is also the possibility that Jaden will snap and confess or even kill again.
Does Kyle Know What His Sister Did?
Jaden and her younger brother, Kyle (Kingston Rumi Southwick) were each other’s support system throughout Rusty’s murder trial. While he was painted as a suspect at one point when video footage showed him biking past Carolyn’s house on the night she died, it’s unclear if the teenager is aware of what his sister did. There’s also the question of whether he had any part in the crime as well.
Will Barbara and Rusty Stay Together?
Barbara told Rusty during the season finale that she packed an emergency bag in case he ever cheats on her again. But does his coverup of Jaden’s crime change things? Will they still be projecting this fake happy relationship?
What Will Happen to Tommy?
Sarsgaard revealed in August 2024 that he has no plans to reprise his role for the show’s second season. “I think I’m a one-season person,” he told IndieWire. But what does that mean for prosecutor Tommy? Since no one got convicted for Carolyn’s murder, he might be moving on to greater pastures career wise.
However, author Turow wrote a Presumed Innocent sequel in 2011 titled Innocent which is a rematch between Tommy and Rusty. So anything’s possible regarding their future.
What Happened Between Tommy and Carolyn?
With Tommy gone, viewers might never get this answer. However, it was often mentioned that Carolyn felt uncomfortable by Tommy and didn’t want to work with him. She even filed a human resources complaint. But what actually happened between them is never revealed.
Why Didn’t Carolyn Speak to Her Son?
Carolyn’s relationship with her son, Michael Caldwell (Tate Birchmore), is discussed but also not really. Yes, they were estranged but why? And, honestly, why was he outside Carolyn’s home filming her and Rusty the night she died?
Will Season 2 Continue the Story?
It’s unclear what story the second season will follow. However, Apple TV+ did announce the show “will unfold around a suspenseful, brand new case.” When it comes to Turow’s popular legal thrillers, Rusty is not a recurring character. So it’s unclear if Gyllenhaal will even make an appearance. The actor will definitely, however, stay on as Executive Producer alongside Turow, David E. Kelley and J.J. Abrams.
