Presumed Innocent TV Series: Who Killed Carolyn Polhemus In The Book
“Presumed Innocent” is a juicy and gripping Apple TV+ courtroom drama that marks a steep turn from Jake Gyllenhaal’s “Road House” MMA fighter antics. Gyllenhaal plays lawyer Rusty Sabich, whose lover and colleague, Carolyn Polhemus (Renate Reinsve), becomes the victim of a gruesome murder. Rusty now has to navigate a complex network of professional and personal issues when he becomes the prime suspect for the crime. The David E. Kelley miniseries is based on Scott Turow’s novel of the same name … but who turns out to be the killer in the original work?
The answer to the question makes sense once it’s pointed out, though it doesn’t stop the reveal from being a horrifying gut punch to Rusty. As the twist ending of Turow’s novel reveals, Rusty is indeed innocent. However, his own wife, Barbara, is the brutal killer. Barbara, who knew about the affair, is very familiar with her husband’s investigative skills, and the murder is her ingenious way to get back at Rusty for cheating — carefully set up so he would eventually find out the truth.
The cheated wife archetype is more than you think in Presumed Innocent
Ruth Negga (“Preacher,” “Ad Astra”) plays Barbara Sabich in the Apple TV+ version of “Presumed Innocent,” and the multifaceted actor’s casting in a seemingly comparatively cut-and-dry wife role makes a lot more sense if you’re familiar with the final twist of the story. Of course, there’s always the question of whether the miniseries will follow the exact same story beats as the source material, or if it will attempt to pull the rug out from under the viewer by shuffling the deck and introducing new twists, or perhaps even an entirely different killer.
“Presumed Innocent” was previously adapted for the big screen in 1990, starring Harrison Ford in one of his best movie performances. There, Bonnie Bedelia of “Die Hard” fame gives a chilling performance as Barbara. While Negga very much has what it takes to deliver a powerhouse performance in the role, fans of the story may be interested to find out whether David E. Kelley has decided to add another twist to the tale when the “Presumed Innocent” series concludes.