Summary
The 2024 legal dramaPresumed Innocenthas beenconfirmed for season 2 after setting Apple TV+ records, butthe future of the show hinges on whether it can effectively expand the storyinitially intended to be a limited series only. Although the show has received high ratings and critical acclaim since its relatively recent June release, the fact thatwe know little aboutPresumed Innocentseason 2makes viewers understandably uncertain about the new content. Producers need to appreciate the foundation established in the first season if they hope to achieve the same success with later episodes.
Based on Scott Turow’s 1987 novel and succeeding a 1990 Harrison Ford film adaptation of the same name,Presumed Innocentis a thriller in which prosecutor Rusty Sabbich finds his life in Chicago derailedafter being accused of murdering Carolyn Polhemus, the colleague he was in an affair with. With reputed names like Jake Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard onthe list ofPresumed Innocentcast & characters, Apple TV+’s adaptation has kept the central hook outlined in the original book while still taking the plot in new directions. Given that the 2024 show frequently diverges from Turow’s work, season 2 has limitless possibilities.
Viewers can watch the 2024Presumed Innocentseries without reading the original book beforehand.
Presumed Innocent Season 2 Should Become An Anthology Following The Same Prosecutors
Rusty Gets Closure, But The Prosecutors Have More To Explore
Presumed Innocent’s season 1 endingreveals the killer and the trial verdict, offering Rusty’s family an unsettling yet fulfilling finale. However, prosecutors Tommy Molto and Nico Della Guardia are handed the opposite as they grapple with a complex justice system. One of the last scenes in season 1 shows Nico explaining to Tommy that they need to find a way to move on, potentiallyarranging Molto and Guardia to become a duo that dives into an equally chilling crime. A new suspect would set upPresumed Innocentas an anthology while retaining these two core characters would maintain the show’s style, giving season 2 a clear path forward.
Presumed Innocent Ending’s Shocking Killer Reveal Addressed By Jake Gyllenhaal
Presumed Innocent star and executive producer Jake Gyllenhaal reacts to that killer ending, detailing the thought process that went into the reveal.
Presumed Innocent Season 2 Following This Format Can Overcome Why Anthology Shows Often Fail
The Series Must Maintain Some Continuity To Keep Audiences Engaged
While series likeAmerican Horror StoryandBlack Mirrorearned massive popularity in their early seasons, anthology shows characteristically struggle to retain their initial allure due to the inconsistency across episodes. Even when writers manage to maintain an over-arching theme,anthologies have a harder time building connections with their audiences, let alone sustaining them.Presumed Innocentwould best counteract this challenge by continuing with the prosecutors of the case that sparked the show’s current success, giving the two both opportunities to grow and chances to reflect on their previous shortcomings.
What makes Jake Gyllenhaal’s Rusty so compellingly controversial is his opposing charisma and carelessness, traits that make him a family man or a felon depending on who you ask.
With the future ofPresumed Innocentas mysterious as much of the series itself,viewers can currently only hope that season 2 is able to honor the tone of the 2024 adaptation and also pursue new narratives. What makes Jake Gyllenhaal’s Rusty so compellingly controversial is his opposing charisma and carelessness, traits that make him a family man or a felon depending on who you ask. Countless contradictory characters exist in the real and televised world, providingPresumed Innocentthe unique chance to tell such stories through the consistent lens of two Chicago prosecutors jaded by legal limitations.
