Warning! Contains spoilers for Apple TV+’s Presumed Innocent.
Summary
Even though the armchair detective in me was deadset on finding the truth behind Carolyn Polhemus' murder inPresumed Innocent, I am surprised I missed this one big clue from the show’s initial episodes. Although Apple TV+‘sPresumed Innocentis loosely based on Scott Turow’s crime thriller novel of the same name, it significantly differs from its source material and the 1990Harrison Ford moviethat first adapted it. While the show’s narrative structure and main character names are similar to the book’s, its twists and turns significantly deviate from the source material.
Since I was familiar with what happens in the original book and the movie, my initial assumption was that the show would tread the same path with its final killer reveal. However, the more the show progressed, the more suspicious I became about nearly every character’s involvement in the central murder mystery. As a result, beforePresumed Innocent’s finale, I had several theories in mind, but none of them even came close to the show’s actual reveal even though one clue had perfectly foreshadowed it.
Presumed Innocent Season 1 Ending Explained: Who Really Killed Carolyn Polhemus
Presumed Innocent season 1’s ending not only presents the final verdict of the central murder trial but reveals the real identity of Carolyn’s killer.
One Presumed Innocent Scene Perfectly Foreshadowed That Jaden Was The Killer
In An Early Episode, Jaden Hints That She Killed Carolyn
After Rusty is declared “not guilty” by the jury inPresumed Innocent’s finale, he confronts his wife, Barbara, for committing the crime and even reveals how he tampered with the crime scene to protect his family. To his surprise, this is when Jaden enters the room and confesses that she killed Carolyn Polhemus. As shocking as this revelation may seem, one early scene from the Apple TV+ series had subtly given it away.
…Presumed Innocent’s final reveal confirms that Jaden was merely trying to justify her actions by understanding how her dissociative reaction made her kill Carolyn.
Long before the trial’s verdict was announced inPresumed Innocent,there was a scene where Jaden told Rusty about how people can often have a dissociative reaction towards a situation and commit crimes they were otherwise incapable of doing. When the show initially presents this conversation, it seems like Jaden is merely considering the possibility that her father might have had a dissociative reaction before killing Carolyn. However,Presumed Innocent’s final reveal confirms that Jaden was merely trying to justify her actions by understanding how her dissociative reaction made her kill Carolyn.
Presumed Innocent’s Clever Red Herrings Made Me Miss This Important Detail
The Show Made Me Suspicious About Every Main Character
Many little details make a lot of sense afterPresumed Innocent’s finale. For instance, the killer reveal explains why Jaden consistently asked Rusty about all the evidence that had been discovered surrounding the murder case. However, despite all the foreshadowing,Presumed Innocentdid an incredible job of misguiding me and several viewersby presenting many clever red herrings.
There was a time when I was even suspicious about Raymond’s potential involvement in the murder because of how masterfully the Apple TV+ series managed to cast doubt on nearly every main character.
Owing to these early deceptions, I could not help but believe that maybe someone like Barbara or Molto had a better motive to kill Carolyn than Jaden. There was a time when I was even suspicious about Raymond’s potential involvement in the murder because of how masterfully the Apple TV+ series managed to cast doubt on nearly every main character. The brilliance with whichPresumed Innocentplants several seeds of doubt in a viewer’s mind before finally giving away the truth about the central murder makes me glad that it has been renewed for season 2.
Presumed Innocent
An eight-episode limited series based on the New York Times bestselling novel of the same name by Scott Turow. Starring Gyllenhaal in the lead role of chief deputy prosecutor Rusty Sabich, the series takes viewers on a gripping journey through the horrific murder that upends the Chicago Prosecuting Attorney’s office when one of its own is suspected of the crime. The series explores obsession, sex, politics, and the power and limits of love, as the accused fights to hold his family and marriage together.
