Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for Presumed Innocent Episode 6.
The first six episodes of Apple TV+‘sPresumed Innocenthave shown that life has not been kind to Rusty Sabich (Jake Gyllenhaal) as of late. At one time, he was flying high; he had a beautiful, supportive wife, two great kids, and a successful career as a prosecutor. Plus, he was engaging in some extramarital activities with his colleague, Carolyn Polhemus (Renate Reinsve). Well, all of that quickly unraveledwithin the first few episodes, when Carolyn is found brutally murdered in her home. After investigators learn that Carolyn was pregnant (and that he was there the night she was killed), Rusty is quickly arrested and charged with her murder.
Rusty enlists the help of his friend (and former colleague) Raymond Horgan (Bill Camp) to serve as his defense attorney. The two havespent several episodesstrategizing the best way to get Rusty acquitted. However, the stress of the investigation is definitely wearing on Rusty, and it’s become clear that he’s extremely close to snapping. In this week’s episode, Rusty’s trial is well underway. But with Prosecutor Tommy Molto (Peter Sarsgaard) determined to get a conviction, Rusty and Raymond have their work cut out for them. All hope is not lost that Rusty can win his caseuntil the last moments of Episode 6 throw a gigantic wrench in their plans.
Presumed Innocent
It tells the story of a horrific murder that upends the Chicago Prosecuting Attorneys’ office when one of its own is suspected of the crime.
Raymond Has a Medical Emergency in This Week’s ‘Presumed Innocent’
Several witnesses have already taken the stand in Rusty’s trial. Medical Examiner Herbert Kumagai (James Hiroyuki Liao) tries to pin the crime on Rusty with forensic evidence, and another medical expert testifies to Rusty’s potential guilt. But because he’s such a skilled lawyer, Raymond is able to poke a few holes in their testimony. Then, Carolyn’s son, Michael (Tate Birchmore), takes the stand. He givesheated testimony, claiming he is sure that Rusty committed the murder. Raymond rises from his seat to question Michael, but he appears sweaty and disoriented. At first, it is difficult to tell whether Raymond is just feeling the pressure of the case or something else is happening — and then, he collapses to the floor. Rusty runs over and immediately starts administering CPR. Raymond’s wife, Lorraine (Elizabeth Marvel), rushes to his side, and the bailiffs begin using a defibrillator on Raymond. The episode ends ona shocking cliffhanger.
The scene is heart-wrenching because it’s clear how much this trial means to Raymond. He has had many conversations with Lorraine about the duty he feels to get Rusty acquitted and how much a victory would mean to him and his overall legacy. After losing his job as District Attorney, Raymond has become consumed with the fact that he might end his career in defeat. Winning Rusty’s trial would not only ensure that his friend wouldn’t spend the rest of his life in prison, but it would also mean Raymond would beremembered as a successful lawyerwho went out on top. In Episode 5, it becomes clear how much the pressure is getting to Raymond afterhe has a nightmarewhere his head literally explodes.The most agonizing aspect of the last scenewith Raymond’s medical emergency is seeing Lorraine hysterically sobbing, her worst nightmare about what this trial would do to Raymond’s health coming to fruition.
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The series also revolves around a case where the audience isn’t sure if the accused really committed the crime.
Is Rusty in Serious Trouble on ‘Presumed Innocent’?
At this point, no one is sure what Raymond’s fate will be. Hopefully, he will survive what looked to be a heart attack and will recover. But no matter what happens to him,this event will cause a serious obstacle in Rusty’s trial. Even if he recovers, it’s unlikely that Raymond will be able to continue defending Rusty in what will bea long and arduous trial. With Raymond out, what will that mean for Rusty’s defense? Will he try to get a new lawyer, or will he actually try to defend himself? It would be a risky move, but Rusty doesn’t seem to trust anyone else, and he is reckless enough that he might try attempting it. It would seem to help Rusty’s image that he rushed so valiantly to his friend’s rescue (surely a killer wouldn’t be so eagerto save a life). There is also a chance that the judge would just declare a mistrial. The entire courtroom (including the jury) would be traumatized after seeing Raymond’s medical emergency; perhaps she would end the trial so that everyone could recover.
Aside from the legal ramifications of what will happen with Raymond’s potential absence, there’s also the fact that Rusty will likely be scarred after such a scary turn of events. Raymond is Rusty’s friend, and seeing someone he cares about in such dire straits issure tohave an impact on Rusty’s fragile state of mind, which isalready hanging on by a thread at this point. There’s no clear proof that Rusty actually killed Carolyn, but it is obvious that he was already struggling before her death. Besides the fact that he was having an affair, he admits that he was obsessed with Carolyn and was pretty much stalking her. This demonstrates that Rusty was already at risk of spinning out of control. Then there’s the fact that he’s lost his job, the media has painted him to be a killer, and his former colleagues are prosecuting him for murder. Not to mention that his relationships with his children and with his wife are already extremely strained. He has spent quite a bit of time snapping and yelling at them in the past few episodes (and assaulting a man in Episode 4), which is further proof that his mental health is precarious at best.
This week’s dramatic cliffhangerwith Raymond’s medical episode leaves a lot of questions to be answered. Will Raymond recover? Will the trial proceed? Will this shocking setback be the thing that finally causes Rusty to snap? Now, it’s not just Rusty’s fate that is in question, but Raymond’s as well. Perhaps Raymond has made the ultimate sacrifice by giving up his health (or possibly his life) in order to fight for Rusty’s future. There are a lot of directions the action can take from here on out, and there are only two episodes left in thisthrilling legal drama. But it is clear thatthis twist will only continue to help move things towards an exciting finale.
New episodes ofPresumed Innocentdrop every Wednesday on Apple TV+ in the U.S.
