Does ‘Presumed Innocent’ Episode 6 Want Me to Solve This on My Own??
Just when I thought Presumed Innocent couldn’t get any crazier, Rusty & Co. kicked it into high gear. Episode 6 of the Apple TV+ series dives into the trial of Jake Gyllenhaal’s Rusty Sabich, a prosecutor who is accused of murdering his colleague and mistress, Carolyn Polhemus.
The prosecution can’t prove that he killed Carolyn, but they’ve made a damn good argument. Instead of using concrete facts, head lawyer Tommy Molto has built a case on doubt. Did Rusty really kill Carolyn? Maybe. Another colleague did say he was “obsessed” with her. Carolyn’s son, Michael, seems to agree. Plus, the coroner alluded to Rusty being a bit of a hothead.
Here’s the good news: Rusty’s defense team is like an Uno reverse card. They can spin anything. Is it true that Rusty was “obsessed” with Carolyn? Sure, but he was a man in love! It wasn’t obsession—it was passion. Michael might think Rusty killed his mother, but it’s just a thought. Obviously thoughts aren’t facts. Oh, and the coroner? He hated Rusty before this mess started. Of course he thinks the man did it. Isn’t that what they call confirmation bias?
Honestly? They could argue all day. It wouldn’t make a difference. As Rusty’s lawyer Raymond points out, this trial will come down to the jury. If they’re looking to prosecute on evidence alone, then Rusty has a chance. If they want someone to blame for Carolyn’s murder…well, he’s the perfect scapegoat.
As the series enters its home stretch, every minute in the courtroom is crucial—and just when Raymond has a chance to sway the jury, he crumbles. Literally. The man drops to the floor mid-sentence. We’ll have to wait until next week to see if he survives (fingers crossed!), but until then, let’s parse the details of this episode and see where we’re at. If Raymond bites the dust, we might just have to solve this case ourselves.
Rusty’s DNA Was Found on Carolyn
As I mentioned earlier, there isn’t much evidence in this case. The prosecution’s strongest point is that Rusty’s skin cells were found under Carolyn’s nails. During the trial, the coroner says that she was struck from behind with a “thin, heavy object.” Then she fell, broke her nose, and was hit twice more. “Is it possible she scratched him if she was trying to defend herself?” Tommy asks. “It’s possible,” he responds. “More likely, she never saw it coming.”
And what about the skin cells? Maybe she scratched Rusty and then turned around? Later on, the prosecution brings in a different medical examiner. He confirms that Rusty’s DNA was discovered under Carolyn’s nails and in the saliva on her face. “When you say skin was found under her fingernails, do you mean actual skin as in pieces of skin?” Raymond asks. “No,” the examiner responds. “Not visible pieces of skin—cells.” Raymond wastes no time in connecting the dots. Carolyn didn’t scratch Rusty; she just touched him. “So the DNA you say suggests he killed her—it could just as easily say he kissed her?” Raymond asks. Shit, there goes the prosecution’s best argument.
Michael Had A Lot of “Impressions”
Toward the end of the episode, Tommy calls Michael to the witness stand. The prosecution hopes that his testimony will paint Rusty in a bad light. It backfires. Michael loses his cool and reveals that his mother didn’t want him to be part of his life. He insists Rusty killed her, but something’s…off. The judge intervenes. “You can state your impressions, but please don’t offer them as facts.” The prosecution asks if Michael and his mother ever talked about Rusty. “Like I said, we weren’t very close,” he responds. “She didn’t share much, but about two weeks before she died, she told me that she was having some trouble with a man at work. It was my impression that it was the same man she was involved with.”
Rusty is a likely candidate, but one of their colleagues revealed that Carolyn never complained about Rusty. She did, however, file a complaint against Tommy. Apparently he gave her the ick. Interesting!
Raymond Fell to His Knees
When it’s Raymond’s turn to interrogate Michael, he confidently walks up to the podium. “That’s a funny word—impression,” he says. “Let’s talk about that word for a minute.” He takes a deep breath and pauses. “What does that word mean? It means the belief or the faith in something that is unseen, right?” Silence. Raymond doesn’t look so good. His eyes freeze and his hearing fades out. Boom! He falls to the ground and hits the floor like a sack of potatoes. Chaos ensues. Rusty rushes over to administer CPR while someone else calls for help.
It’s a tragedy for more reasons than one. Raymond doesn’t deserve whatever medical emergency ensued—but also, the man was onto something! He was about to unravel Michael’s testimony. It’s true: Rusty was at Carolyn’s place the night of the murder, but we already knew that. They were having an affair! Hanging out is what people having affairs do. Duh.
This whole “Rusty killed my mom” shtick is just that—shtick. Not to mention it’s a distraction from Michael’s clear and concerning hatred of his mother. I’m not saying he did it…but he seems awfully suspicious to me.
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