This 1 Decision Will Make Or Break Presumed Innocent Season 2

Summary Season 2 of Presumed Innocent is confirmed, but the show's future is uncertain.

The show should become an anthology series but follow the prosecutors from season 1.

The series must maintain continuity to engage audiences and overcome typical anthology show pitfalls.

The 2024 legal drama Presumed Innocent has been confirmed for season 2 after setting Apple TV+ records, but the future of the show hinges on whether it can effectively expand the story initially 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 that we know little about Presumed Innocent season 2 makes 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 Innocent is a thriller in which prosecutor Rusty Sabbich finds his life in Chicago derailed after being accused of murdering Carolyn Polhemus, the colleague he was in an affair with. With reputed names like Jake Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard on the list of Presumed Innocent cast & 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 2024 Presumed Innocent series 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

Image via Apple TV+

Presumed Innocent's season 1 ending reveals 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, potentially arranging Molto and Guardia to become a duo that dives into an equally chilling crime. A new suspect would set up Presumed Innocent as an anthology while retaining these two core characters would maintain the show's style, giving season 2 a clear path forward.

Related 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

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While series like American Horror Story and Black Mirror earned 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 Innocent would 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 of Presumed Innocent as 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, providing Presumed Innocent the unique chance to tell such stories through the consistent lens of two Chicago prosecutors jaded by legal limitations.