Is Rusty’s Fate Sealed After ‘Presumed Innocent’ Episode 4?

Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for episode 4 of Presumed Innocent.

The big picture

• Rusty Sabich faces Apple TV+ murder charges
  I presume innocent
  which makes it difficult for viewers to empathize.
• Rusty's assault on Brian in episode 4 could lead to his bail being revoked and jeopardize his judgment, while his family could lose trust in him.
• With four episodes left, Rusty's innocence will be further questioned as physical evidence and his violent behavior come to light.

In the four episodes of I presume innocent that have aired so far on Apple TV+, Rusty Sabich (Jake Gyllenhaal) has had a very bad couple of weeks. His lover, Carolyn Polhemus (Renate Reinsve), has been brutally murdered. Now everyone knows he was cheating on his wife with her, and because of this conflict of interest, he has lost his job as the prosecutor on the case. And then, to top it all off, Rusty is accused of her murder. Bye now, It's been easy to sympathize with Rusty to some extent as his life implodes every day a little more.

Sometimes it can be a challenge to understand if it's worth rooting for Rusty because he's the main character and supposed protagonist, or if it's because Rusty is actually an innocent man accused of a heinous crime he didn't commit. There are many reasons why Rusty has been named a suspect; investigators have evidence that he was at Carolyn's house the night of the crime, admitted to being obsessed with her (including stalking and texting her incessantly), and confessed to arguing with her that night. Carolyn was also murdered in a manner eerily similar to a murder case she prosecuted; a case of which Rusty would have had privileged knowledge. The main reason investigators bit the bullet in arresting and charging him is because it was discovered that Carolyn was pregnant with Rusty's baby. But Episode 4 reveals additional information this could make it difficult to empathize with Rusty for much longer.

Is Rusty doomed after this scene in 'Presumed Innocent'?

As in previous episodes, Rusty is still as determined as ever to prove his innocence. In episode 4, accompany Rigo (Nana Mensah), the detective on the case, to question a man named Brian Ratzer, whose DNA was found on the murder victim in the case Carolyn worked on. Despite Rigo's warnings to play it cool, Rusty is aggressive and angers the man by pretending to tell his wife all about his indiscretions with a sex worker. Rigo and Rusty leave before things get too heated, but it's obvious that Rusty has now made an enemy. Also, Rigo is frustrated that Rusty ignores his advice not to shake the man in any way. Rigo is one of the few friends Rusty has left, and It was definitely not a smart move to antagonize either Rigo or Brian.

At the end of episode 4, Rusty's lawyer, Raymond (Bill Camp), calls him to let him know there's been an unsettling break in the case. Forensic reports show that Rusty's skin was found under Carolyn's fingernails, indicating that not only was there a fight between them, but that Rusty was likely responsible for her death. Before Rusty can process what this means for his case, Brian shows up at Rusty's house, yelling at Rusty and banging on the door. Instead of calling the police, Rusty opens the door and starts beating Brian. Even when the man is already on the ground, Rusty continues to brutally assault him. In a brief moment, as Rusty shows his rage, Carolyn's face appears on the screen. Rusty remembers the last time he felt this level of anger, and was it when he was murdering Carolyn?

“Presumed Innocent” forces everyone to question Rusty's innocence

This assault will have a major impact on many different areas of Rusty's life. First, since he's just out on bail, assaulting someone will likely result in his bond being revoked, and Rusty could have to stay in jail until his trial (which would definitely prevent him from investigating further the case). Second, perhaps the most serious consequence would be if the jury is allowed to hear about the assault. This would make it extremely difficult for Raymond to convince a jury that someone capable of savagely beating one man is also unlikely to murder someone else. Rusty has now proven to be a violent personwhich could make everyone question their innocence.

Aside from the legal ramifications of Rusty's actions, it's also possible that Rusty's family may no longer look at him the same way. Both his wife, Barbara (Ruth Negga), and their teenage daughter, Jaden (Chase Infiniti), witnessed Rusty's gruesome attack on Brian. Will they feel safe again in Rusty's presence? Both Barbara and the kids will have a hard time disbelieving that Rusty is capable of murder after the behavior they've witnessed. Barbara has been trying to decide whether to stay with Rusty and this last act that has destroyed the security of his home could be the final straw. But who is Rusty without the support of his family? Would he even be able to continue without their backs?

Throughout the last few episodes, there have been several scenes where Rusty wakes up from a nightmare, where he is torturing or even killing Carolyn. Some of these flashes have even occurred to him while he was doing other activities, such as swimming. We're not sure what to make of these looks: are they actual memories that Rusty is reliving? Or are they simply a way for his brain to try to process what might have happened to Carolyn? Up until the end of episode 4, it was easy to assume that maybe Rusty really was innocent. But now there is physical evidence pointing to Rusty's guilt. And we have done it I've had a taste of Rusty's terrifying fury, so can we root for him again?

There are four episodes left in the series before everyone learns Rusty's fate. Will Rusty have someone on his side at the end of the trial? Will he finally be able to prove that he didn't kill Carolyn once and for all? Or maybe, in the end, the audience will find out that Rusty was really the culprit all along. Each episode so far has provided many interesting twists, and discovering that Rusty has a violent side has been one of the most chilling. Whether Rusty is innocent or guilty, looking at him and the people close to him trying to get out from under his mess it is a truly fascinating experience.

New episodes of I presume innocent every Wednesday on Apple TV+ in the US

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