Until “Presumed Innocent” episode 6, the Apple TV+ show followed Dusty Sabich’s fight for his innocence through a court trial that often didn’t work in his favor. Tommy and Nico brought Michael to testify against Rusty. Throughout his trial, Michael kept calling Rusty his mother’s murderer. The judge stopped Michael from making personal comments. Still, his words complicated the case even further. At the end of the previous episode, Raymond got so consumed by the stress that he collapsed. Now, episode 7 of “Presumed Innocent” shows Rusty using another strategy to fight his case while Raymond stays bedridden in a hospital. Through Michael and Alana’s testimonies, the case takes new and surprising turns.
Spoilers ahead.
Presumed Innocent Episode 7 “The Witness” Recap:
The penultimate episode of the first season of “Presumed Innocent” begins with Raymond (Bill Camp) being taken to the hospital after his health scare in the courtroom. Rusty (Jake Gyllenhall) stays there with Lorraine (Elizabeth Marvel) for her moral support. Tommy (Peter Sarsgaard) and Nico (O-T Fagbenle) are also present as a gesture of sympathy. After Rusty tries to pacify Lorraine, Tommy does the same, almost mimicking Rusty. It shows his burning desire to replace Rusty and strip him of his dignity. The episode also hints at an awkward working relationship between Tommy and Carolyn. So, there might be another motive behind his behavior.
Eventually, the doctors reveal that Raymond is doing better, is out of risk, and will recover soon. While Rusty stays at the hospital, Barbara (Ruth Negga), Jaden (Chase Infiniti), and Kyle (Kingston Rumi Southwick) return home. They see the news talking about the case and a possible mistrial. Jaden and Kyle worry about how that will affect their father’s chances of getting out of the legal mess. Since the jury sees Rusty rush to help Raymond in the courtroom, Nico worries Rusty’s ‘heroic’ act will affect their case. So, he considers asking for a mistrial. But Tommy doesn’t want to proceed with that option. He thinks a mistrial will make it easier for Rusty to walk free.
Rusty’s Shocking Decision
Rusty and Mya (Gabby Beans) show up at the courthouse with Nico, Tommy, and Judge Lyttle (Noma Dumezweni) to discuss the next steps of the case. Nico thinks, in light of the recent events, a mistrial is justified. Mya opposes that idea and hopes to take over the case from Raymond. She asks for another day to think it over. Then, Rusty says that he wants to represent himself. Nico starts listing the complications of Rusty’s choice and notes that Rusty can’t be a witness anymore. Rusty agrees not to stand as a witness. Judge Lyttle states that Rusty can be cross-examined by the prosecutors if he tries to present his version of the events. Rusty agrees to the condition.
Carolyn’s ex-husband, Dalton (Matthew Alan), gets angry at the notion of Rusty fighting his own case. Like his son Michael (Tate Birchmore), he considers Rusty the murderer. So, he objects to Michael getting cross-examined by Rusty. Back home, Jaden finds the notion of her father representing himself ludicrous. But Barbara thinks they shouldn’t underestimate Rusty’s legal capabilities. During the night, Rusty still has wet dreams about Carolyn. The next day, he enters the courtroom with Barbara. In the washroom, he bumps into Tommy. They have an awkward small talk.
Michael’s Cross-Examination
Rusty arrives in the courtroom to cross-examine Michael. Yet again, Michael keeps sharing his opinion about his mother’s death and blames Rusty without any concrete evidence. Rusty questions him about his complicated relationship with Carolyn. Through text exchanges between Carolyn & Michael, he points out Michael’s anger toward her. In one of them, he also wished for her death. Michael claims that he said it out of his concern for his father, who was hurt by the divorce. Rusty points out that only Michael & Dalton can vouch for each other’s alibi from the night of the murder and invalidates their claims.
Later, Rusty shows Michael’s browsing activity. Turns out, Michael looked at the details of many gruesome criminal cases Carolyn handled, including the murder of Bunny Davis. Then, he asks Michael whether he killed Carolyn. It ruffles some feathers and aggravates Dalton. Like everyone else, Barbara notices Rusty’s desperation to prove his innocence. Regardless, Rusty manages to prove the prosecution’s weak case, which worries Nico. He hopes they take back control from Det. Alana Rodriguez’s (Nana Mensah) trial. Meanwhile, Rusty meets Eugenia (Virginia Kull) to learn what Alana is going to testify.
Presumed Innocent Episode 7 “The Witness” Ending, Explained:
Eugenia points out Rusty’s desperation and believes Carolyn’s love served like an intoxicating drug to him. She then asks what happened on the night of the murder and whether he refused to let Carolyn have his baby. He doesn’t respond. The next day, during Alana’s testimony, the prosecution plays a recording of his conversation with Liam Reynolds (Mark Harelik). At the time, Rusty tried to offer Liam a deal in exchange for accepting his involvement in Carolyn’s gruesome death. Alana notes that before Tommy took over the case, she handed over all the evidence to Rusty. Nico tries to prove Rusty’s mishandling of the evidence for personal benefit.
Rusty makes a case for himself, claiming he acted out of desperation to be free. Back home, Barbara notices Rusty taking some prescription pills to focus. The next day, Tommy calls Rusty to be put on trial. He claims that Rusty asserted his innocence while questioning Alana. Since Rusty went beyond evidence to present his version of the case, Judge Lyttle allows Tommy to cross Rusty unless Rusty accepts a mistrial. But despite Mya’s strong opposition, Rusty agrees to testify. So, she gets furious at his egotistical attitude and asks whether he intentionally set himself up for it. She decides to leave the case because of his arrogance.
Can Rusty prove his innocence through his testimony?
Rusty’s family believes he will sabotage his case by testifying for himself. Before the trial, Rusty prepares what he is going to say on the stand. Despite her difference of opinion, Mya tells him not to let Tommy rattle him and wishes him the best of luck. Then, Raymond shows up after getting discharged from the hospital. In the courtroom, Tommy tries to lead Rusty toward confessing to Carolyn’s murder. He points out the aggression with which Rusty texted Carolyn. Rusty calls it a result of an intense passion. So, Tommy tries to prove that Rusty attacked Carolyn. However, Rusty claims that he is not a violent person.
The next moment, Tommy introduces Brian Ratzer (Marco Rodriguez), whom Rusty beat up outside his house. Then, Tommy also points out Rusty getting aggressive with Dr. Kumagai (James Hiroyuki Liao). Rusty cannot defend himself enough to convince the jury of his innocence. Therefore, Tommy manages to prove that Rusty is capable of extreme violence in a matter of moments out of impulse. Later, Nico praises Tommy for how skillfully he handled the trial. Then, Tommy returns home to find his window open with a metal rod on his kitchen counter and a threatening note attached to it.
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Presumed Innocent Episode 7 Links: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Wikipedia
The Cast of Presumed Innocent Episode 7: Jake Gyllenhaal, Ruth Negga, Bill Camp, Elizabeth Marvel, Renate Reinsve, Peter Sarsgaard, O-T Fagbenle, Chase Infiniti, Lily Rabe, Nana Mensah, Matthew Alan, Kingston Rumi Southwick
Presumed Innocent Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery | Runtime: 7 Episodes
