Episode One of Presumed Innocent: Bases Loaded

This Guide to Episode One of Presumed Innocent: Bases Loaded on Apple TV will include an episode summary, and my thoughts about this Apple TV adaptation compared to the 1987 book and 1990 movie adaptation. Spoilers will be marked or protected!

Episode One of Presumed Innocent: Bases Loaded

Character List
Summary of Events of Episode One
My Thoughts on Episode One
Comparison of Episode One to the 1987 book and 1990 movie. I have a full plot summary of the book (beware of spoilers)
BUT according to the Wall Street Journal’s review, the last episode has NOT been released to reviewers. Are they changing the ending of Presumed Innocent for Apple TV? Or just trying to create some buzz?

Character List for Presumed Innocent on Apple TV

Presumed Innocent doesn’t have that many characters, but most of them have nicknames, which can make things as confusing as a Russian novel. Plus, there are a lot of professional relationships, alliances, and rivalries.

Rozat “Rusty” Sabich: Chief Deputy Prosecutor
Barbara, Jaden, and Kyle Sabich: Rusty’s wife and children
Raymond Horgan: Chief Prosecutor and Rusty’s boss and friend
Nico “Delay” Della Guardia: Deputy Prosecutor who is running against Raymond
Tommy Molto: Deputy Prosecutor and Nico’s ally
Carolyn Polhemus: Deputy Prosecutor who worked with Rusty

These are just the main characters.

You can find a handy character guide HERE on my introduction post OR download a free PDF here by putting in your email address. The benefit to the emailed version is that you can get a new version of the list as I update it against future episodes.

Summary of Episode One of Presumed Innocent: Bases Loaded

Chief Deputy Prosecutor Rusty Sabich is in the backyard with his son when he receives a call from his boss, Raymond Horgan. Their colleague, Carolyn Polhemus, has been murdered

A stricken Rusty arrives at Carolyn’s house, the murder scene

Rusty argues he should take the case. Raymond says he wants “the best guy for the job,” and agrees.

At home, Barbara, Rusty’s wife, says, “I will try to be here for you,” but does not attend the funeral.

Raymond and Rusty grab a drink after the service. Raymond asks about leads, and Rusty mentions a murder case that he and Carolyn worked on. The killer, Liam Reynolds, had a similar M.O. to Carolyn’s case.

Rusty talks to the pathologist, “Painless” Kumagai, who tells Rusty that Carolyn died of blunt force trauma and that he sees no sign of sexual assault.

Rego/Rico (?) Rudy’s investigator, doesn’t think Reynolds is their guy. She mentions that someone hit Carolyn with a fireplace poker, which is missing, and then tied her up afterward.

Rusty recalls Liam threatening Carolyn in court

The prosecution team discusses the forensic evidence they’ve received thus far: some carpet fibers. There was no sign of forced entry, and Carolyn was hit on the head three times.

Tommy is rude in the meeting and Rusty reacts angrily. Speaking to reporters, Rusty criticizes Della Guardia, who is challenging Raymond in an upcoming election

At home, Barbara says to Rusty, “please don’t tell me that you are handling Carolyn’s case.” Rusty says he has to. Barbara asks him, “what if it gets out that you and Carolyn were involved?” Rusty says that his relationship with Carolyn was in the past.

In a therapy session, Rusty tries to explain what drew him to Carolyn. She “woke him up.” He mentions that Carolyn always talked about Barbara when they slept together.

In the election, Della Guardia defeats Raymond, who steps down immediately.

Carolyn’s case is being handed over to Tommy Molto, who is now Chief Deputy Prosecutor. In a meeting with Raymond, Nico, and Rusty, Tommy mentions that Rusty’s fingerprints were found in Carolyn’s bedroom.

Rusty claims that he and Carolyn often worked on cases in her apartment. Tommy mentions Carolyn’s phone logs and asks when they last worked together.

Rusty tries to claim that Tommy’s questions aren’t relevant. Raymond is shocked and tells Rusty to stop talking.

Tommy announces that Carolyn was pregnant at the time of her death.

My Thoughts on Episode One of Presumed Innocent

I liked the set-up, though it’s somewhat different from the 1990 movie, which follows the book more closely.

I really hope poor Barbara gets more character development than this. Her character in the book and the 1990 movie are better (if somewhat dated) but so far we’re getting NOTHING but depressive wronged wife.

Making Rusty and Barbara’s children older also ups the tension, as they understand everything that is happening.

The pregnancy reveal at the end of this episode is VERY different from the book! This was a dramatic reveal that does update the book, which included the fact that Carolyn used a diaphragm. (Apparently diaphragms are making a comeback. Who knew?)

Episode One of Presumed Innocent vs the book and 1990 movie (Spoiler Free)

Major changes between the Presumed Innocent book/1990 movie and the Apple TV series:

In both the book and the 1990 movie, Raymond knows that Rusty had an affair with Carolyn
Raymond had also slept with Carolyn
I’m assuming Rigo/Rico (anyone know?) who I think must be a nickname for Detective Alana Rodriguez, is the replacement for Dan “Lip” Lipranzer, Rusty’s investigator in the book and 1990 movie. I loved John Spencer in this role, but I also love the idea of a woman in the part who side-eyes Rusty’s lies and womanizing.
Carolyn is not pregnant in either the book or the 1990 movie
In the book and 1990 movie Raymond asks Rusty to handle Carolyn’s case. Additionally, Rusty does not visit the murder scene until the judge gives him permission much later
In the book and 1990 movie Barbara is a mathematician trying to finish her PhD and raise Nat, her young son with Rusty.
Rusty has a (male) therapist in the book but it’s more of a way for him to have someone to explain the affair to (for the reader).

My Questions About Episode One With Slight Spoilers

Since people hate spoilers so much I am protecting this part of the post. You will need to enter an email, which will put you on my newsletter list, where I’ll announce new posts and give you the rundown on every thriller you need to read this summer!

Okay, here goes with my observations on the main differences in this episode between book/prior movie and this series:

The identity of the killer will probably be the same

If you want to know the identity of the killer right now, check out my short plot summary of the book. I’m assuming the series won’t change that! But it’s a great reveal so if you don’t know, try to wait!!!

Carolyn being pregnant gives Rusty a much stronger motive than in the book. In the book, Carolyn broke up with him and he’s sort of a sad sack about it, plus Barbara already knows about the affair. So there’s really no great reason for Rusty to kill her.

In the book, Carolyn’s very active sex life is described in a way that felt a little misogynistic. Multiple characters (I think three?) slept with Carolyn. One was Raymond, and the other was the judge, who in the series is a woman. Even if Carolyn were bisexual, the judge didn’t get her pregnant.

I’m wondering if the series will present Raymond as a suspect, especially since they added his wife Lorraine as a new character. (In the book, Raymond is divorced.) The fact that I read a review that suggests Raymond hires an additional defense lawyer named Mya Winslow to help him makes me more certain that Raymond will be presented as a suspect.

The evidence in Carolyn’s case is quite different:

No glass with fingerprints in the series, it seems. Which is a shame, as there’s a good callback to the glass at the end of this book. If you don’t mind being spoiled, you can read about that in my plot summary of the book. Also no sperm and spermicide, since Carolyn is pregnant. We do get the carpet fibers, yay!

How is the Bunny Davis case going to tie in?

This is a completely new subplot. The book and the 1990 movie use a child abuse case the two worked on together and then this “B file” that Carolyn was hanging onto.

There’s an aspect of this I’m interested in that I will discuss in my Episode Two analysis (so as not to spoil that episode for you!)

My Guide to Episode Two of Presumed Innocent: People v Rozat Sabich is here!

My Guide to Episode Three of Presumed Innocent: Discovery

My Guide to Episode Four of Presumed Innocent: The Burden

Do you have questions about this episode, the adaptation, the book or the 1990 movie? Please leave them below and I would love to answer them. Small spoilers are fine, but if you want to talk about the big reveal (the killer) please do that in this post for now.

Episode One of Presumed Innocent: Bases Loaded