Those Apple TV+ subscribers who tuned into watch Chris Evans as a stressed-out prosecutor in Defending Jacob now have another show to add to their queues. A twist here is that, instead of the prosecutor (portrayed by Jake Gyllenhaal in a suit, which cannot completely hide his Road House bod) being the father of an accused murderer, the prosecutor is the person who will be on the stand.
Presumed Innocent also continues in the fine tradition of streaming series that arrive with a built-in audience of devoted book readers. In this case, the eight-part limited series adapts Scott Turow’s bestseller to paint a portrait of a married man who has an affair with a colleague that ends up dead. His fingerprints show up in her bedroom, and this does not look fantastic for him or the survival of his marriage to a wife (Ruth Negga) who was unaware of his extracurriculars — until now. This, of course, is the type of story that David E. Kelley can deliver like nobody else on TV, and J.J. Abrams also sits in the executive producing seat. From the synopsis:
Based on The New York Times bestselling novel of the same name by Scott Turow, the gripping series takes viewers on a journey through the horrific murder that upends the Chicago Prosecuting Attorney’s office when one of its own is suspected of a crime. The series explores obsession, sex, politics, and the power and limits of love, as the accused fights to hold his family and marriage together.
Apple TV+ has been mastering the art of series that are chock full of terrible secrets. Speaking of which, have you watched Silo yet? There’s plenty of time to do so while you wait for this Gyllenhall series.
Presumed Innocent will stream two episodes on June 12 and run weekly until July 24.