Presumed Innocent

does Jake Gyllenhall ever play likable characters? I’m starting to think Taylor Swift was on to something…

The beginning was a love, then it turned to a meh by the end. I don’t like shows that put so much stock into a twist/ending that could not have plausibly been guessed throughout the season. At least give the audience *some* clues to work with, otherwise it kinda feels unearned.

Okay they got me.Everyone was a suspect at some point🤣.It kept me spinning theories like a detective on caffeine, only to flip the script in the final minutes. Admittedly there was a moment where it felt like they were stretching things a bit thin but def didn’t see that coming

I enjoyed this- insane plot twist

DAMN WTFFFFFF

5.5 - Mehhhh. I guess in theory I liked it. I mean I watched the whole thing in an afternoon/evening, & I was interested enough. But I left with a bad taste.

But the ending is cheap (not sure how true it is to source material) but it pulled my least favorite mystery move where there’s barely a hint at any point to the true resolution & it’s expected that audiences are just accepting. I like to play along with my whodunnits & crime stories, & this didn’t allow me to do so.

The story itself is overly layered & complex - pushing downright impossible in some places. And Jake Gyllenhaal’s lead performance is jumpy & over the top. I don’t mind him playing the “villain” again, he does it well, but I just couldn’t buy this one from him. Not his best work. The best acting comes from the rotating cast of mini-series & movie background actors & actresses that all make you say “hey, they’re that person from that one thing” or “where do I know them from” & rush to your phone to look it up.

AppleTV+ has put out a steady mix of absolute bangers & terrible duds, & this falls squarely in the middle. It’s absolutely not worth investing into a second season, but if soapy crime/courtroom drama is your thing, you might dig it.