Presumed Innocent – Season 1 Episode 5 Recap & Review

Pregame

Presumed Innocent Episode 5 begins with Rusty attacking Brian Ratzer and making sure he leaves his house. Later, Barbara berates him for attacking Brian that badly.

Elsewhere, Eugenia asks Tommy Molto why she’s being called as a witness. He says she just needs to tell the truth. When he implies that she had an inappropriate relationship with Rusty, she angrily refutes it. Back home, Raymond wakes up from a nightmare where his own head explodes while he is in the office. Once again, Lauren tells him that this case might be too much.

Meanwhile Rusty seems to have made the bad decision of tailing Brian Ratzer. He watches Brian and his wife leave in their car and then walks up to their house. Unfortunately, Brian catches him. Rusty tries to convince him to just talk but the other doesn’t agree.

Rusty later tries to convince Raymond and Mya that Liam Reynolds could have killed Carolyn by hiring someone on the outside of prison. And he and Ratzer could be connected. The other two lawyers don’t think this is a good line for their defence but then Rusty reveals that Ratzer is going to visit them the next day anyway.

At home, Jaden asks Barbara if her father could have really killed Carolyn. Barbara assures her he’s angry but he didn’t murder anyone. Later, she and Rusty talk and she admits she’s scared for him.

Meanwhile, Tommy recollects the time when he learnt that Carolyn didn’t want to work with him. She explains that she would prefer to work with Rusty, as the chief deputy prosecutor, since it’s better for her career but Tommy seems to have taken it personally anyway. At present, Nico asks Tommy if he’s checked out the Liam Reynolds angle. Tommy says it’s a dead end.

After having a drink at her usual bar, Barbara calls Clifton but almost immediately says that calling him was a mistake. He seems to persuade her to change her mind. We then see Barbara get all dressed up and head out to meet him. He shows her an art installation made with lights and later, they kiss.

Brian Ratzer does come to see Rusty, Raymond and Mya. He admits to hiring prostitutes sometimes and says Bunny Davis looks familiar. When Mya shows him a photo of Liam Reynolds, he doesn’t recognise him.

Tommy is accosted by the press outside the courthouse and he makes a statement about how powerful people have been able to get away with a lot in this country, but not any more. Later, Nico is angry with Tommy for doing so. Tommy defends himself and tells Nico he has to trust him. He rants about how people have never taken to him for some reason but he made the statement to generate goodwill with the jury. He insists he’s the good guy.

In the hustle of a morning hour at the Sabich house, things seem a bit more cheerful. Rusty even tells Barbara that she looks beautiful and heads out, but then sees that Kyle’s bike is in the trash. He goes back in and asks why and Kyle says its parts aren’t working and the chain keeps falling out. Rusty says okay but when he goes back out, he puts the bike in the trunk of his car.

At therapy, Barbara tells Doctor Rush about the affair with Clifton. She says it was just a kiss but then admits it was romantic. She says it relieved her to know she was desired. She also says that she gets the feeling Jaden judges her for staying with Rusty and forgiving him. So, when she went with Clifton, she thought Jaden would be proud of her.

Meanwhile, Raymond tells Rusty that their case should focus on proving him innocent. He then suggests putting Barbara on the stand to show everyone that she believes in Rusty’s innocence. It could count for a lot but Rusty isn’t keen.

The trial begins the next day. Rusty and his family head to court while being hounded by the press. Tommy makes his opening statement and even mentions that he knew Carolyn and misses her, trying to appeal to the jury’s emotion. He encourages them to get justice for her. The camera focuses on Rusty, who quietly curses at Tommy’s incredible, passionate speech at the end of Presumed Innocent Episode 5.

The Episode Review

Presumed Innocent Episode 5 gives off a feeling of running around in circles and I couldn’t help but agree with Raymond, that Rusty is barking up the wrong tree. Tommy is going down a spiral of his own and its interesting how his insecurities are coming to the fore. However, some more background or insight into his character could make the story more compelling. The plot itself runs around the idea of Brian Ratzer being involved, of Kyle being near Carolyn’s house, of Tommy’s previous skirmish with Carolyn, but it never dives deep or explores these issues.

The only area in which the plot actually moves ahead is Barara’s affair. It’s fascinating to watch her admit how good being desired can feel, particularly in the light of her husband’s affair. Her relationship with Jaden adds an intriguing layer as well and Ruth Negga knocks her performance out of the park. In the last few seconds of the episode, the trial kicks off and Rusty seems to realise the weight of the prosecution’s argument. All in all, while the show’s focus on relationships is interesting, its pace could do with a stronger push.