Presumed Innocent made a huge change to the novel by introducing a second child for Rusty and Barbara. That played a huge role in how the ending was drastically different.
Caution: This post contains spoilers for the Presumed Innocent Season 1 finale
If you read the original novel or you watched the 1990s movie, you will think you know how Presumed Innocent ends. However, the Apple TV+ series has come to an end, changing things considerably. We should have guessed considering the series started with a huge change by adding Jaden, another child of Rusty and Barbara.
In the book (and the movie), Rusty and Barbara only have one child, and he is on the younger end. In the Apple TV+ series, there are two children, and they’re older. This is important for the ending of the season.
Rusty thinks Barbara killed Carolyn in Presumed Innocent
We find out that Rusty tied up Carolyn. He was certain that Barbara did it, and he needed to protect his wife. After all, she killed Carolyn in revenge for the affair.
In the book and the movie, sure, it turned out that it was Barbara who did it. Rusty didn’t know, though, and Rusty was shocked to learn the truth. He decided not to turn his wife in because she was needed for their young son.
Well, the series changed things. It wasn’t Barbara at all. Jaden reveals that she was the one to kill Carolyn. She drove Barbara’s car and left the poker, which was the presumed murder weapon, making it look like a two-person job.
This was all foreshadowed. It turns out that Jaden’s actions were dissociative ones. Jaden had mentioned how some people could have dissociative actions due to things that they hear, see, or learn. It’s clear that she realized what had happened, and that she was setting up a reasoning for herself. Many just failed to see it, knowing how the series was expected to end based on movie and book.
Presumed Innocent Season 2 is happening
The series doesn’t really set up a second season, but that second season is happening. Many fans likely expected the second season to follow the second book, which picks up years later. However, it doesn’t look like that will be the case after all.
Will the second season be linked to Jaden’s truth bomb?
Interestingly, Rusty and Barbara’s son, Kyle, was also near Carolyn’s house before she was killed. Did she have something to do with it? Did he find out Carolyn and Rusty were having an affair, or did he find out something else about Carolyn? He may have told Jaden, setting up Jaden’s actions. They could be elements that come up in the second season.