This ‘Presumed Innocent’ Star Won’t Be in Season 2

The Big Picture

• Apple TV+’s
  Presumed Innocent
  was renewed for season 2 for its captivating storyline and shocking reveal of the real killer, hailed as best series.
• Season 2 of Presumed Innocent will focus on a new case, with lead Gyllenhaal returning as executive producer, no casting news confirmed.
• Peter Sarsgaard, who played ADA Tommy Molto, will not return for the second season, citing a preference for not revisiting old characters.

It was initially billed as a limited series, but so utterly captivating was Apple TV+’s Presumed Innocent, the legal thriller was soon renewed for a second season by the streamer, with two episodes yet to air. At the time of the renewal, the thrilling legal drama which saw main character and protagonist, Rusty Sabich (Jake Gyllenhaal) on trial for the brutal murder of his mistress and colleague, Carolyn Polhemus (Renate Reinsve), had not been concluded. Leading the charge to nail Rusty for the heinous crime is his rival and former colleague, ADA Tommy Molto (Peter Sarsgaard). Ultimately, Tommy was unable to prove the burden beyond reasonable doubt, resulting in Rusty walking away a free man…and rightly so. The shock reveal of the real killer, cemented Presumed Innocent as one of the best series of the year so far.

Based on Scott Turow‘s 1988 novel, Presumed Innocentputs a modern twist to its storytelling in more ways than one. As for what happens in season 2, there is an expectation of an entirely different case being the focus. Series lead Gyllenhaal will return as an executive producer along with David E. Kelley and J.J. Abrams. Beyond that, there is no casting news regarding the upcoming season. No matter the case, Sarsgaard has revealed to IndieWire that he will not be appearing in the second season of the legal thriller, noting his desire not to revisit old characters. “I’m not really that interested in sequels. I think I’ve only ever done one season of anything… I think I’m a one-season person,” Sarsgaard said.

The actor who is set to appear next in the upcoming indie film, Coup!, adds that he believes that his character, Tommy Molto, was misunderstood by audiences. On how Tommy was perceived by audiences, Sarsgaard said:

“It’s funny because for me, obviously with ‘Presumed Innocent’ now, to me I’m not a villain in that. I’m just a guy who lives by himself. I’m playing a decent person in that. And actually during the run of ‘Presumed Innocent,’ I did a Q&A at one point and someone was like, ‘How are you so creepy?’ and stuff, and I really object to it. Most of the characters that I play, I have my arm around them. They’re right there with me.”

Where Might A Second Season Lead?

It would be interesting to see which direction the show takes in its second season. While a show rep declined to say whether it would have an entirely new cast, the streamer hints at a “brand new case.” The original source material does have a sequel titled Innocent, which sees Gyllenhaal and Sarsgaard’s characters, Rusty and Tommy, reunited after the mysterious death of Rusty’s wife, Barbara played by Ruth Negga in season one. The case is set twenty years in the future, but Sarsgaard does not seem like one who can be convinced to return.

“There’s a very valuable thing in saying goodbye because then you have to look for another source of inspiration and then you change. I get asked all the time, did I gain weight, lose weight, grow a beard, all of that. I’m sort of just doing all of that all the time. If I were playing something over and over again, I would have to keep coming back to the same territory. ”

Presumed Innocent is available to stream on Apple TV+ in the U.S.

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