Presumed Innocent episode 6 ended with Raymond, Rusty’s lawyer, collapsing due to a heart attack in the middle of the courtroom. Michael, Carolyn’s son, was being questioned by Tommy, and he was a crucial witness, but just before Raymond could question the boy, the man collapsed.
Spoilers Ahead
Did Raymond survive the heart attack?
Raymond was immediately shifted to the hospital after he collapsed in the courtroom just before he began to question Michael. On being shifted to the hospital, Lorraine had everyone backing her, including Tommy and DA Nico Della Guardia. Rusty was by her side, as he and Raymond had not just been counselors but good friends over the years. A few hours into his surgery, doctors declared him out of danger and said that he would be discharged soon. Raymond’s health scare might cause a serious problem as it could lead to a mistrial. Rusty, the accused, came out as a hero who was by Raymond’s side right from the start. As a result, Nico suggested moving for mistrial, but Tommy was not in favor of this plan.
What was Rusty’s plan of action?
Rusty and Mya were the only people now on the case. Mya planned to step up and take Raymond’s spot, but Rusty was not sure of her experience, so he chose to represent himself in court in the wake of Raymond’s hospitalization. As the defense’s questioning of Michael remained, Rusty took it upon himself to question the young boy about his habit of stalking his mother and keeping a track of men who he believed she liked more than her son.
Rusty’s line of questioning alluded to the fact that Michael may have killed his mother after an investigation into his search history revealed he’d read up on many cases his mother Carolyn chaired. The accusations were harsh, keeping in mind that he was hurling them at a teenager. This also proved Rusty was going no holds barred to prove his innocence. The judge had also reminded him of the repercussions of representing himself in court, but Rusty was hell-bent on doing what he thought was right for himself.
Were Barbara, Rusty, and the kids worried?
With the case taking a new turn, the media was obsessed with speculating about the outcome of the trial now that Raymond was hospitalized. Even with Rusty representing himself, there was a genuine worry in his family. Barbara and the kids were worried things would change if the case went for a mistrial and Rusty would have to go through the ordeal once again. A mistrial will allow the audience to see the case from a new perspective, and it will help the prosecution find more evidence against the accused. Barbara was not sure if she could take this marriage anymore, as things only went from bad to worse.
Why was Rigo brought in as a witness?
The only way to save the case was to bring Rigo, the police officer who was assigned to investigate Carolyn’s murder. Rigo was also on good terms with Rusty, and together they began to find out if Liam Reynolds could have been the person who had killed Carolyn.
Liam Reynolds was in jail for killing a prostitute, Bunny Davis. As the man claimed he was innocent, Rusty later found out Carolyn had hidden crucial evidence to have him convicted. This made him suspect Liam, and he visited prison with the help of Rigo’s contact. His conversation with Liam was shared during Rigo’s questioning, which insinuated that Liam could be given a reduced sentence if he spoke up about an accomplice. This indicates that Rusty was desperate to prove himself to be innocent, and it also indicated that he could have killed Carolyn and was desperate to blame someone else in his stead.
Was Rusty asked to stand by the prosecution?
Rusty was in for a rude shock on learning he would be put on the stand to answer questions by the prosecution. The judge reminded him he should have seen this coming as he took over to represent himself in court. Rusty was aware Tommy could arm-twist the narrative, which would put him and the defense in jeopardy. Mya had begged him to ask for a mistrial to be declared, but Rusty took it as a challenge and chose to be asked questions.
Did Tommy corner Rusty during the witness cross-examination?
Mya walked out of the team, knowing Rusty was desperate and that that might cost them the case. Tommy and Nico would go to any extent to win this case, and she was not ready for a debacle. Rusty had tried to insinuate that the prosecution had no solid evidence to back their theory that it was he who had killed Carolyn. He wanted to break Tommy and Nico further, which is why he agreed to be questioned. At the trial, Rusty was ready and claimed to be in love with Carolyn, which led to him crossing the line several times. Rusty in the courtroom admitted to having been obsessed with Carolyn, even though her boundaries regarding their relationship were clear.
Rusty wanted to clear his conscience, as this trial was based on what the jury would take away from his words and demeanor. His admission of the affair only makes him an honest man who is willing to move past it if he is given a chance. This was like the scenario from the David Fincher film Gone Girl, where the husband stood accused, and he was desperate to come clean about his affair and hoped that would help him begin his life with a clean slate. However, Brian Ratzer was a surprise witness brought to the attention of the court to prove Rusty was indeed violent when he just stated he wasn’t. Brian was summoned to the court to prove Rusty had beaten up the man for trying to trespass on their home. Tommy had to use this to prove the man was capable enough to hurt the woman he claimed to have loved.
Bringing Brian into the case when he had given testimony to the defense does not make sense as he knew of Bunny Davis, who was killed many years ago. The many plot holes only confuse the narrative further. Brian’s statement may not be taken seriously, but Rusty beating him up in the moment as he claimed to have snapped proves Rusty might as well be culpable. Tommy had cornered Rusty, as his admission to having snapped and beaten Brian could be used against him by the jury. Nico was impressed with how Tommy handled the case and turned it in their favor. The season finale, however, ended with Tommy coming home to his cats to find out his home was wrecked. This was followed by a message left for him by the same person who entered his home in his absence.
The person who went through Tommy’s home might know something that the rest don’t. Tommy could have been the killer, as he had motives too, but that was not brought to the forefront because Rusty was the prime suspect. The message could have been left by Rusty’s son as well, but that’s speculation by a long shot. However, the message hints at the fact that Tommy could be hiding something, and that would be brought to the forefront in the next season.
Presumed Innocent season finale did not end by revealing who killed Carolyn. The show is now headed towards season two, which would further begin with the trial of Rusty Sabich and most likely conclude with finding out who killed Carolyn.
