Presumed Innocent episode 7, opens with Raymond (Bill Camp) being taken into a hospital, his pulse being lost, chest compressions being performed and him flatlining.
Rusty (Jake Gyllenhaal), Lorraine (Elizabeth Marvel), Tommy (Peter Sarsgaard) and Nico (O-T Fagbenie) sit in the waiting room. When Barbara (Ruth Negga) calls, Rusty tells her Raymond is in surgery and there's no update.
With Rusty now absent a lead lawyer, what other shocks does the Apple TV Plus thriller have up its sleeve in its penultimate episode? Here’s what happened in Presumed Innocent episode 7, "The Witness."
Who will represent Rusty?
The doctor informs Lorraine that Raymond has survived. Thankfully there will be no lasting damage. In fact, he's getting a pacemaker, and will actually walk out improved.
On the drive home from the hospital, Nico tells Tommy they have a problem. The jury just saw Rusty acting like a hero. Tommy insists they're winning the trial and says Nico has to trust the jury, adding that what the jury actually saw was Rusty acting impulsively and physically.
In a meeting with Judge Lyttle (Noma Dumezweni), Nico argues for a mistrial but Mya (Gabby Beans) says she will take over from Raymond. Though Rusty wants to represent himself. Lyttle calls this a bad idea, warning him if Rusty uses his questioning to assert his innocence, she'll allow Tommy to call him to the stand. Even so, Rusty agrees and he is allowed to be his own lawyer.
Rusty questions Michael
Dalton Caldwell (Matthew Alan) is livid at Tommy and Nico that his son Michael (Tate Birchmore) is going to be cross-examined by the man he believes murdered Carolyn (Renate Reinsve).
When Michael takes his seat in the witness stand, Rusty tries to offer his condolences, but he just responds, "You killed my mother." Rusty asks Michael if not being involved in Carolyn's life made him angry. He responds, "Not enough to kill her."
Rusty reveals texts from Michael to Carolyn that read, "It would be easier if you were dead," and, "I'm just really f***ing mad at you."
On the night of Carolyn's death, Michael says he went straight home to be with his father, but only the two of them can corroborate where they were. Rusty also reveals Michael had a keen interest in Carolyn's past cases, in particular the murder of Bunny Davis by Liam Reynolds (Mark Harelik) and how she was found dead.
Rusty asks Michael straight out, "Did you kill your mother? How about your father? Did he kill your mother?" When Lyttle says he needs grounds to accuse them, Rusty says he doesn't because the police conducted a brief and negligent investigation into Michael and Dalton. Dalton then tries to attack Rusty, but is held back by officers.
Alana takes the stand
Realizing their case has gone soft, Nico decides to call Detective Alana Rodriguez (Nana Mensah) to the stand tomorrow. He will question her himself.
After learning of this, Rusty meets with Eugenia (Virginia Kull) to ask what Alana is going to say. Eugenia doesn't know. Instead, she believes on the night Carolyn was murdered, she told Rusty she was going to keep his baby. She surmises he was obsessed with her. Rusty kicks Eugenia out of the car.
On the stand, Nico plays audio of Rusty trying to convince Liam Reynolds to admit to killing Carolyn. Alana reveals that, when he was still lead prosecutor, Rusty told her all of the evidence should go to him and be shielded from Tommy and Nico.
When Rusty questions Alana, she confirms he withheld evidence because he didn't think Nico or Tommy would be fair to him.
Rusty is all alone
Tommy calls Rusty to the stand, saying he has the right to do so because Rusty used his questioning of Michael to assert his innocence. Lyttle says Tommy is right, then says Rusty has two choices: she can call a mistrial now, no questions asked, or they continue, but if they Rusty has to be a witness. Mya tells Rusty to take the mistrial. But Rusty agrees to testify.
In the office, Rusty tells an upset Mya he knows what he's doing. But she accuses him of being a narcissist, and then quits, leaving Rusty flying solo as a defendant, advocate, and witness.
Tommy vs Rusty
Mya calls Rusty just before going on the stand. He apologizes to her. She warns Rusty not to get riled up by Tommy. Then Raymond walks in. The doctors have cleared him. As Rusty takes the stand, Mya arrives into the courtroom, too.
Rusty admits he didn't tell anyone he was at the scene of the crime on the night of Carolyn's death. He admits to being in love with her and that he was frustrated with her. But he calls his obsession passion. He says it made him lose track of what was most important in his life — his wife and children.
Rusty says Tommy's passion for bringing him down has made him lose sight of the fact that there's no real evidence against Rusty. Rusty says he's not a violent person. Tommy then presents video footage of Rusty beating up Brian Ratzer (Marco Rodriguez). Rusty reiterates he is not guilty of killing Carolyn. Tommy then brings up Rusty strangling Herbert Kumagai (James Hiroyuki Liao). Rusty tries to explain. But Tommy says this proves his tendency to violently snap. Rusty has no response.
In the car, Nico praises Tommy, calling his questioning extraordinary.
At the house, Barbara asks Rusty what happens now. Again, he has no response. He looks resigned to his fate.
A jubilant Tommy rides the subway home. He walks into his house to find that someone has broken inside and his files have been ransacked. On his kitchen counter is a fire poker — the weapon that was used to kill Carolyn but has not yet been found. There's a post-it note attached that reads, "Go f*** yourself."
New episodes of Presumed Innocent premiere on Apple TV Plus on Wednesdays.
