TV Show review
June 11, 2024 · TV-MA · Returning Series
Woke Score
Lower is better
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Presumed Innocent.
Woke representation / casting
Visible interracial lead family (Ruth Negga as wife, biracial children) and diverse supporting actors in key roles chosen as a modern adaptation update not required by the story or Chicago setting.
Woke political dialogue
No activist language, DEI references, or ideological speeches; incidental nods to real-world city life stay background.
Identity-driven story themes
Core plot is personal affair, murder mystery, and parental protection; biracial family details and female updates appear but do not drive the narrative or messaging.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Shows ambition and cover-ups inside the prosecutor's office as standard thriller elements; no framing of toxic masculinity, patriarchy, or identity-based systemic issues.
Review
Presumed Innocent is an eight-episode Apple TV+ legal thriller miniseries from 2024 starring Jake Gyllenhaal as a Chicago prosecutor accused of murdering his colleague and secret lover. The story follows the investigation, high-stakes trial, family fallout, and a late twist that the couple's daughter committed the crime, which the parents then cover up to protect her. The adaptation of Scott Turow's 1987 novel adds an interracial lead marriage with biracial children and updates some female character portrayals for modern audiences, but the focus stays on personal guilt, betrayal, and family loyalty rather than any activist or identity-driven agenda.
Woke character or canon changes
Adaptation shifts the killer from wife (original novel/film) to daughter and adds interracial marriage with biracial children; these modernize gender dynamics and family stakes from the source.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Almost no public complaints accusing the series of woke or identity politics; criticism stays on writing quality, casting fit, and ending execution.
Creator track record context
Main team including David E. Kelley and Greg Yaitanes shows low activist patterns; Sharr White's work on queer-themed projects elsewhere raises it modestly, but overall focus remains professional drama.
Production
