"Presumed Innocent" was the biggest surprise hit of the year I even called it the "most important show" of the year

Still, I was surprised that the show was given a second season, given that it stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard Since these real-life brothers-in-law are also in-demand movie actors, it seemed unlikely that the duo would continue on the series

Unfortunately, my suspicions that this cast would not be part of the second season were officially confirmed by one of these two actors Speaking with IndieWire, Sarsgaard stated, "I think I'm a one-season guy," and made it clear that he will not be returning for season two

As already mentioned, I did not expect Gyllenhaal and Sarsgaard to return for a second season But I also did not expect the show to get a second season in the first place The book/movie adaptation was set up to be a miniseries, especially given the acting ability of the cast

However, once I found out there was going to be a second season, I kept hoping that Sarsgaard would return After the events of the season one finale (spoiler alert), there were not many options to connect the show from season to season But what about Sarsgaard as Tommy Molt? Well, he will still stay Because his performance was better than anyone else in the cast [Not that the rest of the cast was bad Gyllenhaal, Ruth Negga, Bill Camp, and O-T Fagbenle all have their moments of scene-stealing However, the show's best moment is when Sarsgaard cross-examines Gyllenhaal at the end of episode 7, "The Witness" Now that we know there's no guarantee we'll see a similar moment in Season 2, I'd be lying if I said I was equally excited about Apple TV Plus expanding this IP even further

Now that we know Sarsgaard won't be on the show, I think Gyllenhaal and his new fellow producers David E Kelley and JJ Abrams need a clean slate Season 2 has no notable connection to season 1 No Savich family, no "Delay" Guardia None whatsoever

Instead, the show should follow the model of anthology series like TRUE DETECTIVE and FARGO

Noah Hawley's adaptation of the Coen brothers' 1996 classic is not a rehash of the original Instead, it brings the Coen brothers' sense of humor to the dialogue and sprinkles shocking scenes of violence and action throughout each season Each season exists entirely in the same world as the film, thus maintaining a small connection to each other and to the original story

And did you know? It's working It's really working Fargo has been nominated for 14 Golden Globes and won three, and has been nominated for 52 Primetime Emmy Awards and won six It would be wise for "Presumed Innocent" to follow suit and return for Season 1, leaving the Savich family and everyone else in Chicago

Given Apple's promise of a "suspenseful and entirely new case," I am cautiously optimistic that this new case will also have a completely new cast as long as Sarsgaard does not return