The Lincoln Lawyer Season 4: A Legal Thriller Similar to Apple TV’s Presumed Innocent

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Season four of The Lincoln Lawyer is raising the stakes by putting its main character, Mickey Haller, on trial for murder. But this isn’t a new idea for the show’s creators – another series they worked on features a very similar storyline.

Season four of The Lincoln Lawyer starts right after Mickey is arrested. With the body of Sam Scales discovered in his car, he’s immediately the main suspect in a murder case and will face a trial. The Apple TV+ series Presumed Innocent begins with a similar setup at the end of its first episode.

The first season of this legal thriller centers around Rusty Sabich, a lawyer played by Jake Gyllenhaal, who becomes the main suspect when his DNA is found at the scene of a murder. The victim, Carolyn Polhemus, adds to the mystery. Both this series, Presumed Innocent, and the fourth season of The Lincoln Lawyer are based on popular novels by well-known authors in the legal thriller genre.

The idea of Mickey Haller facing a murder trial first appeared in Michael Connelly’s The Law of Innocence. Thirty-three years before that, Scott Turow’s Presumed Innocent became a huge hit, quickly followed by a popular movie starring Harrison Ford. The recent television adaptation, however, feels more similar to The Lincoln Lawyer than to the original novel or film.

The Lincoln Lawyer Season 4 Is Based On Michael Connelly’s Book The Law Of Innocence

As a big fan of The Lincoln Lawyer, I’m expecting season four to follow the pattern of previous seasons – meaning it’ll mostly stick to the plot of one of Michael Connelly’s books. This time around, they’re adapting The Law of Innocence, which came out in 2020. I’ve heard they’ll be making some changes to the side characters, but overall, it sounds like a pretty faithful adaptation. I’m really looking forward to seeing how it all plays out!

In the book, Mickey Haller finds himself defending himself in a murder trial, relying on his legal team and surprisingly, his ex-wife Maggie McPherson, who sets aside her own work to assist him. The upcoming fourth season of The Lincoln Lawyer will follow this plot closely, and Neve Campbell will reprise her role as Maggie.

I’m so excited! They’ve announced even more characters from The Law of Innocence will be in the new season, and get this – Mickey’s getting a seriously tough new opponent in court, a woman named Dana Berg, nicknamed “Death Row” Dana! Everything points to this season being the most true to a Michael Connelly book we’ve seen yet, which as a fan, I’m really hoping for.

However, the new season will likely highlight the strong similarities between Michael Connelly’s book and Scott Turow’s Presumed Innocent. It’s almost certain that Turow’s 1987 novel was the primary influence on the story behind season 4 of The Lincoln Lawyer.

Connelly’s Novel Shares Its Premise With Scott Turow’s Presumed Innocent

Nearly forty years after it was first published, Presumed Innocent remains a key example of legal thriller writing. Like The Law of Innocence, the story centers on a lawyer who finds himself accused of murder and must fight to prove he didn’t do it.

However, despite this common starting point, the two novels differ in important ways. In Presumed Innocent, Rusty Sabich is a prosecutor who begins by working on the Carolyn Polhemus murder case, aiming to convict the killer. Conversely, Mickey Haller in the other novel is a defense attorney who unexpectedly finds himself defending himself against a murder accusation.

These two murders don’t seem to have anything in common. The death of Carolyn Polhemus looks like a crime of passion, but the way Sam Scales was found – dead in Mickey Haller’s car – suggests a connection to organized crime.

Like the recent series Presumed Innocent, season four of The Lincoln Lawyer will probably keep you guessing until the very end. However, don’t assume Mickey Haller’s trial will have the same result as the Carolyn Polhemus murder case.

Presumed Innocent Has Been Made Into A Show On Apple TV By Lincoln Lawyer Developer David E. Kelley

David E. Kelley has a knack for creating popular legal dramas, and Presumed Innocent is his newest success. While it hasn’t reached the same level of popularity as his show The Lincoln Lawyer on Netflix yet, the first season of the Apple TV series was popular enough to earn a renewal.

The first season of Presumed Innocent is directly adapted from Scott Turow’s popular novel. Originally intended as a single, complete story, Apple has ordered another season, leading creator David Kelley to shift the show’s format. It will now be an anthology series, meaning each season will feature a new main character and storyline.

It seems we might not see Rusty Sabich on screen again soon, unless the Apple TV+ series Presumed Innocent continues with future seasons based on Scott Turow’s follow-up novels, Innocent and Presumed Guilty. Regardless, the first season of the show significantly altered the ending of the original book.

Apple TV’s Presumed Innocent Has A Different Ending From Scott Turow’s Novel

Image via Apple TV+

The first season of Presumed Innocent concludes with a Rusty Sabich who is quite different from the character in Scott Turow’s original novel. While the book maintains suspense about Turow’s possible involvement in the crime until the very end, it ultimately reveals a different role for him in the events.

As a big fan of both The Lincoln Lawyer and Michael Connelly’s books, I don’t think season four will stray too far from The Law of Innocence. If you’ve read the book, you can probably expect the main story to play out pretty much the same way it does in the novel. They seem committed to staying true to Connelly’s original plot.

It’s no surprise that The Lincoln Lawyer ended its season with a cliffhanger, hinting at what’s to come in season 5. Unlike that show, Presumed Innocent tells a complete story each season, so it doesn’t rely on cliffhangers. However, the season 1 finale still delivered a shocking twist.

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2025-12-13 22:19