Its more just a process of elimination.. Hes pulled off the case after his son Jacob, a classmate of the victim, is arrested for the crime. I loved it you really feel that shes unraveling, recalled Tyldum. stated whether Jacob really did kill . "Now we have this new thing that they're both going to live with, which is: 'When [Jacob] wakes up, what will he think? And then of course, the tragic irony is, Hope is found and he really never needed to tell [Laurie] any of this. This Is What Went Down in the Last Ever Episode of 'Modern Family', Here's Who Kills the Mom on Lifetime's 'A Killer Among Us'. Jacob is targetedbecause he's a social outcastwith obvious communication issues. The dark truth may be that someone elsein the community just may be the real killer - someone who steadily appears on camera but never exhibits any suspicious behavior. During the car ride, she tries to make him say it, but now she decides to kill herself and Jacob so her crime will be hidden forever. Jacob because of the bullying. The body rolls down the hill and she goes to see if he is dead. The family go to Mexico for a vacation. Jacob may not have inherited the murder gene from his fathers line, but he may have inherited traits from his mother it may be the case that both he and Laurie are capable of murder. In the novel which tells the story solely from Andys perspective Hope is eventually found dead, and Laurie never learns of the forced confession. I think thats far more interesting and leaves a lot more to examine in terms of how we are able to survive when we learn harsh realities. She cleans the knife in the water and goes home. As it turns out, Father O'Leary never intended to harm Laurie or Jacob. Who Was The Real Killer In Defending Jacob? - Mastery Wiki According to Billy, Andycan either be a good man or be a good father; hegets to "choose." He is played by Jaeden Martell. Later when the family are in Mexico Andy drunkenly tells Laurie he thinks his dad was responsible. The suicide, confession, and photographs of Ben that Patz deleted from his phone - in episode two - all point towards him murdering Ben. We see Laurie speeding up the car more and more hysterically asking Jacob if he killed Ben. Stabbed three times in the chest, his body was found on a dirt path in Cold Spring Park by Paula Gianetto . Jacobs case is dismissed. Jacob dies on impact and Laurie suffers critical injuries. Laurie is badly injured and Jacob is in a coma. Jacobs friend Derek Yoo (Ben Taylor) also revealed - during the trial - that Jacob had written a story that was eerily similar to Bens murder and posted it online. The ending of AppleTV+'s 'Defending Jacob' series diverts from William Landay's 2012 novel in two key ways. I dont think that our ending is any less bleak than the ending of the book, Bomback added. Wes Anderson Directing Star Wars? Bens father Dan (Patrick Fischler) confronts the Barbers in a multistorey car park, but is apprehended by the henchman who had supposedly been stalking the Barbers. Anyways, Bye. The Barbers were on a holiday when Jacob meets Hope Connors. Billy confesses to hiring a hitman to kill Leonard and make it look like a suicide so that Jacob doesn't suffer the same fate he did. Jacob comes and sees what is happening. She offers to pay him even more money if he calls Andy and tells him about this without saying. The main takeaway is that danger always lurks withintight-knit communities, andthat having a friendly smile can't be used in court as proof of innocence. An alum of the Eugene ONeill Theater Centers National Critics Institute and Poynters Power of Diverse Voices, she leads workshops on arts journalism at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Apple TV+'sDefending Jacobendingis tragic, but the book handled a bit differently. Laurie becomes convinced again that Jacob killed Ben, even though Hope turns up alive the following day. Coupled with Lauries memories of a young Jacob almost dropping a bowling ball on another childs head, it was enough to persuade her that he did it. Was it a split-second decision, or did she plan it? The final scene of the show sees Andy drinking alone in his house while You Were a Kindness by The National plays in the background. Jacob's parents, Laurie and Andy, try to help get him out. You can unsubscribe at any time. A few days later, he was murdered. Chris Evans and Michelle Dockery lead the cast while Jaeden Martell and Cherry Jones also play key roles. Laurie begins to think that Jacob is really Bens killer. https://nerdround.com/ Defending Jacob Season Finale Explained | Who Killed Ben Rifkin ?#defendingjacob #whokilledbenrifkin #nerdroundMake Sure To Subscribe . Originally, I wanted an unresolved ending, where Andy, Laurie and Jacob are on the plane home, all three of them knowing what Jacob is, and we simply see them side by side on the plane, and then it cuts to black, said Landay. Was she trying to kill Jacob or herself? Ashley Lee is a staff reporter at the Los Angeles Times, where she writes about theater, movies, television and the bustling intersection of the stage and the screen. I think if Id given you a definitive answer on either one of those, you would have been a little bit frustrated because youve already entertained the possibility in both directions, says creator Mark Bomback. The ending connotes how the three Barbers end up isolating themselves because of the accusation. Since the Apple TV+ series strays from the source material and doesn't provide absolute clarity, viewers may be wondering what it all means, and whether the titular character is indeed a cold-blooded killer. Jacob Barber has been accused of murdering his classmate, Ben. But when a friend of Bens suggests that there was animosity between Ben and Jacob, Andy decides to search his sons room. The Barbers happy ending, though, is cut short when new information comes to light. She angrily confronts him and pleads with him to tell her that he murdered Ben. The series consists of eight episodes. As it turns out, the henchman - Father OLeary (William Xifaras) - was instructed by Andys father and convicted murderer Billy (J. K. Simmons) to protect them. Jacob told his parents that Ben bullied him, and he did own a knife that he took to school. The story follows an assistant district attorney named Andy Barber, whos investigating the murder of 14-year-old Ben Rifkin. Also, Derek Yoo claims that Jacob wrote a story on a website called "Cutting Room" that greatly resembled the murder of Ben Rifkin. arsy80 3 yr. ago. Andy is understandably angry, believing Jacob wouldve cleared his name in court if given the chance. 38. However, the tight focus of the shot means that its not possible to see if anyone else is in the room coercing him. Fox Says Battle With Parkinsons Disease Keeps Getting Tougher: Im Not Going to Be 80, TV Premiere Dates 2022: The Complete Guide, Broadcast TV Unscripted Scorecard 2022: Whats New, Renewed and Canceled, TV Pilots 2022: The Complete Broadcast Guide, The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News. Its deliberately ambiguous. In addition, Andy discovers a knife in his son's room - a possible murder weapon - which is what kicks off the story, as the Barbersaren't fully convinced their sonis innocent. Jacob, afraid of his mothers gradual speeding on such a rainy day, says, Fine, I killed him, OK? Shes been an entertainment journalist for more than 15 years previously working at DVD & Blu-ray. The series was created and written by Mark Bomback and directed by Morten Tyldum. Conversely though, at the end its his mother who is an attempted murderer. The Den of Geek quarterly magazine is packed with exclusive features, interviews, previews and deep dives into geek culture. It is based on a book with the same name byWilliam Landay. He confessed that he was the one who killed Ben. On top of that, Jacob can clearly recognize that his own parents aren't convinced of his innocence, which could lead to more awkward behavior as he tries to figure out his place in the world as a 14-year-old. Absolute proof that Jacob did NOT kill Ben. And I think for each of them, theyre going to always have a lingering doubt.. Defending Jacobdeviates from the book's heartbreaking ending. Would it really be that easy to fake a mans suicide by hanging? **CONTAINS SPOILERS**. Jacob refuses again and again. "He's doing the right thing for the very first time in the story by being completely honest with her, even at the risk of destroying everything that he's just saved," Bomback explains. Jacob keeps declining and Laurie believes he did kill Ben so she crashes the car deliberately. And hes going to look at you and wonder, did you or didnt you? One similarity between the book and the series that remains intact is how its never explicitly stated whether Jacob really did kill Ben. The finale of the Apple TV+ declines to answer that question, instead leaving viewers just as in the dark as Andy and Laurie Barber, the parents of the titular character who spend the series defending their eighth-grader against charges that he murdered a classmate. I felt bad for the mom, and Andy, besides being a stick in the mud, had his head buried in the sand at anything to do with his family. Warning: This article contains major spoilers for the final episode of Defending Jacob. Are his wife and son both murderers? Defending Jacob Review: Chris Evans Stars in a Twisty Crime Drama, Den Of Geek Book Club: Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children, Always Sunny to Talking Sopranos: The Best TV Rewatch Podcasts Hosted By Cast & Creators, The Star Trek Story Bridging the Gaps Between Deep Space Nine and Picard, Taskmaster and The Underrated Comic Genius of Kiell Smith-Bynoe. On the surface, it allows the family toescape from reality as they contemplate an impending move to Denver. But when Laurie asks him who else knows he says nobody knows. There is one single piece of proof that can prove how Jacob can't be Bens killer. He had built his marriage on a lie by not telling Laurie about his father being in prison. Andy gets drunk and revealshis fathers involvement with Laurie. But I think if you read the book and you like the book, hopefully youll be a little sideswiped by this in a good way., Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day, Inside the business of TV with breaking news, expert analysis and showrunner interviews. Same blade size, as well as "teeth" on the blade. However, Andy finds out that his father had arranged for Patz to be threatened into writing a confession and be killed. Defending Jacob ending explained. Hope cannot be found the next day and the Mexico police think of Jacob as the prime suspect. Andy's drunken emotional breakdowneffectively splits the family apart. An area sex offender who was always the obvious suspect, according to Jacobs father, Andy (Chris Evans) has hanged himself, and left behind a written confession: He was the one who killed Jacobs classmate, Ben. Not Quite, Apple TV+ Is Most Divisive Streaming Service. He tries to forget about this, but the truth comes out. In an attempt to put this whole ordeal behind them, the family heads to Mexico for a quiet vacation. THE END. Its almost a fitting punishment shared secrets between Jacob and his mother that they both know the other is a killer and neither will ever be believed. During one last prison chat, Billy admits that he orchestrated thePatz murder, and just so that hisgrandson couldlive a relatively normal life. Here we break down the ending of Defending Jacob, including how it differs from the book. He could have lived with this burden of guilt in the same way that he's lived with this other lie for so long and gone on to live a more or less contented life, but he doesn't.". The eighth episode, which premiered Friday, begins with a big development: The murder charges that troubled teen Jacob (Jaeden Martell) had been facing all season are suddenly dropped. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Defending Jacob is an American crime drama web television miniseries, based on the novel of the same name by William Landay, produced by Apple TV+. Defending Jacob book ending is also open-ended, with Laurie driving Jacob and crashing the car. Do you need the cleansing of truth or can you compartmentalize and find a balance just being a little bit darker?. But what starts as a cut-and-dry procedural soon turns personal, as Andy's own son, Jacob (Jaeden Martell), is arrested and charged with the murder. "That to me was a really interesting and tragic moment that nevertheless felt like a moment of growth for the character. Laurie - also hospitalised with various injuries - is told by Andy that the jury voted in favour of a car accident, and he heads home to sit quietly in Jacobs room as the credits roll. Not Quite. Defending Jacob doesn't confirm whether Jacob murdered Ben, but all signs point towards him doing so. He just said it to get her to slow down. It's up to Andy and his wife, Laurie (Michelle Dockery), to protect their son from a firestorm of media attention, combative prosecutors, and neighborhood gossipall while privately questioning whether their own child could be capable of the unthinkable. Fox doesnt think hell live to be 80: Every day its tougher, Jerry Springer kept his aggressive cancer a family secret in his final months. Laurie tells Ben not to mess with her, Ben laughs and twists her arm. When Jacob becomes a murder suspect, Laurie feels guilty that her son is being accused of the murder she committed. She was really good at her job as well. What I was really interested in trying to create for the viewer was this very subjective experience of what his parents are going through. For Bomback, he says he wanted to write Jacob as a far more sympathetic, normal teen and as less of a psychopath-in-waiting, so he chose to focus the show primarily on Ben Rifkin's murder instead of Hope's. Laurie gets mad and kills him. And then of course the scene then that follows is open to interpretation. If I have a new narrative that took this as a starting point, Id be happy to explore it. Jacobs comatose status arguably leaves the story open for a second season. Andy finds out that a pedophile named Leonard Patz may have killed Ben. While both District Attorney Andy (Chris Evans) and teacher Laurie (Michelle Dockery) vacillate on their sons innocence (or lack thereof) throughout the series, the later episodes reveal that both have been complicit in covering up suspicious behavior, and the man who came forward and confessed to the crime was blackmailed into doing so by Andys own criminal father. Outside, the rain pours and makes navigation difficult. While driving Jacob to get his haircut, Laurie asks him if he killed Ben. Were entering major spoiler territory from here on out. However, Sarah was livid as she doesn't know what he did or what drama he was pulling her into. But whereas the TV series reveals thatHope merely disappeared, the book ends with her corpse being discovered on a beach, and that she'd likely been strangled to death. Next: Apple TV+ Is Most Divisive Streaming Service. Set in a small town, the show has a rather atmospheric feel to it. I think it unravels. Andy storms out but refuses to tell Laurie (Michelle Dockery) what happened. Jacobs parents, Laurie and Andy, try to help get him out. Andy tells his father Billy over the phone that he thinks Patz did it. Her body turns up several weeks later, and an autopsy discovers that her windpipe had been crushed. Did Jacob do it in 'Defending Jacob'? Laurie is even asked not to return to her job temporarily. The Defending Jacobendingdoes not unveil whether Jacob did kill Ben. ALSO READ | Homecoming Season 2 Ending Explained | How does Walter gets his final revenge? Jacobs behaviour and Hopes disappearance convinces Laurie. Billy had asked Father OLeary to go to Patz and ask him to take the charge upon him, strangling him to death later. Jacob is installed as the chief suspect by Mexicos police and the Barbers are rigorously interviewed. This event echoes the ending of the 2012 book on which the show is based. I think he was a seriously screwed up kid. Photo: Apple TV+. RELATED: Defending Jacob Just Dealt the Barber Family a Shocking Blow. Making a splash: A deep dive into the live-action Little Mermaid with a new generation's Ariel. Rosie Fletcher is the UK Editor of Den Of Geek. ALSO READ | Disappearance At Clifton Hill Ending Explained: How Does Abby Solve The Kidnapping Case? Crucially, Andy doesn't tell Laurie about Billy until a family trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Chris Evans character Andy learns to own up to everything that hes been trying to conceal, said Defending Jacob creator Mark Bomback. Even thoughJacob didn't killHope in Mexico, Laurie becomes more suspicious than ever about the Rifkin murder. A.I. The next day Laurie drives Jacob to get a hair cut. Possibly, but unlikely. Then again, the final image shows Andy sitting in his son's room, still in the dark, which suggests that Jacob's potential off-screen death essentially closes the door on clarity - not only about Ben's murder, but also about whether hecould forgive his own mother, Laurie. Laurie starts to believe that Jacob might have killed Ben after Andy tells her about his finding. It was an accident. So what if Jacob was actually innocent all along? And what do I believe? He was accused of murdering a classmate, Benjamin Rifkin. The police suspect Jacob of killing her. Defending Jacob - Was Jacob guilty? Showing 1-50 of 91 - Goodreads But logic suggests that he's a quiet teenager who was bullied by classmates, and made some questionable comments for attention. The bleaker ending is that hell know what she did, shell know he knows, and Andy will continue to willfully refuse that it was anything but an accident. At first, the Barbers are shown attempting to fight the case as best as they can. But in Defending Jacob, Jacob is shown to be using . The last episode of Defending Jacob starts with the Assistant District Attorney and Jacob's father Andy Barber getting a phone call from their family lawyer, Joanna Klein, that Leonard Patz had left a note moments before he had committed suicide. The central premise of the show has been how the Barbers unite against all the odds. Jacob reveals that he found Ben's body and didn't tell anyone. But will Laurie ever be forgiven by Jacob, who clings to life in a separate hospital room? He hesitates for a few days then accepts the offer. Andy then confronts his father Billy about this. She asks Jacob about it while they are in a car. At the age of fourteen, he blackmailed Sarah Grohl. Despite Billy hinting that he wasnt involved, flashbacks show that he was. Did Jacob kill Ben, what does the murder gene have to do with it and what are the differences from the book? Defending Jacob (2020) - Ending Explained. | DMT - Digital Mafia Talkies Onscreen, Hope turns up alive. Andy had always suspected Patz, and after the police get the . The next day, she realises that Billy followed their plan earlier than usual and thanks the henchman. All Rights Reserved. The Family is all about DEFENDING JACOB - Patch Jacob immediately befriends a fellow teenager named Hope who, the morning after a party, has mysteriously gone missing. At the end of this, now hes going to be the one living with it did they or didnt they? Im more attempting to explore the subjective experience you have of seeing this situation through Andy and Lauries eyes and creating the sensation that they have, which is that you will never know. By Defending Jacobepisode 7, the Barberfamily history becomes an issue in court. Laurie expresses concern at the end of the final episode that Jacob might not believe it was an accident does this mean shes forgotten what she did? Naturally, Laurie panics about the reveal, and once again believes that her son is indeed a killer. But it wasnt written with that intention, and its not really something Im actively working on right now.. Jacob, Patz, Derek, Sarah, or even Billys henchman couldve done it. And as the final episode reveals, Defending Jacob never definitively weighs in on Jacob's guilt or innocence.