Throughout the season, Laurie has been trying to get to the truth, even if it means destroying herself, while Andy has been trying to protect their son, even if it means lying to himself, said Bomback. I was always interested in this idea that you can build your whole life on a foundation that has a lie within it, Bomback continued. Jacob tells police that he tried to revive Ben after spotting his body in the woods, which would explain the presence of his fingerprint, but they still keep him in jail overnight. "That to me was a really interesting and tragic moment that nevertheless felt like a moment of growth for the character. Thats one of the plot points thats been altered from the book more on that later. Andy admits that his father is a murderer named Billy who is in prison. At first, it looks like the trial is moving along swimmingly like maybe the defense team will win. The police pull Jacob in for questioning, and Jacobs parents are again filled with confusion about whether their son is a serial killer. Laurie begins to think that Jacob is really Ben's killer. Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Flashbacks are shown where he can be seen involved in this, but he refuses it in front of Andy. Any difficulty or complexity that your child brings into this world becomes a part of your own life. When they find Jacob's fingerprint on Ben and other kids start talking on social media about how Barber owned a knife he liked to show off . The one where EW follows up with the cast. Andy tells his father Billy over the phone that he thinks Patz did it. Youre at the mercy of the narrative in the same way that Andy and Laurie are.. But when a friend of Bens suggests that there was animosity between Ben and Jacob, Andy decides to search his sons room. In case you are wondering who killed Ben, we are sorry to disappoint you because theres no evidence presented in the show as to whether Jacob is the killer or not. 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. His grandfather is a convicted killer but his father is an upstanding member of the community, albeit one with a tendency towards reckless behaviour. Other reasons for incriminating Jacob come from the knife he had. The suicide, confession, and photographs of Ben that Patz deleted from his phone - in episode two - all point towards him murdering Ben. So all Im really interested in at the end of the day is: What do Andy and Laurie think he might or might not have done? Due to the finding of Jacob's fingerprints on Ben's body and the discovery that Jacob used to carry a knife to school, he (Jacob) becomes the prime suspect. Yet nobody knows for sure if Jacobhad anything to do with Ben's death. For more information, please see our If the Apple TV+ series stays faithful to the book, here's what'll happen to the 14-year-old. At a party on New Years Eve, Hope goes missing and Jacob leaves his shirt at the beach. What Actually Happened: Laurie goes for her morning run and sees Ben. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. This we do know in the TV show at least. The Barbers' trip to Mexico creates various forms of conflict in the Defending Jacob season finale. Its perhaps not surprising but also not indicative of veracity that it would only be after the trial, when Jacob isnt at risk of going to prison and Andy is fully smashed, that hed drop his guard. There is one single piece of proof that can prove how Jacob can't be Bens killer. **CONTAINS SPOILERS**. < Defending Jacob ending explained: Did Jacob Barber murder Ben Rifkin? It must be Jacobs lucky day, says a brawny old friend of Billy (J.K. Simmons), Andys estranged father, who is currently serving a life sentence in prison for murder. The ending of AppleTV+'s 'Defending Jacob' series diverts from William Landay's 2012 novel in two key ways. He hesitates for a few days then accepts the offer. 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. He says no, and then he says yes, but neither answer is reliable since hes afraid for his life. On its surface, Defending Jacob looks a lot like your traditional whodunnit. He chooses to lie again. Jacob's fatherlied about his past to Laurie, and then became too self-righteous to accept any help fromhis father. In the book Hope the girl Jacob meets in Mexico (Jamaica in the novel) washes up dead on the beach. Jacob put the idea of killing Ben back in Lauries head after Hope went missing too. Jacob keeps declining and Laurie believes he did kill Ben so she crashes the car deliberately. Yep, once again, we dont know! But is the high school student really a killer? Ultimately, however, Andy . When Laurie sees the henchmans car. Michelle Dockery, Jaeden Martell and Chris Evans star in "Defending Jacob," the latest series to mention a "murder gene.". The tragic irony is, he didnt have to, and Hope is found.. Car finance with Flow Car -Configure multiple finance quotations in seconds - Manage your application entirely online - Finance a car without receiving unwanted sales calls - Get the best available rate Feed with access to over 380,000+ available vehicles nationwide for you to choose from. And if hes guilty? He was initially spotted by the couple in town, leaving them unsure about his motivations. 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. A distraught Sarah confided in Derek, who took a dark turn and said he'd fix the problem. After that, all evidence already points towards Jacob so she decides to convince Andy that he is the murderer, since she already has a plan to make sure hes found innocent. Everything changes when a local pedophile namedLeonard Patz (Daniel Henshall) kills himself andadmits that he killedRifkin. 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. Part of her must know that she was in a horrible place that morning, Bomback says. But will Laurie ever be forgiven by Jacob, who clings to life in a separate hospital room? She cleans the knife in the water and goes home. It premiered on April 24, 2020. 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. Its more just a process of elimination.. She embraces this lie, you know, it must have been an accident. And then look at their partner and really talk about the question were asking: Is unconditional love bigger than our own morals?What happened in the last episode? Making a splash: A deep dive into the live-action Little Mermaid with a new generation's Ariel. This conclusion gives the audience a climax and a satisfying sense of finality, while also being true to the idea that, as parents, you cant divorce your own child, author William Landay explained. Defending Jacob ending explained: Here is a detailed explanation of what happens at the end of the limited miniseries Defending Jacob starring Chris Evans. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. one who killed Jacob's classmate, Ben. Hough is a senior writer at Screen Rant. Sad times, we dont know! Jacob's trial ends with a declaration of innocence, after a pedophile named Leonard Patz (Daniel Henshall) hangs himself and confesses to Ben's murder in a suicide note. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing this? A few days later Jacob writes a story about what happened between Laurie and Ben, calling Ben Brent and changing Laurie to a boy called Jason. Q.V. "In a purely storytelling way, I'm not sure a definitive answer one way or the other would have been necessarily any more satisfying," says Bomback, who adapted the show from William Landay's 2012 novel. It feels like a confession but, of course, its not, said Bomback. Could Jacob have been responsible? He just said it to get her to slow down. She was previously a New York-based editor at the Hollywood Reporter and has written for the Washington Post, Backstage and American Theatre, among others. On the surface, it allows the family toescape from reality as they contemplate an impending move to Denver. Laurie drives in full speed, crashing the car into a tunnel wall, possibly killing them both. So thats what I was going for, and it is different than the book. But then a witness goes missing, and Jacob's fascination with the macabre, like "The . Shes been an entertainment journalist for more than 15 years previously working at DVD & Blu-ray. Specifically, he enlisted a long-time friend known as "Father O'Leary" (William Xifaras) to frame and kill the pedophile,which would allow hisgrandson, Jacob, to receivelegal "proof of innocence." Chris Evans character Andy learns to own up to everything that hes been trying to conceal, said Defending Jacob creator Mark Bomback. Dr. Vogel concludes that Jacob does not have the murder gene as it is passed maternally but does show genetic traits of manipulation and violence. 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'. Andy tries to forget his fathers involvement, but the truth eventually comes out. Laurie, in the hospital, tells Andy that she wants her family back. Billy pointedly asks Andy if he is sure, which might be an indicator that he intends to do something about it. Warning: This article contains major spoilers for the final episode of Defending Jacob. He possessed a knife very similar to the one that killed Ben Rifkin. https://nerdround.com/ Defending Jacob Season Finale Explained | Who Killed Ben Rifkin ?#defendingjacob #whokilledbenrifkin #nerdroundMake Sure To Subscribe . Were entering major spoiler territory from here on out. No, I do not believe Jacob had killed Ben Rifkin. You probably are pretty sure he did it, but theres no real way of knowing, and its possible he didnt. We did that scene quite a lot in the car because if it was too on the nose, it was too obvious that she was doing something that she thought through. THE END. 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. Billy confesses to Andy that he hired a hitman to force Patz to confess then kill him. However, Laurie becomes increasingly preoccupied with the idea of Jacobs guilt and on a drive, crashes the car into a tunnel, killing Jacob and leaving herself in a critical condition. 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. Andy had always suspected Patz, and after the police get the note confirmed to be that of Patz, Jacob is acquitted. The whole town starts to treat them differently, and they end up becoming outcasts. Jacob is initially surprised, and then frightened as his mother drives erratically. He eventually showed up at her house two days before Ben was killed with Ben's phone. Unsettled, Andy visits Billy, who indeed arranged for a blackmailed confession and suicide. Hes drunk, and up until now has been completely unwilling to admit that he ever had doubts over Jacobs innocence, even when Laurie expressed her fears. I dont think Laurie had any sort of calculated master plan. But before a verdict can be reached, Leonard Patz is found hanging inside of his home, admitting in a suicide note that he killed Ben. I would rather leave that to your imagination. Defending Jacob ending explained: Did Jacob kill Ben. Andy finds out that a pedophile named Leonard Patz may have killed Ben. Surely Patz would have struggled, or left other evidence, something in the note perhaps to suggest he was being coerced? Would it really be that easy to fake a mans suicide by hanging? Andy and Laurie seem to believe that nobody knows who they are in Puerto Vallarta, when in fact a 16-year-old girl named Hope Connors (Jessi Case) immediately recognizes Jacob. Is that red mark on his bathing trunks really ketchup, or could it be blood? We don't yet know the story behind Tucker Carlson's firing. Laurie already knows Patz is a suspect, and to make it seem even more believable, she finds the kid Andy talked to before, who then confesses to having a deal with Patz. Andy sits in Jacobs room quietly as the show ends. Not Quite. The open-ended show leaves it to the viewers to decide on it. We learn that Jacob does not have this gene, but his grandfather and father do. Jacobs fingerprint is on Bens jacket but Jacob says that got there when he found the body but didnt tell anyone. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. The final scene signifies how the accusation against Jacob eventually made Andy alone. The peace Laurie found when the charges against Jacob were dropped is irreversibly disturbed. Thank you for reading this. Andy wanted the best lawyer in the town for Jacob's defense, so he approached Joanna Klein, who seemingly shared a good professional relationship with Andy. She may not have specifically been trying to kill him or indeed both of them but the crash wasnt an accident. Andy then admits to his wife, Laurie (Dockery), that the evidence letting Jacob off the hook for murder was fabricated. ProsecutorNeal Logiudice (Pablo Schreiber) finds a way to connect Andy's father being in prison with Jacob's trial. Hope cannot be found the next day and the Mexico police think of Jacob as the prime suspect. She was speeding. But when Laurie asks him who else knows he says nobody knows. Jacob Owen "Jake" Barber is the titular character of the Apple TV+ limited series, Defending Jacob. A.I. At the end of this, now hes going to be the one living with it did they or didnt they? Its deliberately ambiguous. More incriminating evidence is released at trial, including a story Jacob posted online thats eerily similar to Bens murder. As Laurie begs Jacob to tell her the truth, she pushes the car to go faster and faster, ultimately crashing and seriously injuring them both. Again, its completely ambiguous. Jacob dies instantly in the car crash. When Jacob is officially exonerated, Father O'Learyprotects the Barbers from a still-angry Dan Rifkin (Patrick Fischler),the father of the teenage murder victim, Ben. Althougheverything points out the fact that he committed the murder. Set in a small town, the show has a rather atmospheric feel to it. She decides to go to Billy saying she did it and needs him to help her defend Jacob and they made a plan: If Jacob is found guilty, they get someone to kill and frame Patz. 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. After that is revealed, Laurie starts to think that Jacob might have murderous traits as well. But it was interesting playing something that is ambiguous, because as actors, sometimes I feel like I like that certainty. At this point, Andy reveals to his wife that his father, Billy Barber, is currently serving a life sentence in prison for rape and murder. She then swerves and crashes them headlong into the side of a bridge. Laurie gets mad and kills him. Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox! Apple has a policy that villians in tv shows or movies can't use Apple Products. Driving even faster now, Laurie says, I will never know over and over again an improvised moment from Dockery in that soundstage, with the machine-created weather conditions and projected landscape moving at full force. Jacob is targetedbecause he's a social outcastwith obvious communication issues. It appears as if he is sitting in Jacobs room. And sometimes you really have to leave it up to the people around you and take that pressure off yourself, and then it will all unfold onscreen., For his part, Evans says he doesnt think the crash was a hugely premeditated move: I do believe its born of a subconscious choice. The fact is we just dont know. They go out on a romantic meal together, but Andy and Laurie see Jacob back home earlier than expected and not in the same white shirt that he had worn. Defending Jacob book ending is also open-ended, with Laurie driving Jacob and crashing the car. anything about her. Defending Jacob doesn't confirm whether Jacob murdered Ben, but all signs point towards him doing so. Well, what am I playing here? One of the most attractive features of the Apple TV+ series is certainly its stellar cast. Episode eight follows on immediately from episode sevens ending. She visits the Rifkin household to seemingly confess to Jacobs guilt but, after seeing Bens mum Joan (Megan Byrne) struggling to cope, decides to take matters into her own hands. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. From there, the book becomes even darker:Laurie's crash results in Jacob's death, and she barely survives. WARNING: DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED DEFENDING JACOB!!! The story follows an assistant district attorney named Andy Barber, whos investigating the murder of 14-year-old Ben Rifkin. He may have told local bad boy Matt McGrath (Hale Lytle) that he was interested in someone called Ben while he was propositioning Matt but Matts hardly a reliable witness having already lied to the police once, and he doesnt turn up for Jacobs trial. The show never explicitly states whether Jacob (Jaeden Martell) committed murder. There has been a lot of stress, so why not go relax. "The book has one or two clues that suggest that Jacob might've done something to [Hope], and then we're really talking about someone who was a burgeoning serial killer," Bomback says. Jacob Barbers fingerprint is found on Bens sweater and Jacob is arrested. Related:Defending Jacob Cast Guide: Where You've Seen The Actors Before. Joanna Klein. I think he was a seriously screwed up kid. In Apple TV+'sDefending Jacob, there's a somewhat hopeful ending as the Barbers all survive. While Jacobs trial is going on, Patz commits suicide after confessing to have killed Ben in a letter. Your next true crime obsession has arrived! Laurie gets distant from Andy and Jacob and goes to Rifkin's'to confess about Jacob. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Andy storms out but refuses to tell Laurie (Michelle Dockery) what happened. Another suspect in the case is Leonard Patz. He confessed that he was the one who killed Ben. Wes Anderson Directing Star Wars? Cosgrove was one of three Louisville officers who shot their weapons during the botched drug raid on Taylor's home in March 2020. Andy gets drunk and revealshis fathers involvement with Laurie. Derek yoo and sara because of the blackmail. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Jacob reveals that he found Ben's body and didn't tell anyone. In the end, it is shown that Jacob is in a coma. Set in Massachusetts, Defending Jacob revolves around the Barber family. But since the episode closes with Lauries bedside regrets and Andys quiet moment in Jacobs room, They wind up actually flipping at the end, where Andy seems to be quite aware of what his son might have done, and Laurie is willing to accept a lie to preserve their family and move on. At this point, she just wants a definitive answer, and then asks her son if he killed Ben. The following story contains spoilers from the eighth and final episode of "Defending Jacob," "After." . And to not be able to cope with that, I think the act then becomes about Laurie taking her own life as opposed to the murder of a child. And so, the argument can be made for both Jacob and Patz. Actor (s) Liam Kilbreth. 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. Im not kidding. Jacob immediately befriends a fellow teenager named Hope who, the morning after a party, has mysteriously gone missing. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Apple TV+s limited series Defending Jacob, Apples new TV show reconsiders the murder gene. Heres what the science says, Review: Defending Jacob might be Apple TV+s first big flop, Tucker Carlson, Don Lemon blasted at White House Correspondents dinner, Tom Jones review: PBS Masterpieces latest period drama is laid-back and enjoyable, Michael J. In an attempt to put this whole ordeal behind them, the family heads to Mexico for a quiet vacation. This was one of the most critical scenes because you have to believe that a mother is able to kill herself and her own son, that the uncertainty and the guilt becomes too much, said Tyldum. 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. Andy's drunken emotional breakdowneffectively splits the family apart. The next day, she realises that Billy followed their plan earlier than usual and thanks the henchman. The final irony is that everybody seems to know what Laurie did - in fact, there are even witnesses whosaw her failed suicide-murder attempt. Dockery says that its clear Laurie is in a fog of her own trauma, and the ambiguity about her decision took a lot of work to calibrate correctly. By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. And what I was interested in is, how do you go forward from there when you know that your son potentially could come out of this thing? Laurie becomes more withdrawn from Andy and Jacob. 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. The ending of Defending Jacob might not prove to be completely satisfactory for viewers. 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. I dont think that our ending is any less bleak than the ending of the book, Bomback added. At first, the Barbers are shown attempting to fight the case as best as they can. If Jacob survives (and thats not a given) he will know that his mother believes hes a murderer and tried to kill him. "What I was most interested in, just as someone doing the writing, was really creating this subjective experience on the viewers' part with the parents. The case becomes more complicated when it is discovered that Andys father is a convicted murderer, serving his sentence in prison currently. Convinced that her son killed both teens, she ultimately sacrifices herself in order to save her sons future victims. Driving at full speed on a wet road, she crashes the car into the wall of a tunnel entrance, seemingly killing them both. The 50 greatest TV and movie detectives of all time. Privacy Policy. And what do I believe? Bomback opted to change the ending because this felt more true to the story we were telling over these eight hours, whereas in the book, Laurie is in the dark, and [the crash] is more a reaction to the realization that Jacob killed another person and might become a serial killer. Laurie decides to kill them both by crashing into the side of a tunnel. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Cookie Notice The story follows an assistant district attorney named Andy Barber, who's investigating the murder of 14-year-old Ben Rifkin. While driving, she asks her son to tell her the truth. But if I didnt, if I went too far the other way, it just looks like shes completely bonkers. It did bother me, that the night during the trial that Andy and Laurie heard an animal being . 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. Upon the recommendation of Jacobs lawyer, Andy and Laurie send Jacob to a genetic specialist, Dr. Vogel. Jacob's trial ends with a declaration of innocence, after a pedophile named Leonard Patz (Daniel Henshall) hangs himself and confesses to Ben's murder in a suicide note. Despite Billy hinting that he wasnt involved, flashbacks show that he was. 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. The next day Laurie drives Jacob to get a hair cut. Jacob, afraid of his mothers gradual speeding on such a rainy day, says, Fine, I killed him, OK? Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy, and director Rob Marshall share the tale behind making their underwater musical with a groundbreaking Disney princess. What I wanted to leave you with is the same sensation the parents have, which is, 'We'll never really know.'".
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