Defending Jacob
Starring: Chris Evans, Michelle Dockery, Jaeden Martell
Directed By: Morten Tyldum
Alright, everyone, I think that I’m one of the five people in the world who paid for an Apple TV subscription to watch Defending Jacob. Week-by-week, I waited anxiously to see how each episode would unfold. Binge-watching was not an option with this series. They wanted to keep the audience in suspense every Friday. That’s right; this was like going back in time to watch TV the old fashioned way. I have taken some time to collect my thoughts and feelings. It’s time to review Defending Jacob.
The series based on the novel of the same name focuses on the close-knit family of Andy (Chris Evans), Laurie (Michelle Dockery), and son Jacob Barber (Jaeden Martell). The series begins on a quiet morning in the quiet suburban town of Newton, Massachusetts. The Barber family has no idea that day will change the course of their lives forever. As the town district attorney, Andy is called to a disturbing murder scene at a local park. It’s there that he finds 14-year-old Ben Rifkin was murdered. The murder rocks the local community. Ben was just a teenager and a classmate of Jacob’s. Why would anyone commit such a heinous crime? It’s Jacob’s indifference towards the event that puzzles Andy and Laurie. When a school friend accuses Jacob of killing Ben, the Barber family’s world turns upside down. Could he be capable of killing someone? Can he be trusted at all?
Defending Jacob excels at building intrigue. Screenwriter Mark Bomback builds tension in one episode to the next, as the audience isn’t sure if Jacob had something to do with Ben’s murder. New characters are introduced that make you believe they could be guilty. The series is seen through Andy’s perspective, so there is a constant internal battle of believing Jacob’s innocence vs. slowly seeing the possibility of his guilt. Each episode peels back another layer to Jacob that proves he may have done it. Jacob makes some idiotic decisions throughout the series that make it challenging to be on his side. At 14-years-old in the age of social media, it becomes a question of is he a murderer or just a teenager struggling emotionally? There’s a push of anger against Jacob’s actions and a pull of hoping he’s just a kid who’s emotionally distant. The series takes a fascinating look at how a family would deal with such an event. The Barber’s become social pariahs in their community, staying locked in their home so the world can’t find them. They analyze every sentence, reaction, and look from their son. Laurie begins to unravel while Andy is stuck in a state of denial.
The acting in this show is fantastic. Every character is cast perfectly. It’s Chris Evans and Jaeden Martell’s work as Andy and Jacob that stand out as potentially Emmy worthy. At the core, the show is about father/son relationships on a generational level.
Chris Evans has proved with Knives Out and now Defending Jacob that he can easily break away from the Captain America role that audiences have grown so accustomed to. Andy is a devoted father and hardworking district attorney with some dark secrets. He’d stop at nothing for his family, and sometimes, he takes it too far. Evans shows so much acting range as Andy going from a celebrated attorney at the beginning to a broken former shell of himself by the end. Also, he wears a lot of great sweaters. If you were a fan of the Knives Out cable knit, you will be a fan of his Defending Jacob wardrobe.
Jaeden Martell plays Jacob with a cold demeanor that makes you question his every move. One moment, he’s an average teenager, and the next, he sounds like a sociopath. It’s a testament to Martell’s acting ability that he’s can pull off so many emotional twists and turns.
Michelle Dockery gives a haunting performance as Laurie Barber. For anyone familiar with Dockery’s previous roles like Lady Mary in Downton Abbey, she has no trace of a British accent here. Laurie dedicates her life to children and works at a local school. That is all upended when Jacob is accused of murder. She has no idea what to do or how to behave around Jacob. She questions her son’s innocence and her parenting skills eventually leading to some very questionable decisions. She lives like a ghost in her own home, unsure if her life makes sense anymore. Dockery showcases the emotionally traumatizing effects of Jacob’s trial.
Supporting actors like Cherry Jones as the Barber’s lawyer Joanna Klein, J.K. Simmons as the mysterious Billy, and Betty Gabriel as Pam Duffy all add so much more to the already impressive cast. Their characters build on the Barber family dynamic, both helping and hindering their journey through Jacob’s trial. One character who will drive you insane is Neil Loguidice, played by Pablo Schreiber. Neil takes over as district attorney when it is discovered that Andy’s son is the prime suspect in the case. He is obnoxious and just plain rude, attempting to leverage personal information about Andy’s past into Jacob’s case. It’s my guarantee that you will want to yell at him in every episode.
I want to warn anyone who is thinking about watching Defending Jacob; the finale will most likely let you down. The first seven episodes are great in terms of writing, directing, and acting. It’s an excellent true-crime series that keeps you hooked. Unfortunately, it doesn’t stick the landing. I won’t get into spoiler territory because I still think the show is worth watching, but there is no doubt it leaves you with more questions than concrete answers. They should have just made one more episode to wrap things up for the audience. Instead, things feel rushed and incomplete.
Defending Jacob is a tense thriller that explores the complicated grey areas of a family in crisis over a devastating accusation. The performances are excellent and the plot will keep audience members intrigued. However, the series would have benefited greatly from a more definitive conclusion.