Ultimately, however, Andy learns that Patz's confession was coerced, and Andy's father (J.K. Simmons)who himself is incarcerated for a decades-old murderordered an accomplice to frame and murder Patz, all to protect the youngest Barber. The 14-year-old, upper-class student has led a seemingly ordinary life, but all of that changes when his classmate is found stabbed to death. 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. Andy finds out that a pedophile named Leonard Patz may have killed Ben. Jacob told his parents that Ben bullied him, and he did own a knife that he took to school. Billy tells Andy he can either be a good man and turn Jacob in, or be a good father and remain quiet. Just like Andy, as a viewer of Defending Jacob, we start to doubt again whether Jacob really killed Ben or not. After seeing Mrs Rifkin, she feels so upset she wants Jacob to tell Andy he did it so she can relax. But it was interesting playing something that is ambiguous, because as actors, sometimes I feel like I like that certainty. So it took it took a lot of time to fine tune that, and I think theyve done it really well in the edit. 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. Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox! "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. 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. Defending Jacob: Who Is The Real Killer Of Ben Rifkin (Spoiler Alert ). In both the Defending Jacob show and book, the Barber family takes a vacation after the trail ends. Andy has kept his feelings bottled inside for years, whether protecting Jacob throughout his trial or lying about his father's incarceration, but the disappearance of Hope is the thing that finally breaks him, and he tells Laurie the truth about Patz. Though, the book does lean towards suggesting that Jacob might be the actual killer. The ending of AppleTV+'s 'Defending Jacob' series diverts from William Landay's 2012 novel in two key ways. 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. 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 novel begins with Andy (played by Chris Evans in the show) suspecting the perpetrator to be local pedophile Leonard Patz. The monster cannot be killed. A distraught Sarah confided in Derek, who took a dark turn and said he'd fix the problem. 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. 'Defending Jacob' Finale Explained: Chris Evans Michelle Dockery 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. 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." If the TV adaptation stays faithful to the book, then viewers will be left guessing when it comes to Jacobs guilt. She offers to pay him even more money if he calls Andy and tells him about this without saying. Andy knows how tensed Laurie has been earlier, so he decides not to tell her anything. Just as one single thought crushed Andy's psyche in Mexico, a few simple words destroy Laurie's frame of mind, resulting in a near-fatal accident after swerving off the road. Youre at the mercy of the narrative in the same way that Andy and Laurie are.. The finale of Apple TV+s limited series Defending Jacob had more twists and turns than that wet, cold road Michelle Dockerys character drove. 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. In an attempt to put this whole ordeal behind them, the family heads to Mexico for a quiet vacation. Cosgrove was one of three Louisville officers who shot their weapons during the botched drug raid on Taylor's home in March 2020. However, there are some major changes in the series. 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. Not Quite. Jacob's parents defend him but struggle to ascertain whether their son is actually guilty. The show keeps you guessing right up to the end (and beyond) about exactly what did happen to Ben (Liam Kilbreth), to Hope (Jessi Case), with OLeary (William Xifaras) and Billy Barber (J.K. Simmons) and of course what the future holds for Andy, Laurie (Michelle Dockery) and Jacob. With the amount of context involving what Jacob said regarding the murder, it does not persuade me to believe that he did actually kill him. America So She Could Breastfeed Privately, Michael J. She is disturbed and cannot seem to trust Jacob. But if I didnt, if I went too far the other way, it just looks like shes completely bonkers. Its ultimately left up to the viewer to decide, however frustrating it may be that we dont get the closure we feel we deserve. In the end, it is shown that Jacob is in a coma. Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey) co-stars as Andy's wife, Laurie, and Jaeden Martell (IT) rounds out the main cast as the couple's 14-year-old son, Jacob. ALSO READ | Disappearance At Clifton Hill Ending Explained: How Does Abby Solve The Kidnapping Case? Plus, aside from the girl on vacation, theres another major change: that Andy tells Laurie about his fathers involvement in framing the other suspect. Jacob because of the bullying. 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. She was really good at her job as well. Jacob meets a 16 year old girl called Hope. When Laurie wakes up in the hospital, she insists that the crash was an accident, but Andy isn't so sure. At the end of this, now hes going to be the one living with it did they or didnt they? He confessed that he was the one who killed Ben. The whole town starts to treat them differently, and they end up becoming outcasts. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. The big reveal is foreshadowed by various meetings between Andy and Billy, with the latter refusing to offer any help. Andy comes to know from Lynn Canavan that some eyewitnesses had seen an old blue Lincoln car outside Leonards home the night he had died. 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. During the trial, she is shocked to hear the story because she didnt know about Jacob seeing her there. The viewer is meant to feel the frustration of never really knowing if he is guilty or innocent. Defending Jacob doesnt confirm whether Jacob murdered Ben, but all signs point towards him doing so. In an effort to put that whole nightmare behind them, the Barber family goes on vacation to Jamaica, where Jacob hits it off with a girl named Hope. < Defending Jacob ending explained: Did Jacob Barber murder Ben Rifkin? She angrily confronts him and pleads with him to tell her that he murdered Ben. 2023 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. Jacob, Patz, Derek, Sarah, or even Billys henchman couldve done it. A few days later, he was murdered. Its more just a process of elimination.. 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. Conversely though, at the end its his mother who is an attempted murderer. WARNING: Major spoilers concerning the source materials ending revealed below! Defending Jacob: Who Is The Real Killer Of Ben Rifkin (Spoiler Alert 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. Jacob immediately befriends a fellow teenager named Hope who, the morning after a party, has mysteriously gone missing. 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. More incriminating evidence is released at trial, including a story Jacob posted online thats eerily similar to Bens murder. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? Derek yoo and sara because of the blackmail. She was speeding. One similarity between the book and the series that remains intact is how its never explicitly stated whether Jacob really did kill Ben. I would rather leave that to your imagination. We don't yet know the story behind Tucker Carlson's firing. Even thoughJacob didn't killHope in Mexico, Laurie becomes more suspicious than ever about the Rifkin murder. 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. Everything changes when a local pedophile namedLeonard Patz (Daniel Henshall) kills himself andadmits that he killedRifkin. I do think Jacob was guilty and just had zero remorse for anything. However, Andy finds out that his father had arranged for Patz to be threatened into writing a confession and be killed. 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? ALSO READ | Homecoming Season 2 Ending Explained | How does Walter gets his final revenge? 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Jacob told his parents that Ben bullied him, and he did own a knife that he took to school. In fact, the onscreen ending is closer to the initial conclusion of the story when he first submitted his manuscript as he told Bomback. Jacobs comatose status arguably leaves the story open for a second season. Thats the crux of the problem Laurie is facing: Shell never, ever get the truth. In the car while they wait for Andy and their lawyer, Laurie decides to tell Jacob the truth, unaware he saw the whole thing. Defending Jacob ending explained: Who killed Ben? | Radio Times Sad times, we dont know! DEFENDING JACOB Ending Explained Breakdown & Spoiler Talk Review - YouTube The finallesson reinforces the underlying theme of faith in Defending Jacob. When a young girl named Hope goes missing under mysterious circumstances, Andy can't help but wonder whether Jacob might be involvedagain. Apple has a policy that villians in tv shows or movies can't use Apple Products. If I have a new narrative that took this as a starting point, Id be happy to explore it.