who really killed ben in defending jacob

The story shows how both parents lives are unraveling due to the pressures of not knowing whether their child is guilty or innocent. "That to me was a really interesting and tragic moment that nevertheless felt like a moment of growth for the character. one who killed Jacob's classmate, Ben. But when a friend of Bens suggests that there was animosity between Ben and Jacob, Andy decides to search his sons room. In Apple TV+'sDefending Jacob, there's a somewhat hopeful ending as the Barbers all survive. While driving, she asks her son to tell her the truth. Defending Jacob is an Apple TV+ series that tells a slow-burn tale revolving around a couples attempt to prove their sons innocence with regards to the murder of his classmate. Billy tells Andy he can either be a good man and turn Jacob in, or be a good father and remain quiet. Cosgrove was one of three Louisville officers who shot their weapons during the botched drug raid on Taylor's home in March 2020. Apple TV+'s Defending Jacob miniseries ends with some closure, but not everything is resolved. Jacobs behaviour and Hopes disappearance convinces Laurie. Related:Defending Jacob Cast Guide: Where You've Seen The Actors Before. The end implants the impact of the disintegration of the Barber family in the viewers minds. WARNING: DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED DEFENDING JACOB!!! 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Laurie drives in full speed, crashing the car into a tunnel wall, possibly killing them both. 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. Youre at the mercy of the narrative in the same way that Andy and Laurie are.. The Den of Geek quarterly magazine is packed with exclusive features, interviews, previews and deep dives into geek culture. And hes going to look at you and wonder, did you or didnt you? 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? 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. Episode eight follows on immediately from episode sevens ending. Next: Apple TV+ Is Most Divisive Streaming Service. All Rights Reserved. Wes Anderson Directing Star Wars? But then a witness goes missing, and Jacob's fascination with the macabre, like "The . 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. The conclusion to the gripping limited series delivers some answers, but also poses more questions. Her body turns up several weeks later, and an autopsy discovers that her windpipe had been crushed. MCU superstar Chris Evans portrays the patriarchal figure, a lawyer named Andy Barber. "In fact, he's going to now be having the same doubts about his mom that she's been harboring about him throughout the entire story.". 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 finale of Apple TV+s limited series Defending Jacob had more twists and turns than that wet, cold road Michelle Dockerys character drove. Andy's drunken emotional breakdowneffectively splits the family apart. 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. Defending Jacob is streaming now on Apple TV+ check out what else is on with our TV Guide, Try 12 issues for 1 today - never miss an issue. Laurie starts to doubt Jacobs innocence, causing a rift between her and Andy. Billy had asked Father OLeary to go to Patz and ask him to take the charge upon him, strangling him to death later. Its ultimately left up to the viewer to decide, however frustrating it may be that we dont get the closure we feel we deserve. arsy80 3 yr. ago. The next morning, Hope cant be found. At first, the premise seems like a simple murder investigation: A local Massachusetts boy named Ben Rifkin is found stabbed in a suburban park, and assistant district attorney Andy Barber (Chris Evans) takes up the case. On the surface, it allows the family toescape from reality as they contemplate an impending move to Denver. It ends up destroying their family, subverting the very central premise as a form of a slow-burn twist. How Palm Springs ran out Black and Latino families to build a fantasy for rich, white people, 17 SoCal hiking trails that are blooming with wildflowers (but probably not for long! Upon the recommendation of Jacobs lawyer, Andy and Laurie send Jacob to a genetic specialist, Dr. Vogel. Defending Jacob doesnt confirm whether Jacob murdered Ben, but all signs point towards him doing so. Jacobs classmate, Ben Rifkin, is found stabbed to death in a park. 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. When Andy asks his father if he did it, he repeatedly denies all knowledge albeit in a slightly stilted way. Defending Jacob book ending is also open-ended, with Laurie driving Jacob and crashing the car. Jacob comes and sees what is happening. She embraces this lie, you know, it must have been an accident. Andys journey has been this challenge to own up to everything that hes been trying to conceal: He comes clean about who his father is, and he tells Laurie the truth [about the forced confession], even if it means destroying everything hes been fighting to preserve this whole time. It makes you empathize with Laurie, and the torture that causes her to snap.. 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. The story follows an assistant district attorney named Andy Barber, who's investigating the murder of 14-year-old Ben Rifkin. Andy decides not to tell Laurie and Jacob. What Actually Happened: Laurie goes for her morning run and sees Ben. You can unsubscribe at any time. From there, the book becomes even darker:Laurie's crash results in Jacob's death, and she barely survives. Jacob goes to see if he is dead but then he leaves the body and goes to school. It shows the negative impact of wrongful accusations. I think he was a seriously screwed up kid. Jacob is installed as the chief suspect by Mexicos police and the Barbers are rigorously interviewed. 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. ALSO READ | The Vast Of Night Ending Explained: What Happens To Everett And Fay At The End? Its a different kind of bleak but hopefully, one that feels very much in keeping with the story weve been telling.. The discussions of empathy or lack of empathy coming from the parents was also interesting on this point. 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. Michelle Dockery, Jaeden Martell and Chris Evans star in "Defending Jacob," the latest series to mention a "murder gene.". It was an accident. So what if Jacob was actually innocent all along? Patz because of some pedo infatuation. However, there are some major changes in the series. During this whole show, we didnt even get close to finding out who killed Ben. Defending Jacob ending explained. 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. The body rolls down the hill and she goes to see if he is dead. To write an ending that allows Andy and Laurie to slip out of that permanent relationship with Jacob in any way isnt true to the experience of most parents, who are in a permanent relationship with their children whether they like it or not.. The suicide, confession, and photographs of Ben that Patz deleted from his phone - in episode two - all point towards him murdering Ben. Laurie begins to think that Jacob is really Ben's killer. OLeary is his right hand man on the outside and we know hes been tasked with looking out for the Barber family but that does not mean he murdered Patz. Just like Andy, as a viewer of Defending Jacob, we start to doubt again whether Jacob really killed Ben or not. Unable to hide the truth any longer, Andy gets drunk and tells Laurie about his fathers involvement. Andy knows how tensed Laurie has been earlier, so he decides not to tell her anything. And thats exactly the point. 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. He finally got everything back. At a party on New Years Eve, Hope goes missing and Jacob leaves his shirt at the beach. She confronts him about bullying her son but Ben doesnt care. Sad times, we dont know! Defending Jacob doesn't confirm whether Jacob murdered Ben, but all signs point towards him doing so. As more information came out about him, it was obvious that the child was likely a psychopath and his father (unlike the mother) was in denial, refusing to see the . 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. 4. Benjamin "Ben" Rifkin was the son of Dan and Joan Rifkin. Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter. Andy confronts his father over his apparent involvement. "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. Despite Jacobs protestations that he didnt, Laurie refuses to believe him. 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. 8. We want people to watch it and say, Holy , Morten Tyldum, who directed all eight episodes, told The Times. Published: Friday, 29th May 2020 at 11:52 am. In the book Hope the girl Jacob meets in Mexico (Jamaica in the novel) washes up dead on the beach. 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. Before going to Mexico, Andy wasn't sure about his son being a murderer, but things changed after the trip - and he ultimately started to side with Laurie on the matter. Defending Jacobdeviates from the book's heartbreaking ending. Landay never had a problem with the idea of making changes from the novel. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. 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. Thats one of the plot points thats been altered from the book more on that later. 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. 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 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. And yet hes living with this one massive lie, which is, we are indirectly responsible for the murder of another human being, and everything you thought at the end of episode seven about our son is back on the table., Says Evans, I think in our version, everyone copes with shame and guilt differently and I dont think Laurie has any of the coping mechanisms necessary to process a life of, once she understands that Father OLeary killed Patz, shes a part of the lies now. Jacobs online habits are pretty odd, its true, but liking weird stuff on the internet does not make you a killer. Laurie is now convinced that Jacob had killed Benand possibly Hope as well. I thought it was true to this idea that parenting goes on after the end of the book and the end of childhood.. Crucially, Andy doesn't tell Laurie about Billy until a family trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Thank you for reading this. But when Laurie asks him who else knows he says nobody knows. Andy cant help but feel suspicious over Leonards death, and learns that his gut feeling is spot-on during another trip to see his father. 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 told through Andys eyes and its not clear whether the crash is an accident or not, though Andy refuses to incriminate Laurie at all. Hope is found safe and Jacob had nothing to do with her disappearance. Jacob refuses again and again. Did Jacob do it in 'Defending Jacob'? Chris Evans, Michelle Dockery and creator Mark Bomback explain what happens and why the series ends on a more ambiguous note than the book. WARNING: Major spoilers concerning the source materials ending revealed below! The ending of AppleTV+'s 'Defending Jacob' series diverts from William Landay's 2012 novel in two key ways. Is Bomback open to a Defending Jacob followup? Its deliberately ambiguous. The central premise of the show has been how the Barbers unite against all the odds. 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 kid that ran away. In an attempt to put this whole ordeal behind them, the family heads to Mexico for a quiet vacation. 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. It stars Chris Evans, Michelle Dockery, Jaeden Martell, Cherry Jones, Pablo Schreiber, Betty Gabriel, and Sakina Jaffrey. Althougheverything points out the fact that he committed the murder. When a local teenager named Ben Rifkin is found dead, Jacob quickly becomes the primary suspect due to comments made on social media, both by himself and classmates. America So She Could Breastfeed Privately, Michael J. However, Andy finds out that his father had arranged for Patz to be threatened into writing a confession and be killed. The lack of confidence in Jacob shatters both parents; they can't know for sure if their son is innocent. 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. Over the course of its eight episodes, the AppleTV+ limited series carefully doles out many of the hallmarks of a standard murder mystery, from red herrings and tense trials to more than a few shocking twists. A later deposition reveals that Laurie began the day by calling attorney Joanna Klein early in the morning, along with Dr. Vogel. 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. Laurie survives and lives to explain what many would consider an unforgivable act. It is not! Andy had initially suspected Patz - a convicted paedophile - and, after the police confirmed Patzs handwriting on the note, Jacob is acquitted as the trial collapses. 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, Apple TV+ Is Most Divisive Streaming Service. The Defending Jacobending reveals that Billy Barber orchestrated Patz's murder. Laurie tells him to let go but he doesnt. Convinced that her son killed both teens, she ultimately sacrifices herself in order to save her sons future victims. Im not kidding. Laurie is now convinced that her son is responsible for both murders, and purposefully crashes her car while Jacob's in the passenger seat to alleviate her guilt. He finds a knife fitting the description of the murder weapon and, in his shock, hastily gets rid of it, but Jacob is arrested when his fingerprint is found on the inside of Bens sweater. 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. This event echoes the ending of the 2012 book on which the show is based. 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. Chris Evans, Michelle Dockery and creator Mark Bomback explain what happens and why the . Billy confesses to Andy that he hired a hitman to force Patz to confess then kill him. Ann Warman I believe that Jacob not only killed Ben, but Hope as well. Here we break down the ending of Defending Jacob, including how it differs from the book. That is what leads her to distrust her own son and crash the car. The peace Laurie found when the charges against Jacob were dropped is irreversibly disturbed. His father, Andy, and mother, Laurie, do everything in their power to prove his innocence. The Defending Jacobendingdoes not unveil whether Jacob did kill Ben. 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. Hope cannot be found the next day and the Mexico police think of Jacob as the prime suspect. Andy and Laurie both remember that Jacob wrote a bizarre story online in which he seemingly confessed to Ben's murder, and now they're confronted with yet another tragedy, it seems, that forcesAndy to confess the truth about his father. Even in the book on which the show is based leaves it open for interpretation. And so, the argument can be made for both Jacob and Patz. The revelation allows Jacob to walk free. But logic suggests that he's a quiet teenager who was bullied by classmates, and made some questionable comments for attention. Was it a split-second decision, or did she plan it? When the ending rolls around, Jacob's mother has become convinced of his guilt and attempts to get . And what do I believe? Well, what am I playing here? And as the final episode reveals, Defending Jacob never definitively weighs in on Jacob's guilt or innocence. After seeing Mrs Rifkin, she feels so upset she wants Jacob to tell Andy he did it so she can relax. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Assistant District Attorney and Jacobs father Andy Barber (Chris Evans) receives a phone call from family lawyer Joanna Klein (Cherry Jones) to tell him that Leonard Patz (Daniel Henshall) left a note, moments before committing suicide, confessing that hed killed Ben. As it turns out, Father O'Leary never intended to harm Laurie or Jacob. Laurie gets mad and kills him. Its not super important to me whether or not the audience gets a definitive answer about that, Bomback explained. This we do know in the TV show at least. Defending Jacob ending explained: Here is a detailed explanation of what happens at the end of the limited miniseries Defending Jacob starring Chris Evans. We see that Leonard writes the suicide note confessing to killing Ben. 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. 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. Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy, and director Rob Marshall share the tale behind making their underwater musical with a groundbreaking Disney princess. 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. 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. She may not have specifically been trying to kill him or indeed both of them but the crash wasnt an accident. In fact, the onscreen ending is closer to the initial conclusion of the story when he first submitted his manuscript as he told Bomback. 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. Everything changes when a local pedophile namedLeonard Patz (Daniel Henshall) kills himself andadmits that he killedRifkin. anything about her. Jacob's parents defend him but struggle to ascertain whether their son is actually guilty. Andy sits in Jacobs room quietly as the show ends. It is based on a book with the same name byWilliam Landay. AppleTV+s new crime drama Defending Jacob is a twisty turny tale which focuses on a father (Chris Evans) whose 14-year-old son Jacob (Jaeden Martell) is accused of murdering one of his classmates. The series consists of eight episodes. The one where EW follows up with the cast. Jacobs case is dismissed. 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. She is currently working remotely alongside her dog, Oliver. Andy finds out that a pedophile named Leonard Patz may have killed Ben. Who killed Ben rifkins? In the car while they wait for Andy and their lawyer, Laurie decides to tell Jacob the truth, unaware he saw the whole thing. The revelation that Hope is alive and well is also a deviation from Landay's book, which suggests that Jacob murdered her. While it seems that they met their happy ending, there is yet another piece of information revealed. Perhaps, Andy starts to feel that it could be his fault. 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. 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. 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. 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. The finallesson reinforces the underlying theme of faith in Defending Jacob. 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. While that is completely understandable as a parent, that is the turning point..

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