If the Apple TV+ series stays faithful to the book, here's what'll happen to the 14-year-old. The central premise of the show has been how the Barbers unite against all the odds. The Den of Geek quarterly magazine is packed with exclusive features, interviews, previews and deep dives into geek culture. Defending Jacob: Who Is The Real Killer Of Ben Rifkin (Spoiler Alert ). Photo: Apple TV+. Their car incident is deemed as an accident and Laurie is also hurt gravely. 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. 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 told his parents that Ben bullied him, and he did own a knife that he took to school. Andy storms out but refuses to tell Laurie (Michelle Dockery) what happened. 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. Hough is a senior writer at Screen Rant. 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. "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.". After seeing Mrs Rifkin, she feels so upset she wants Jacob to tell Andy he did it so she can relax. anything about her. Defending Jacob doesnt confirm whether Jacob murdered Ben, but all signs point towards him doing so. A few days later, he was murdered. 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. If he killed somebody, she believes shes guilty as well for letting it happen. . 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. Thats one of the plot points thats been altered from the book more on that later. Defending Jacob ending has posed a lot of questions about the show and the plot in the minds of the audience. The next day, she realises that Billy followed their plan earlier than usual and thanks the henchman. Jacob immediately befriends a fellow teenager named Hope who, the morning after a party, has mysteriously gone missing. The monster cannot be killed. But you dont have anything conclusive. Jacob reveals that he found Bens body and didnt tell anyone. Jacob Owen "Jake" Barber is the titular character of the Apple TV+ limited series, Defending Jacob. Unsettled, Andy visits Billy, who indeed arranged for a blackmailed confession and suicide. Jacob was not a suspect to begin with and his father, Andy Barber, worked on the case and Leonard Patz was a suspect initially . 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. Based on William Landay'seponymous 2012 novel and adapted for television by Mark Bomback,Defending Jacob began its eight-episode run on April 24, 2020 and concluded on May 20, 2020. However, there are some major changes in the series. We learn that Jacob does not have this gene, but his grandfather and father do. RELATED: Defending Jacob Just Dealt the Barber Family a Shocking Blow. Andy goes back home and drinks alone. ), At Willie Nelson 90, country, rock and rap stars pay tribute, but Willie and Trigger steal the show, Concertgoer lets out a loud full body orgasm while L.A. Phil plays Tchaikovskys 5th, James Corden gets a star-studded send-off on his final Late Late Show, Kim Kardashian is catching shade from Patti LuPone and Sharon Stone for AHS casting, Jonathan Majors accuser gets full temporary protection order ahead of court date, Review: The Russo brothers spy thriller Citadel has plenty of action and little else, Former Springer bouncer Steve Wilkos pays tribute to TV mentor Jerry Springer. 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. Thats the crux of the problem Laurie is facing: Shell never, ever get the truth. Convinced that her son killed both teens, she ultimately sacrifices herself in order to save her sons future victims. Was she trying to kill Jacob or herself? THE END. 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. He was initially spotted by the couple in town, leaving them unsure about his motivations. Anyways, Bye. She may not have specifically been trying to kill him or indeed both of them but the crash wasnt an accident. And as the final episode reveals, Defending Jacob never definitively weighs in on Jacob's guilt or innocence. Apple TV+'sDefending Jacobendingis tragic, but the book handled a bit differently. He uses Apple products. After weeks of twists and turns, Defending Jacobs finale had one final shock up its sleeve. While driving Jacob to get his haircut, Laurie asks him if he killed Ben. Yes, she did. While that is completely understandable as a parent, that is the turning point.. Part of her must know that she was in a horrible place that morning, Bomback says. Did Jacob kill Ben, what does the murder gene have to do with it and what are the differences from the book? At this point, she just wants a definitive answer, and then asks her son if he killed Ben. For Bomback, it was far more interestingand devastatingfor Jacob to survive and be left unconscious. Derek yoo and sara because of the blackmail. The discussions of empathy or lack of empathy coming from the parents was also interesting on this point. When the ending rolls around, Jacob's mother has become convinced of his guilt and attempts to get . Andy had always suspected Patz, and after the police get the note confirmed to be that of Patz, Jacob is acquitted. It sort of strained credibility, especially in the way that I had written the character.". As it turns out, Father O'Leary never intended to harm Laurie or Jacob. 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. 4. The Barbers' trip to Mexico creates various forms of conflict in the Defending Jacob season finale. Defending Jacob is a limited series made for Apple TV. Father OLeary, the henchman, was asked to protect the family by Andys father and convicted murderer Billy. The ending of AppleTV+'s 'Defending Jacob' series diverts from William Landay's 2012 novel in two key ways. Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. 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. The teenagers plan to spend time together on New Year's Eve, andit's ultimately revealed that Hope went missing, with the implication being that Jacob could be a serial killer. Rosie Fletcher is the UK Editor of Den Of Geek. She was speeding. 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. In the novel which tells the story solely from Andys perspective Hope is eventually found dead, and Laurie never learns of the forced confession. Meanwhile, the defense attorney, Joanna Klein (Cherry Jones), explains to a trial jury that it's not unusual for a teenager like Jacob to have mature images on his laptop. Unable to hide the truth any longer, Andy gets drunk and tells Laurie about his fathers involvement. Crucially, Andy doesn't tell Laurie about Billy until a family trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. He confessed that he was the one who killed Ben. The ending of the series is much more ambiguous than the book in William Landays 2012 novel, the girl Jacob meets on vacation turns up dead, confirming Lauries worst suspicions. Chris Evans character Andy learns to own up to everything that hes been trying to conceal, said Defending Jacob creator Mark Bomback. One day after Laurie notices a peculiar red stain on her sons bathing suit, Hope is declared missing. Do you need the cleansing of truth or can you compartmentalize and find a balance just being a little bit darker?. 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. Billy pointedly asks Andy if he is sure, which might be an indicator that he intends to do something about it. Bens father Dan, however, meets the Barbers in a car park but is stopped by a henchman who was stalking the Barbers. 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. She offers to pay him even more money if he calls Andy and tells him about this without saying. Defending Jacobimplies that Billy framed Patz, but it's also highly likely that Patz did indeed kill Ben and then accepted his fate. The police pull Jacob in for questioning, and Jacobs parents are again filled with confusion about whether their son is a serial killer. 3. 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. Laurie begins to think that Jacob is really Bens killer. Derek yoo and sara because of the blackmail, Scan this QR code to download the app now. Andy's drunken emotional breakdowneffectively splits the family apart. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Laurie begins to think that Jacob is really Ben's killer. https://nerdround.com/ Defending Jacob Season Finale Explained | Who Killed Ben Rifkin ?#defendingjacob #whokilledbenrifkin #nerdroundMake Sure To Subscribe . So it took it took a lot of time to fine tune that, and I think theyve done it really well in the edit. 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. The finale of Apple TV+s limited series Defending Jacob had more twists and turns than that wet, cold road Michelle Dockerys character drove. The ending connotes how the three Barbers end up isolating themselves because of the accusation. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Read More: Is Defending Jacob Based on a True Story? Jacob Barbers fingerprint is found on Bens sweater and Jacob is arrested. However, the tight focus of the shot means that its not possible to see if anyone else is in the room coercing him. Making a splash: A deep dive into the live-action Little Mermaid with a new generation's Ariel. Still,Laurie becomes convinced that her son is guilty, and tearfully breaks the news to her husband. She herself does not know how to get her own family back. And so, the argument can be made for both Jacob and Patz. His father, Andy, and mother, Laurie, do everything in their power to prove his . He eventually showed up at her house two days before Ben was killed with Ben's phone. But it wasnt written with that intention, and its not really something Im actively working on right now.. 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. He is played by Jaeden Martell. But if I didnt, if I went too far the other way, it just looks like shes completely bonkers. She cleans the knife in the water and goes home. While it seems that they met their happy ending, there is yet another piece of information revealed. During the holiday, Jacob befriends Hope Connors - a 16-year-old from Toronto - and the pair go to a New Years Eve beach party together. Defending Jacobdeviates from the book's heartbreaking ending. And no one dies in the crash as Laurie recovers in the hospital, with Jacob in a coma, Andy has been on the witness stand, asserting that Lauries sudden swerve was an accident. Reading the case file, Andy finds out from eyewitness accounts that an old blue Lincoln car - the same one Father OLeary drives - was seen outside of Patzs apartment complex on the night he died. He possessed a knife very similar to the one that killed Ben Rifkin. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Defending Jacob Cast Guide: Where You've Seen The Actors Before, Is Defending Jacob A True Story? Laurie is badly injured and Jacob is in a coma. Here we break down the ending of Defending Jacob, including how it differs from the book. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Jacobs case is dismissed. 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. 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. Conversely though, at the end its his mother who is an attempted murderer. She asks Jacob about it while they are in a car. 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. Reply. And is Jacob alive? Jacob is in a coma. Landay never had a problem with the idea of making changes from the novel. Apple TV+'s Defending Jacob miniseries ends with some closure, but not everything is resolved. 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. Absolute proof that Jacob did NOT kill Ben. Cookie Notice Yep, once again, we dont know! 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. Jacob dies on impact and Laurie suffers critical injuries. She freaks out because she is becoming more and more paranoid that someone will find out she killed Ben. The suicide, confession and photographs that were deleted by Leonard from his phone point at the fact that he murdered Ben. 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. Despite Jacobs protestations that he didnt, Laurie refuses to believe him. I dont think Jacob did it because usually someone would confess when their life was on the line and he kept saying it wasnt him. Andy then admits to his wife, Laurie (Dockery), that the evidence letting Jacob off the hook for murder was fabricated. Jacobs comatose status arguably leaves the story open for a second season. < Defending Jacob ending explained: Did Jacob Barber murder Ben Rifkin? Hope is eventually found safe and sound, but the damage has been done. The final scene signifies how the accusation against Jacob eventually made Andy alone. 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. What I wanted to leave you with is the same sensation the parents have, which is, 'We'll never really know.'". At first, it looks like the trial is moving along swimmingly like maybe the defense team will win. At the age of fourteen, he blackmailed Sarah Grohl. He had built his marriage on a lie by not telling Laurie about his father being in prison. WARNING: DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED DEFENDING JACOB!!! However, I have figured out the real killer of Ben Rifkin, at it is none other than: Laurie! Here's what the science says. Q.V. Laurie, in the hospital, tells Andy that she wants her family back. Patz because of some pedo infatuation. The car crashes. 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. But when Laurie asks him who else knows he says nobody knows. Its deliberately ambiguous. I loved it you really feel that shes unraveling, recalled Tyldum. In fact, the onscreen ending is closer to the initial conclusion of the story when he first submitted his manuscript as he told Bomback. But it was interesting playing something that is ambiguous, because as actors, sometimes I feel like I like that certainty. Jacob says he didnt do it but he also wrote a story which sounded like it could have been a description of what happened. 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. 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. 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. 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.
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