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. 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. If you havent watched every episode, youll want to turn back now. As more information came out about him, it was obvious that the child was likely a psychopmore I believe that Jacob not only killed Ben, but Hope as well. Hes on vacation with his family, theyre living, they escaped. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. 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. His father, Andy, and mother, Laurie, do everything in their power to prove his innocence. Benjamin Rifkin | Defending Jacob Wiki | Fandom Wes Anderson Directing Star Wars? Apple TV+'sDefending Jacobendingis tragic, but the book handled a bit differently. Defending Jacob is a limited series made for Apple TV. Defending Jacob Ending, Explained | Who Killed Ben? - The Cinemaholic But when Laurie asks him who else knows he says nobody knows. Inside, Jacob's continued silencekeeps dark thoughts swirling in Laurie's head. One of the most attractive features of the Apple TV+ series is certainly its stellar cast. WARNING: DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED DEFENDING JACOB!!! 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. Benjamin "Ben" Rifkin was the son of Dan and Joan Rifkin. The ending of AppleTV+'s 'Defending Jacob' series diverts from William Landay's 2012 novel in two key ways. 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. 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. Its more just a process of elimination.. 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. She is the one who helped Andy and Laurie stay calm throughout the process, by giving them tips to avoid the media and attention. Not Quite, Apple TV+ Is Most Divisive Streaming Service. 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. Laurie drives in full speed, crashing the car into a tunnel wall, possibly killing them both. The finallesson reinforces the underlying theme of faith in Defending Jacob. An area sex offender who was always the obvious suspect, according to Jacobs father, Andy (Chris Evans) has hanged himself, and left behind a written confession: He was the one who killed Jacobs classmate, Ben. . Jacob told his parents that Ben bullied him, and he did own a knife that he took to school. If he killed somebody, she believes shes guilty as well for letting it happen. Derek yoo and sara because of the blackmail, Scan this QR code to download the app now. All Rights Reserved. Jacob's fatherlied about his past to Laurie, and then became too self-righteous to accept any help fromhis father. Billy sent Father OLeary to force Patz to confess to Bens murder, before strangling him to death and making it look like suicide, to prevent Jacob ending up in prison like him. He eventually showed up at her house two days before Ben was killed with Ben's phone. Naturally, Laurie panics about the reveal, and once again believes that her son is indeed a killer. In an attempt to put this whole ordeal behind them, the family heads to Mexico for a quiet vacation. Andy had always suspected Patz, and after the police get the note confirmed to be that of Patz, Jacob is acquitted. 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. Fox Says Battle With Parkinsons Disease Keeps Getting Tougher: Im Not Going to Be 80, TV Premiere Dates 2022: The Complete Guide, Broadcast TV Unscripted Scorecard 2022: Whats New, Renewed and Canceled, TV Pilots 2022: The Complete Broadcast Guide, The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News. Andy tells Laurie the truth about Patzs death. Laurie becomes convinced again that Jacob killed Ben, even though Hope turns up alive the following day. Laurie is now convinced that Jacob had killed Benand possibly Hope as well. 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. 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 . When the ending rolls around, Jacob's mother has become convinced of his guilt and attempts to get . 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. She was really good at her job as well. 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? Lemme explain. And I think for each of them, theyre going to always have a lingering doubt.. Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter. Who do you think killed ben? : r/DefendingJacob_TV - Reddit It shows the negative impact of wrongful accusations. Andy confronts his father over his apparent involvement. I think it unravels. Despite Billy hinting that he wasnt involved, flashbacks show that he was. I would rather leave that to your imagination. Coupled with Lauries memories of a young Jacob almost dropping a bowling ball on another childs head, it was enough to persuade her that he did it. Ann Warman I believe that Jacob not only killed Ben, but Hope as well. For more information, please see our Laurie gets mad and kills him. Absolute proof that Jacob did NOT kill Ben. Andy storms out but refuses to tell Laurie (Michelle Dockery) what happened. Here's what the science says. "He finally got away with this one crime, and now he's going to quickly, within the matter of six months, kill somebody else. The following story contains spoilers from the eighth and final episode of "Defending Jacob," "After." . However, Sarah was livid as she doesn't know what he did or what drama he was pulling her into. 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. In the novel, youre a little more sure Jacob did do it, because of the disappearance of Hope, said Bomback. Defending Jacob Ending: Here's Why The Series Ends On That Scene In the book Hope the girl Jacob meets in Mexico (Jamaica in the novel) washes up dead on the beach. Defending Jacob ending explained: Here is a detailed explanation of what happens at the end of the limited miniseries Defending Jacob starring Chris Evans. The open-ended show leaves it to the viewers to decide on it. Outside, the rain pours and makes navigation difficult. But later, in the hospital, she doesnt appear to remember what happened, and both she and Jacob will likely recover. Hope is found safe and Jacob had nothing to do with her disappearance. Hope cannot be found the next day and the Mexico police think of Jacob as the prime suspect. Perhaps, Andy starts to feel that it could be his fault. His father, Andy, and mother, Laurie, do everything in their power to prove his . Episode eight follows on immediately from episode sevens ending. But if I didnt, if I went too far the other way, it just looks like shes completely bonkers. And once again, the Barbers find themselves wondering how well they really know each other. Defending Jacob: Differences Between The Show And Book Ending 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. And hes going to look at you and wonder, did you or didnt you? 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. 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. Laurie expresses concern at the end of the final episode that Jacob might not believe it was an accident does this mean shes forgotten what she did? Jacob is targetedbecause he's a social outcastwith obvious communication issues. 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. That is what leads her to distrust her own son and crash the car. He confessed that he was the one who killed Ben. Part of her must know that she was in a horrible place that morning, Bomback says. Apple TV+'s Defending Jacob miniseries ends with some closure, but not everything is resolved. So thats what I was going for, and it is different than the book. Is Defending Jacob Based on a True Story. Defending Jacob writer dissects the shocking final episode | EW.com Their car incident is deemed as an accident and Laurie is also hurt gravely. Its ultimately left up to the viewer to decide, however frustrating it may be that we dont get the closure we feel we deserve. I dont think that our ending is any less bleak than the ending of the book, Bomback added. Bens father Dan, however, meets the Barbers in a car park but is stopped by a henchman who was stalking the Barbers. Defending Jacob: Who Is The Real Killer Of Ben Rifkin (Spoiler Alert It was an accident. So what if Jacob was actually innocent all along? As the Barbers prepare for a vacation to Mexico, Andy is told by District Attorney Lynn Canavan (Sakina Jeffrey) that the Patzs case had some inconsistencies. MCU superstar Chris Evans portrays the patriarchal figure, a lawyer named Andy Barber. ALSO READ | The Vast Of Night Ending Explained: What Happens To Everett And Fay At The End? She embraces this lie, you know, it must have been an accident. All in all, we dont know if Jacob did it. We don't yet know the story behind Tucker Carlson's firing. Also, Derek Yoo claims that Jacob wrote a story on a website called "Cutting Room" that greatly resembled the murder of Ben Rifkin. The conclusion to the gripping limited series delivers some answers, but also poses more questions. While it seems that they met their happy ending, there is yet another piece of information revealed. Laurie decides to take matters in her own hands. By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. While that is completely understandable as a parent, that is the turning point.. Laurie, in the hospital, tells Andy that she wants her family back. In both cases, something happens to a young girl during the vacation. Who knows. DEFENDING JACOB Ending Explained Breakdown & Spoiler Talk Review - YouTube Jacob refuses again and again. Not only does he now know that his mother doesnt believe him, he also knows she tried to kill him which no one in the world will believe. He is played by Jaeden Martell. Distractify is a registered trademark. 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. We want people to watch it and say, Holy , Morten Tyldum, who directed all eight episodes, told The Times. 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. 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. From there, the book becomes even darker:Laurie's crash results in Jacob's death, and she barely survives. 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. 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.