‘Defending Jacob’ Explores How Parents Perceive Their Children and the Role of Genetics in Violent Crimes

Sandra Miska

Two parents find themselves trapped in a living nightmare in the Apple TV Plus limited series “Defending Jacob.” Based on a novel by William Landay, “Defending Jacob” is the latest adaptation, following the likes of “Big Little Lies” and “Little Fires Everywhere,” to focus on the darker side of suburban life. But no onscreen family in the aforementioned series faced pressures like those experienced by Andy (Chris Evans) and Laurie Barber (Michelle Dockery), a respected couple in Newton, MA who find their lives destroyed after their 14-year-old son, Jacob (Jaeden Martell), is accused in the brutal murder of his classmate. 

The eight episodes are framed by the testimony of Andy, once a respected assistant district attorney, before a grand jury. He is being grilled by a formidable prosecutor, Neal Logiudice (Pablo Schreiber), who we come to learn was once mentored by Andy. Flashback to a year prior, and eighth-grader Ben Rifkin (Liam Kilbreth) is found stabbed to death at a local park. As his son knew Ben from school and he’s acquainted with the boy’s parents (Megan Byrne, Patrick Fischler), Andy feels more than the usual responsibility when he’s put in charge of the case, and he diligently questions all of the eighth-graders, including his son. Jacob’s outward reaction to Ben’s death is honest or callous, depending on how one looks at it, as he feels his mourning classmates are only behaving as they feel they should, as Ben was supposedly arrogant and a bully. 

The situation takes a turn after Andy is annonymously sent a link to a social media post in which Jacob is accused of Ben’s murder by multiple classmates, and one kid even points out that Jacob owns a knife. At this point, the line between assistant D.A. and father becomes blurry for Andy, as he confiscates his son’s knife only to throw it in the trash, convincing himself that there’s no way his boy was capable of murder and he only desposed of it for safety reasons. But nothing can prepare him and Laurie for the shock they receive when they are told that Jacob’s fingerprint was found on Ben’s shirt, evidence that leads to his being arrested and charged with murder in the first.

Convinced that a local convicted pedophile, Leonard Patz (Daniel Henshall), killed Ben, Andy continues to conduct his own investigation after being put on leave from work, crossing further past ethical boundaries. His frustration is palpable as he deals with reluctant witnesses and damning evidence concerning his son, but the most riveting scenes involve him and Laurie coming to terms with not only how people look at them differently, but also their changing perception of Jacob. Even if the teen is not a killer, he certainly has some serious issues, as his internet history reveals.

In addition to exploring the legal system and the different ways parents perceive their children, “Defending Jacob” also offers a fascinating look at the role genetics potentially play when it comes to criminal acts. It is revealed that Andy’s own father, Billy (J.K. Simmons), was convicted of rape and murder when Andy was just a boy, which means that Jacob could have possibly inherited a “murder gene,” which sounds like something made up for TV, but has basis in science.

“Defending Jacob” features a stellar ensemble cast that also includes Cherry Jones as Jacob’s determined defense attorney and talented newcomer Jordan Alexa Davis as Sarah, Jacob’s only friend after he is charged. But the MVP here is Dockery as Laurie who reconciles the son that she nurtured and loves with the Jacob that is being revealed to her, a troubled youth with antisocial tendencies.

“Defending Jacob” premieres April 24 with new episodes streaming every Friday on Apple TV+.