who really killed ben in defending jacob

The case becomes more complicated when it is discovered that Andys father is a convicted murderer, serving his sentence in prison currently. And what do I believe? At the end of the day, Im not super interested in this binary thing of did he do it or didnt he do it? Jacob is innocent because. Cookie Notice Lemme explain. Its a different kind of bleak but hopefully, one that feels very much in keeping with the story weve been telling.. Reply. There is one single piece of proof that can prove how Jacob can't be Bens killer. Derek yoo and sara because of the blackmail. The peace Laurie found when the charges against Jacob were dropped is irreversibly disturbed. It would have to spring from some idea that hasnt occurred to me yet that would really feel as compelling as I hope this season has, he said. Even thoughJacob didn't killHope in Mexico, Laurie becomes more suspicious than ever about the Rifkin murder. Father OLeary, the henchman, was asked to protect the family by Andys father and convicted murderer Billy. One of the most attractive features of the Apple TV+ series is certainly its stellar cast. And I think for each of them, theyre going to always have a lingering doubt.. Their car incident is deemed as an accident and Laurie is also hurt gravely. 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. 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. At the age of fourteen, he blackmailed Sarah Grohl. Hope is eventually found safe and sound, but the damage has been done. 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. The open-ended show leaves it to the viewers to decide on it. Who do you think killed ben? : r/DefendingJacob_TV - Reddit 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. But it was interesting playing something that is ambiguous, because as actors, sometimes I feel like I like that certainty. ALSO READ | Homecoming Season 2 Ending Explained | How does Walter gets his final revenge? RELATED: Defending Jacob Just Dealt the Barber Family a Shocking Blow. 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. Andy carries the knowledge that his son may not be innocent all the way until the Barbers go on vacation in an attempt to destress after the trial. However, Andy finds out that his father had arranged for Patz to be threatened into writing a confession and be killed. She still has Andy, who defends her during a deposition. The police suspect Jacob of killing her. Bens father Dan, however, meets the Barbers in a car park but is stopped by a henchman who was stalking the Barbers. Did Jacob do it in 'Defending Jacob'? Andy tries to forget his fathers involvement, but the truth eventually comes out. As he visits a hospital after the hearing, its revealed Jacob is in a coma and on life support. 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. 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. During this whole show, we didnt even get close to finding out who killed Ben. The ending connotes how the three Barbers end up isolating themselves because of the accusation. Everything changes when a local pedophile namedLeonard Patz (Daniel Henshall) kills himself andadmits that he killedRifkin. 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. I think he was a seriously screwed up kid. Its ultimately left up to the viewer to decide, however frustrating it may be that we dont get the closure we feel we deserve. Whatever you want, just slow down, please., This is what Laurie, and the audience, have been waiting to hear, and yet its validity is still in question. Apple TV+ From left, Chris Evans stars as Andy Barber, Michelle Dockery as Laurie Barber and Jaeden Martell as Jacob Barber in the miniseries "Defending Jacob," streaming on Apple TV+. Who killed Ben rifkins? Jacob's parents, Laurie and Andy, try to help get him out. A.I. We want people to watch it and say, Holy , Morten Tyldum, who directed all eight episodes, told The Times. A few days later, he was murdered. What I wanted to leave you with is the same sensation the parents have, which is, 'We'll never really know.'". 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. He chooses to lie again. Any difficulty or complexity that your child brings into this world becomes a part of your own life. [This story contains spoilers from the finale of Apple TV+s Defending Jacob.]. 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. 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. Defending Jacob - Was Jacob guilty? Showing 1-50 of 91 - Goodreads Her body turns up several weeks later, and an autopsy discovers that her windpipe had been crushed. But when a friend of Bens suggests that there was animosity between Ben and Jacob, Andy decides to search his sons room. The book is told from Andys point of view while the show has made changes to retain the spirit of the ambiguity without being tied to an unreliable narrator. If the central question of Defending Jacob is what happens when your child is accused of a horrific crime, the natural follow-up lingering in the background of every episode is potentially even more important: Did he do it? In Defending Jacob Episode 7, the trial begins, and the prosecution does not hold back. Could Patz really have been forced to write that suicide note without more pleading, or force on screen? On top of that, Jacob can clearly recognize that his own parents aren't convinced of his innocence, which could lead to more awkward behavior as he tries to figure out his place in the world as a 14-year-old. 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 . Offers may be subject to change without notice. But later, in the hospital, she doesnt appear to remember what happened, and both she and Jacob will likely recover. Hes pulled off the case after his son Jacob, a classmate of the victim, is arrested for the crime. After that, all evidence already points towards Jacob so she decides to convince Andy that he is the murderer, since she already has a plan to make sure hes found innocent. Jacob put the idea of killing Ben back in Lauries head after Hope went missing too. 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 Jacob ending explained: Did Jacob Barber murder Ben Rifkin? We learn that Jacob does not have this gene, but his grandfather and father do. So thats what I was going for, and it is different than the book. I like this tragic notion of were in a prison of our own making as were leaving these characters. "He's doing the right thing for the very first time in the story by being completely honest with her, even at the risk of destroying everything that he's just saved," Bomback explains. Benjamin "Ben" Rifkin was the son of Dan and Joan Rifkin. Jacob is set free. 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. He eventually showed up at her house two days before Ben was killed with Ben's phone. "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.". Dr. Vogel concludes that Jacob does not have the murder gene as it is passed maternally but does show genetic traits of manipulation and violence. 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. 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. In the novel, youre a little more sure Jacob did do it, because of the disappearance of Hope, said Bomback. The series consists of eight episodes. The big reveal is foreshadowed by various meetings between Andy and Billy, with the latter refusing to offer any help. DEFENDING JACOB Ending Explained Breakdown & Spoiler Talk Review | Did Jacob Kill Ben? Hence, he is possibly thinking about how his sons life and teenage years got ruined because of the accusation. And then of course, the tragic irony is, Hope is found and he really never needed to tell [Laurie] any of this. When Laurie sees the henchmans car. But then a witness goes missing, and Jacob's fascination with the macabre, like "The . The police pull Jacob in for questioning, and Jacobs parents are again filled with confusion about whether their son is a serial killer. Unsettled, Andy visits Billy, who indeed arranged for a blackmailed confession and suicide. Questions of Jacob's guilt drive Laurie to a breaking point, culminating with a tense confrontation between mother and son in the car. Billy had asked Father OLeary to go to Patz and ask him to take the charge upon him, strangling him to death later. She then swerves and crashes them headlong into the side of a bridge. It sort of strained credibility, especially in the way that I had written the character.". Outside, the rain pours and makes navigation difficult. And with Hope missing, he mightve killed again. The suicide, confession, and photographs of Ben that Patz deleted from his phone - in episode two - all point towards him murdering Ben. And if hes guilty? Jacobs case is dismissed. Instead, the show leaves it maddeningly ambiguous all the way until the final frameand that, series writer Mark Bomback tells EW, is the point. Andy then confronts his father Billy about this. Were entering major spoiler territory from here on out. Well, what am I playing here? 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. Now that the explosive and heart wrenching eighth episode has aired, we have the answers some of them, at least. Its not super important to me whether or not the audience gets a definitive answer about that, Bomback explained. The family goes home immediately. When she realises Andy knows about Patzs murder she blames Jacob because nobody but Andy knows about Patz, so Jacob is anyways safe. Did Jacob Kill Ben Rifkin - 1688 Words | Internet Public Library One similarity between the book and the series that remains intact is how its never explicitly stated whether Jacob really did kill Ben. Andy's drunken emotional breakdowneffectively splits the family apart. The kid that ran away. Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. 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. Chris Evans character Andy learns to own up to everything that hes been trying to conceal, said Defending Jacob creator Mark Bomback. Apple TV+ limited drama Defending Jacob stars Chris Evans and Michelle Dockery as the parents of a teenager accused of murdering a classmate. Laurie decides to kill them both by crashing into the side of a tunnel. Laurie starts to doubt Jacobs innocence, causing a rift between her and Andy. Andy decides not to tell Laurie and Jacob. The Defending Jacobendingdoes not unveil whether Jacob did kill Ben. If the Apple TV+ series stays faithful to the book, here's what'll happen to the 14-year-old. But since the episode closes with Lauries bedside regrets and Andys quiet moment in Jacobs room, They wind up actually flipping at the end, where Andy seems to be quite aware of what his son might have done, and Laurie is willing to accept a lie to preserve their family and move on. The show is based on a novel of the same name by William Landay. He's pulled off the case after his son Jacob, a classmate of the victim, is arrested for the crime. Just like Andy, as a viewer of Defending Jacob, we start to doubt again whether Jacob really killed Ben or not. More:Is Defending Jacob A True Story? The Hollywood Reporter is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Defending Jacob Has a New Suspect - and He May Be Worse Than Jacob - CBR According to Billy, Andycan either be a good man or be a good father; hegets to "choose." Defending Jacob Episode 7 officially sets Jacob's trial into motion. Before you give us your thoughts on Episode 1, let's break down what happened in the series premiere: Based on William Landay's 2012 novel, Defending Jacob stars Evans as Andy Barber, an . Billy tells Andy he can either be a good man and turn Jacob in, or be a good father and remain quiet. 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. It must be Jacobs lucky day, says a brawny old friend of Billy (J.K. Simmons), Andys estranged father, who is currently serving a life sentence in prison for murder. 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. Billy confesses to Andy that he hired a hitman to force Patz to confess then kill him. Set in Massachusetts, Defending Jacob revolves around the Barber family. 4. Defending Jacob Ending Explained | Den of Geek She may not have specifically been trying to kill him or indeed both of them but the crash wasnt an accident. The following story contains spoilers from the eighth and final episode of Defending Jacob, After.. Sad times, we dont know! What Actually Happened: Laurie goes for her morning run and sees Ben. All Rights Reserved. Plus, aside from the girl on vacation, theres another major change: that Andy tells Laurie about his fathers involvement in framing the other suspect. Laurie, in the hospital, tells Andy that she wants her family back. I felt like the ending was really interesting largely because I thought the show was highlighting her ability to see Jacob's darkness because of some darkness within herself. Jacob keeps declining and Laurie believes he did kill Ben so she crashes the car deliberately. anything about her. 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. The ending of Defending Jacob might not prove to be completely satisfactory for viewers. Despite Jacobs protestations that he didnt, Laurie refuses to believe him. 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. The one where EW follows up with the cast. Was she trying to kill Jacob or herself? She was really good at her job as well. But is the high school student really a killer? Landay never had a problem with the idea of making changes from the novel. Laurie begins to think that Jacob is really Ben's killer. I would rather leave that to your imagination. Would it really be that easy to fake a mans suicide by hanging? Yet nobody knows for sure if Jacobhad anything to do with Ben's death. At first, it looks like the trial is moving along swimmingly like maybe the defense team will win. Jacob, afraid of his mothers gradual speeding on such a rainy day, says, Fine, I killed him, OK? one who killed Jacob's classmate, Ben. But if I didnt, if I went too far the other way, it just looks like shes completely bonkers. 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 could have lived with this burden of guilt in the same way that he's lived with this other lie for so long and gone on to live a more or less contented life, but he doesn't.". This Is What Went Down in the Last Ever Episode of 'Modern Family', Here's Who Kills the Mom on Lifetime's 'A Killer Among Us'. 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. The Defending Jacobending reveals that Billy Barber orchestrated Patz's murder. The book and the show end differently but both come with a crushing blow. Laurie tells him to let go but he doesnt. So it took it took a lot of time to fine tune that, and I think theyve done it really well in the edit. 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. Actor (s) Liam Kilbreth. Laurie and Andy are depicted to be going through a lot as they defend their son. Bomback opted to change the ending because this felt more true to the story we were telling over these eight hours, whereas in the book, Laurie is in the dark, and [the crash] is more a reaction to the realization that Jacob killed another person and might become a serial killer. He confessed that he was the one who killed Ben. By Defending Jacobepisode 7, the Barberfamily history becomes an issue in court. The whole town starts to treat them differently, and they end up becoming outcasts. If he killed somebody, she believes shes guilty as well for letting it happen. and our The following story contains . But Bens mother Joan was struggling to cope. Its deliberately ambiguous. I think if Id given you a definitive answer on either one of those, you would have been a little bit frustrated because youve already entertained the possibility in both directions, says creator Mark Bomback. It's another change from Landay's original novel: In the book, Jacob dies in the crash. Jacob's fatherlied about his past to Laurie, and then became too self-righteous to accept any help fromhis father. When a young girl named Hope goes missing under mysterious circumstances, Andy can't help but wonder whether Jacob might be involvedagain. From there, the book becomes even darker:Laurie's crash results in Jacob's death, and she barely survives. Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox! At a party on New Years Eve, Hope goes missing and Jacob leaves his shirt at the beach. 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. Is Bomback open to a Defending Jacob followup? 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." We don't yet know the story behind Tucker Carlson's firing. Defending Jacob Reader Q&A - Goodreads At first, the Barbers are shown attempting to fight the case as best as they can. Flashbacks are shown where he can be seen involved in this, but he refuses it in front of Andy. Could Jacob have been responsible? I dont think Laurie had any sort of calculated master plan. Wes Anderson Directing Star Wars? Is Defending Jacob Based on a True Story. 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. Jacob is targetedbecause he's a social outcastwith obvious communication issues. 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. Also, Derek Yoo claims that Jacob wrote a story on a website called "Cutting Room" that greatly resembled the murder of Ben Rifkin. Defending Jacob | Season 1 - Episode 8 | Discussion Thread 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. Laurie remembers an incident from Jacobs childhood when Jacob had nearly hit another kid on the head with a bowling ball. Jacobs online habits are pretty odd, its true, but liking weird stuff on the internet does not make you a killer. She herself does not know how to get her own family back. Making a splash: A deep dive into the live-action Little Mermaid with a new generation's Ariel. Patz commits suicide and leaves a note confessing to killing Ben. Is that red mark on his bathing trunks really ketchup, or could it be blood? Thats one of the plot points thats been altered from the book more on that later. Defending Jacob: The 10 Best Characters, Ranked - Screen Rant Later when the family are in Mexico Andy drunkenly tells Laurie he thinks his dad was responsible. Another suspect in the case is Leonard Patz. He finally got everything back. Possibly, but unlikely. It is not! The discussions of empathy or lack of empathy coming from the parents was also interesting on this point. stated whether Jacob really did kill . But I think if you read the book and you like the book, hopefully youll be a little sideswiped by this in a good way., Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day, Inside the business of TV with breaking news, expert analysis and showrunner interviews. This we do know in the TV show at least. Warning: This article contains major spoilers for the final episode of Defending Jacob. 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. ALSO READ | Disappearance At Clifton Hill Ending Explained: How Does Abby Solve The Kidnapping Case? Upon the recommendation of Jacobs lawyer, Andy and Laurie send Jacob to a genetic specialist, Dr. Vogel. And thats exactly the point. He says no, and then he says yes, but neither answer is reliable since hes afraid for his life. 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. Andy sits in Jacobs room quietly as the show ends. The body rolls down the hill and she goes to see if he is dead. 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. She confronts him about bullying her son but Ben doesnt care. When Andy asks his father if he did it, he repeatedly denies all knowledge albeit in a slightly stilted way. Defending Jacob Summary: Ben Rifkin is stabbed to death with a knife. And once again, the Barbers find themselves wondering how well they really know each other. The story follows an assistant district attorney named Andy Barber, whos investigating the murder of 14-year-old Ben Rifkin. The 50 greatest TV and movie detectives of all time. If you havent watched every episode, youll want to turn back now. That is what leads her to distrust her own son and crash the car.

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