"It's like sailing towards an iceberg, little white peak in the distance, getting closer and closer, but really it's been underneath us the whole time." - Jacob Barber
Director: Morten Tyldum
Release Date: April 24th, 2020 (3 Episodes, then 1 released every Friday)
Where Available: Apple TV+
Summary:
The limited drama series is a gripping, character-driven thriller based on the 2012 New York Times best selling novel of the same name by William Landay. An assistant DA's world is shattered when his beloved son gets charged with murder.
Review:
I am a big Marvel fan, and it is no coincidence that Captain America was my favorite super hero. After Chris Evans made his depart from the Marvel Universe, passing the torch Anthony Mackie, he moved onto two projects: Knives Out and Defending Jacob. Knives Out is on my list of movies to watch, but I wanted to check Defending Jacob off my list first. The series is based off of a novel with the same title written by William Landay. A friend of mine had actually read the book before the series was announced and said so many good things about it. This show was a breakout series for the new Apple TV+ streaming service, and I really enjoyed watching it!
Andy Barber lived a perfectly normal life as Assistant District Attorney in his small Massachusetts home with his wife and son. His life begins to spiral out of control when his son Jacob is accused of murder. Andy Barber must decide if he is going to find true justice in this case or do whatever it takes to protect his son.
Character Review:
Andy Barber, played by Chris Evans: I am sure we are all a fan of Chris Evans and his work in many Marvel movies, and I promise he does not disappoint in this series. Andy Barber lived a perfectly normal small town life as Assistant District Attorney with his wife Laurie and son Jacob. His world flips upside down when his son Jacob is accused of murdering a neighborhood boy Ben Rifkin. Not only does Andy Barber have to deal with the fact that he was laid off from his job for being to close to the case, but he can't even walk outside his house without being abused by reporters or other families who have heard the stories on the news. I have to admit, this work from Chris Evans and the rest of the cast is some of the best acting I have seen this year. There were moments in each episode where I literally forgot I was watching actors play characters and became so immersed in the episode. I am not sure if anyone else watching felt like this, but it doesn't happen very often for me. I am usually so focused on the acting, design, and cinematography of a show that it never happens. I am extremely excited to see what projects Chris Evans takes on next because I really enjoyed watching this one.
Laurie Barber, played by Michelle Dockery: Laurie Barber is the reason this show is as insane as it is. As the overprotective mother of Jacob, Laurie will do anything she can to make sure that Jacob, even at the cost of her sanity. This is the first production I have seen with Michelle Dockery, and like I said before about this show having the best acting I have seen this year, Michelle Dockery is a large part of that. You are meant to empathize with Laurie because she will never really find out the truth about this case. The slow deterioration of her character and sanity from episode 1 to episode 8 was a lot to process, but I really enjoyed watching it. You almost slowly go insane with her.
Jacob Barber, played by Jaeden Martell: Most of us know Jaeden Martell from the IT movie series as Ben, and I can see why they cast him for Jacob. Jaeden Martell made this character so believable and realistic that I was often comparing his personality to people I have met before, obviously not the being accused of murder part though. The show was directed so the viewer could fall to either side of the argument: Jacob did murder Ben or he is a teen wrongly accused. I was often flip flopping back and forth up until the very end of the show and it definitely kept me engaged through the slower parts of the episodes. This show isn't like normal crime dramas where we are always following the court case and reliving the actual event. It focusses on the life of Jacob and his family as the world now sees them different. The power of the media, friends, and law enforcement all add to the depth we receive from these characters, especially Jacob, in just these short 8 episodes.
This show was a little slow moving. I hate to say that because it was extremely enjoyable, but there were parts that weren't necessarily needed to further the plot. From a non-critical and strictly entertainment level standing, I don't think the pace of the show takes away from how AMAZING the acting and cinematography is. One thing about the cinematography that is a little annoying is the washed blue filter, similar to the one in Ozark. The dull visuals take away from the reality of the show, and that is when I begin to remember I am watching a TV show.
I have talked to a few people who read the Defending Jacob book, and not all of them have nice things to say about the ending. In my opinion, not having read the book, the ending was definitely not my favorite. I thought it was almost the easy way out, a quick ending to get the series over-with. After research on the actual ending of the book, I can understand why readers where not such great fans of the ending. The series leaves the lives of the Barbers up to interpretation, while the book closes the story completely. I wont completely give away the endings if you want to watch the series or read the book, but lets just say that neither ending is extremely happy.
Overall, I loved this series. It was exciting looking forward to a new episode every Friday. something we don't usually do on Netflix or on other streaming sites because everything is given to us all at once. Every week I would come back wondering if Jacob was innocent or guilty, and how far Andy and Laurie would go to protect her son. If you want a great crime drama, I definitely recommend Defending Jacob. But, if you are one of the many people I know who prefer books over their live remakes, maybe skip this one case.
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