As it turns out, the henchman – Father O'Leary (William Xifaras) – was instructed by Andy's father and convicted murderer Billy (J. K. Simmons) to protect them. The suicide, confession, and photographs of Ben that Patz deleted from his phone – in episode two – all point towards him murdering Ben.
The series definitely feels like it's a dramatization of an actual true crime story. It's Jaeden Martell portrays Jacob, the teen at the center of the story, while Evans and Michelle Dockery play his parents. But despite these similarities to true crime dramatizations, Defending Jacob is a work of pure fiction.
The ending of the series is much more ambiguous than the book — in William Landay's 2012 novel, the girl Jacob meets on vacation turns up dead, confirming Laurie's worst suspicions. Jacob dies instantly in the car crash. But in the series, everything's still up in the air.
Apple TV+'s Defending Jacob ending is tragic, but the book handled a bit differently. Based on William Landay's eponymous 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.
Defending Jacob likewise stars two-time Emmy winner Cherry Jones (The Handmaid's Tale) as Joanna Klein, Pablo Schreiber (American Gods) as Neal Logiudice, Sakina Jaffrey (Timeless) as Lynn Canavan, Betty Gabriel (Get Out) as Paula Duffy, Paul Wesley (The Vampire Diaries) as Bobby, Leighton Meester (Gossip Girl) as Sara
A gripping, character-driven thriller based on the 2012 New York Times best-selling novel of the same name, and starring Chris Evans, Michelle Dockery, Jaeden Martell, Cherry Jones, Pablo Schreiber, Betty Gabriel and Sakina Jaffrey.
One similarity between the book and the series that remains intact is how it's never explicitly stated whether Jacob really did kill Ben. “In the novel, you're a little more sure Jacob did do it, because of the disappearance of Hope,” said Bomback. “But you don't have anything conclusive.
Unfortunately, 'Defending Jacob' is not available on Netflix. However, if you want to watch a Michelle Dockery project, you can stream 'Godless' on Netflix.
Defending Jacob Is Worth The WatchAnd, quite frankly, the entire series would be ruined for me if they decided to make a second season that tells us who did it. The power in Defending Jacob is all found within its confidence in keeping the story interesting by giving us as little information as we need.
Apple announces “Defending Jacob” starring Chris Evans and Michelle Dockery to premiere April 24. Apple TV+ is available on the Apple TV app on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, iPod touch, Mac, select Samsung smart TVs, Amazon Fire TV and Roku devices, as well as at tv.apple.com, for $4.99 per month with a seven-day free trial.
