who really killed ben in defending jacob

THE END. Read More: Is Defending Jacob Based on a True Story? Their car incident is deemed as an accident and Laurie is also hurt gravely. So thats what I was going for, and it is different than the book. The 50 greatest TV and movie detectives of all time. Jacobs fingerprint is on Bens jacket but Jacob says that got there when he found the body but didnt tell anyone. 4. The suicide, confession and photographs that were deleted by Leonard from his phone point at the fact that he murdered Ben. 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. Defending Jacob Summary: Ben Rifkin is stabbed to death with a knife. Laurie drives in full speed, crashing the car into a tunnel wall, possibly killing them both. The Barbers were on a holiday when Jacob meets Hope Connors. Could Patz really have been forced to write that suicide note without more pleading, or force on screen? The car crashes. And hes going to look at you and wonder, did you or didnt you? Joanna Klein. We see that Leonard writes the suicide note confessing to killing Ben. Though Andy is questioned about the crash, he refuses to cooperate or incriminate Laurie in Jacobs death. Driving at full speed on a wet road, she crashes the car into the wall of a tunnel entrance, seemingly killing them both. More:Is Defending Jacob A True Story? 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. And is Jacob alive? She was really good at her job as well. When Andy asks his father if he did it, he repeatedly denies all knowledge albeit in a slightly stilted way. His grandfather is a convicted killer but his father is an upstanding member of the community, albeit one with a tendency towards reckless behaviour. Hough is a senior writer at Screen Rant. stated whether Jacob really did kill . Warning: This article contains major spoilers for the final episode of Defending Jacob. The following story contains . The family goes home immediately. ALSO READ | 'Raktanchal' ending explained: A final face off between Waseem Khan and Vijay Singh. MCU superstar Chris Evans portrays the patriarchal figure, a lawyer named Andy Barber. 2023 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. The book version: The Barbers head off to the Caribbean and Jacob . At the end Andy is alone at his home. "In a purely storytelling way, I'm not sure a definitive answer one way or the other would have been necessarily any more satisfying," says Bomback, who adapted the show from William Landay's 2012 novel. Defending Jacobimplies that Billy framed Patz, but it's also highly likely that Patz did indeed kill Ben and then accepted his fate. Jacob, Patz, Derek, Sarah, or even Billys henchman couldve done it. I dont think that our ending is any less bleak than the ending of the book, Bomback added. While Jacobs trial is going on, Patz commits suicide after confessing to have killed Ben in a letter. Father OLeary, the henchman, was asked to protect the family by Andys father and convicted murderer Billy. anything about her. Browse our new catalogue to inspire you with homeware, gardening tools, books and more! I dont think Laurie had any sort of calculated master plan. Ben was found in Cold Spring Park the morning Jacob walked to school. She still has Andy, who defends her during a deposition. Inside, Jacob's continued silencekeeps dark thoughts swirling in Laurie's head. Its not super important to me whether or not the audience gets a definitive answer about that, Bomback explained. Is Defending Jacob Based on a True Story. Jacob is set free. But Bens mother Joan was struggling to cope. What I wanted to leave you with is the same sensation the parents have, which is, 'We'll never really know.'". In contrast to Jacob, Leonard Patz is a grown adult who must be accountable for his decisions. Despite his discovery, Andy believes Jacob is innocent, as does his wife Laurie (portrayed on screen by Michelle Dockery). Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. She is the one who helped Andy and Laurie stay calm throughout the process, by giving them tips to avoid the media and attention. Andy storms away and decides to not tell anything to Laurie. I think he was a seriously screwed up kid. The last episode of Defending Jacob starts with the Assistant District Attorney and Jacob's father Andy Barber getting a phone call from their family lawyer, Joanna Klein, that Leonard Patz had left a note moments before he had committed suicide. "That to me was a really interesting and tragic moment that nevertheless felt like a moment of growth for the character. Your next true crime obsession has arrived! He finds a knife fitting the description of the murder weapon and, in his shock, hastily gets rid of it, but Jacob is arrested when his fingerprint is found on the inside of Bens sweater. Crucially, Andy doesn't tell Laurie about Billy until a family trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. However, Andy finds out that his father had arranged for Patz to be threatened into writing a confession and be killed. 38. Jacobs comatose status arguably leaves the story open for a second season. DEFENDING JACOB Ending Explained Breakdown & Spoiler Talk Review | Did Jacob Kill Ben? Due to the finding of Jacobs fingerprints on Bens body and the discovery that Jacob used to carry a knife to school, he (Jacob) becomes the prime suspect. You can unsubscribe at any time. And now this murderer is walking free and even though its my own son, its my fault.. The central premise of the show has been how the Barbers unite against all the odds. 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. We see Laurie speeding up the car more and more hysterically asking Jacob if he killed Ben. 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. Billy had asked Father OLeary to go to Patz and ask him to take the charge upon him, strangling him to death later. It was an accident. So what if Jacob was actually innocent all along? Youre at the mercy of the narrative in the same way that Andy and Laurie are.. More incriminating evidence is released at trial, including a story Jacob posted online thats eerily similar to Bens murder. As more information came out about him, it was obvious that the child was likely a psychopath and his father (unlike the mother) was in denial, refusing to see the . Andy then confronts his father Billy about this. Defending Jacob: Who Is The Real Killer Of Ben Rifkin (Spoiler Alert ). When she realises Andy knows about Patzs murder she blames Jacob because nobody but Andy knows about Patz, so Jacob is anyways safe. Andy goes back home and drinks alone. It did bother me, that the night during the trial that Andy and Laurie heard an animal being . For Bomback, it was far more interestingand devastatingfor Jacob to survive and be left unconscious. And to not be able to cope with that, I think the act then becomes about Laurie taking her own life as opposed to the murder of a child. He was initially spotted by the couple in town, leaving them unsure about his motivations. 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. Photo: Apple TV+. Andy knows how tensed Laurie has been earlier, so he decides not to tell her anything. Instead, the show leaves it maddeningly ambiguous all the way until the final frameand that, series writer Mark Bomback tells EW, is the point. 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'. In the end, it is shown that Jacob is in a coma. The new Apple TV+ miniseries, Defending Jacob, is sure to suck you in if it's anything like the book it's based on. Ultimately, however, Andy learns that Patz's confession was coerced, and Andy's father (J.K. Simmons)who himself is incarcerated for a decades-old murderordered an accomplice to frame and murder Patz, all to protect the youngest Barber. Andy had always suspected Patz, and after the police get the . 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. 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. Despite Billy hinting that he wasnt involved, flashbacks show that he was. Andy admits that his father is a murderer named Billy who is in prison. Its ultimately left up to the viewer to decide, however frustrating it may be that we dont get the closure we feel we deserve. We want people to watch it and say, Holy , Morten Tyldum, who directed all eight episodes, told The Times. In fact, the onscreen ending is closer to the initial conclusion of the story when he first submitted his manuscript as he told Bomback. And then of course, the tragic irony is, Hope is found and he really never needed to tell [Laurie] any of this. But then Hope show up, unharmed, after being drugged by vacationers. ProsecutorNeal Logiudice (Pablo Schreiber) finds a way to connect Andy's father being in prison with Jacob's trial. Jacob goes to see if he is dead but then he leaves the body and goes to school. Defending Jacob ending explained. After that is revealed, Laurie starts to think that Jacob might have murderous traits as well. Jacob is in a coma. According to Billy, Andycan either be a good man or be a good father; hegets to "choose." 115. The series was created and written by Mark Bomback and directed by Morten Tyldum. How is the shows finale different from the books ending? Defending Jacob Plot Summary: Jacob's classmate, Ben Rifkin, is found stabbed to death in a park. Next: Apple TV+ Is Most Divisive Streaming Service. Here we break down the ending of Defending Jacob, including how it differs from the book. But logic suggests that he's a quiet teenager who was bullied by classmates, and made some questionable comments for attention. It makes you empathize with Laurie, and the torture that causes her to snap.. ALSO READ | Homecoming Season 2 Ending Explained | How does Walter gets his final revenge? New episodes of Defending Jacob will be released every Friday through May 29. He just said it to get her to slow down. Is Bomback open to a Defending Jacob followup? Its officially been ruled an accident in court after Andy testifies saying, It was raining. From there, the book becomes even darker:Laurie's crash results in Jacob's death, and she barely survives. Jacob told his parents that Ben bullied him, and he did own a knife that he took to school. Since the Apple TV+ series strays from the source material and doesn't provide absolute clarity, viewers may be wondering what it all means, and whether the titular character is indeed a cold-blooded killer. In both the Defending Jacob show and book, the Barber family takes a vacation after the trail ends. Jacobs case is dismissed. The next morning, Hope cant be found. Would it really be that easy to fake a mans suicide by hanging? Part of her must know that she was in a horrible place that morning, Bomback says. Surely Patz would have struggled, or left other evidence, something in the note perhaps to suggest he was being coerced? After all Jacob rarely spoke for himself throughout the book, although he was the defendant and it was important to remain in a neutral sense. Sad times, we dont know! Naturally, Laurie panics about the reveal, and once again believes that her son is indeed a killer. Andy gets drunk and revealshis fathers involvement with Laurie. 8. The whole town starts to treat them differently, and they end up becoming outcasts. Meanwhile, the defense attorney, Joanna Klein (Cherry Jones), explains to a trial jury that it's not unusual for a teenager like Jacob to have mature images on his laptop. "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. She was speeding. 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. The story follows an assistant district attorney named Andy Barber, whos investigating the murder of 14-year-old Ben Rifkin. Disappearance At Clifton Hill Ending Explained: How Does Abby Solve The Kidnapping Case. Apple has a policy that villians in tv shows or movies can't use Apple Products. And as the final episode reveals, Defending Jacob never definitively weighs in on Jacob's guilt or innocence. Jacob reveals that he found Bens body and didnt tell anyone. 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. In addition, Andy discovers a knife in his son's room - a possible murder weapon - which is what kicks off the story, as the Barbersaren't fully convinced their sonis innocent. The Defending Jacobendingdoes not unveil whether Jacob did kill Ben. Of course, not everyone is convinced. This event echoes the ending of the 2012 book on which the show is based. Andy's drunken emotional breakdowneffectively splits the family apart. 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. That is what leads her to distrust her own son and crash the car. ), At Willie Nelson 90, country, rock and rap stars pay tribute, but Willie and Trigger steal the show, Concertgoer lets out a loud full body orgasm while L.A. Phil plays Tchaikovskys 5th, James Corden gets a star-studded send-off on his final Late Late Show, Kim Kardashian is catching shade from Patti LuPone and Sharon Stone for AHS casting, Jonathan Majors accuser gets full temporary protection order ahead of court date, Review: The Russo brothers spy thriller Citadel has plenty of action and little else, Former Springer bouncer Steve Wilkos pays tribute to TV mentor Jerry Springer. All in all, we dont know if Jacob did it. He chooses to lie again. This we do know in the TV show at least. Michelle Dockery, Jaeden Martell and Chris Evans in Defending Jacob, which ended with a twist-filled episode. Taylor was a 26-year-old emergency room technician and aspiring . Laurie survives and lives to explain what many would consider an unforgivable act. In Apple TV+'sDefending Jacob, there's a somewhat hopeful ending as the Barbers all survive. Absolute proof that Jacob did NOT kill Ben. Originally, I wanted an unresolved ending, where Andy, Laurie and Jacob are on the plane home, all three of them knowing what Jacob is, and we simply see them side by side on the plane, and then it cuts to black, said Landay. Jacob told his parents that Ben bullied him, and he did own a knife that he took to school. The lack of confidence in Jacob shatters both parents; they can't know for sure if their son is innocent. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. The Defending Jacobending reveals that Billy Barber orchestrated Patz's murder. 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. Stabbed three times in the chest, his body was found on a dirt path in Cold Spring Park by Paula Gianetto . Unsettled, Andy visits Billy, who indeed arranged for a blackmailed confession and suicide. But will Laurie ever be forgiven by Jacob, who clings to life in a separate hospital room? 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 when Laurie asks him who else knows he says nobody knows. 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. He eventually showed up at her house two days before Ben was killed with Ben's phone. The finallesson reinforces the underlying theme of faith in Defending Jacob. Trailer Mimicking Filmmakers Style Divides Social Media, On the Set of The Masked Singer: How the Team Produced the Show Safely During the Pandemic, This Is Us Star Sterling K. 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Making a splash: A deep dive into the live-action, premise seems like a simple murder investigation, Mark Ruffalo didn't warn Chris Evans about, Chris Evans on why taking the Buzz Lightyear role was similar to playing Captain America. Set in a small town, the show has a rather atmospheric feel to it. In the novel, youre a little more sure Jacob did do it, because of the disappearance of Hope, said Bomback. At the end of the day, Im not super interested in this binary thing of did he do it or didnt he do it? Thank you for reading this. If he killed somebody, she believes shes guilty as well for letting it happen. Jacob Barbers fingerprint is found on Bens sweater and Jacob is arrested. Laurie is now convinced that Jacob had killed Benand possibly Hope as well. Its almost a fitting punishment shared secrets between Jacob and his mother that they both know the other is a killer and neither will ever be believed. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Its deliberately ambiguous. Published: Friday, 29th May 2020 at 11:52 am. It is not! Mark Jacob is a journalist, media critic, and former metro editor at the Chicago Tribune. An alum of the Eugene ONeill Theater Centers National Critics Institute and Poynters Power of Diverse Voices, she leads workshops on arts journalism at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. The big reveal is foreshadowed by various meetings between Andy and Billy, with the latter refusing to offer any help. Based on William Landay'seponymous 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. But in the series, everythings still up in the air. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. 113. Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox! With the amount of context involving what Jacob said regarding the murder, it does not persuade me to believe that he did actually kill him. Jacob does have some other genetic traits, we learn, that make him predisposed towards some anti-social behaviours. Though police say there were some anomalies at the scene of Patz death they do rule it a suicide and Jacob is exonerated. Hope cannot be found the next day and the Mexico police think of Jacob as the prime suspect. The story shows how both parents lives are unraveling due to the pressures of not knowing whether their child is guilty or innocent. The Defending Jacob ending reveals that Billy Barber orchestrated Patz's murder.Specifically, he enlisted a long-time friend known as "Father O'Leary" (William Xifaras) to frame and kill the pedophile, which would allow his grandson, Jacob, to receive legal "proof of innocence." The big reveal is foreshadowed by various meetings between Andy and Billy, with the latter refusing to offer any help. 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. And thats exactly the point. Shes been an entertainment journalist for more than 15 years previously working at DVD & Blu-ray. The one where EW follows up with the cast. 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+. Defending Jacobdeviates from the book's heartbreaking ending. Patz because of some pedo infatuation. Winning several awards, it is not surprising that it would become a mini-series giving the audience time to . Later when the family are in Mexico Andy drunkenly tells Laurie he thinks his dad was responsible. Same blade size, as well as "teeth" on the blade. The revelation allows Jacob to walk free. Chris Evans, Michelle Dockery and creator Mark Bomback explain what happens and why the series ends on a more ambiguous note than the book. Who killed Ben rifkins? Andy had always suspected Patz, and after the police get the note confirmed to be that of Patz, Jacob is acquitted. When Jacob becomes a murder suspect, Laurie feels guilty that her son is being accused of the murder she committed. However, I have figured out the real killer of Ben Rifkin, at it is none other than: Laurie! After seeing Mrs Rifkin, she feels so upset she wants Jacob to tell Andy he did it so she can relax. Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter. Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy, and director Rob Marshall share the tale behind making their underwater musical with a groundbreaking Disney princess. But it was interesting playing something that is ambiguous, because as actors, sometimes I feel like I like that certainty. He may have told local bad boy Matt McGrath (Hale Lytle) that he was interested in someone called Ben while he was propositioning Matt but Matts hardly a reliable witness having already lied to the police once, and he doesnt turn up for Jacobs trial. While it seems that they met their happy ending, there is yet another piece of information revealed. I would rather leave that to your imagination. The family go to Mexico for a vacation. But then a witness goes missing, and Jacob's fascination with the macabre, like "The . The book and the show end differently but both come with a crushing blow. At first, it looks like the trial is moving along swimmingly like maybe the defense team will win. Laurie and Andy are depicted to be going through a lot as they defend their son. 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. Laurie starts to believe that Jacob might have killed Ben after Andy tells her about his finding. 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? The last episode of Defending Jacob starts with the Assistant District Attorney and Jacobs father Andy Barber getting a phone call from their family lawyer, Joanna Klein, that Leonard Patz had left a notemoments before he had committed suicide. Voting closed. Andy sits in Jacobs room quietly as the show ends. The case becomes more complicated when it is discovered that Andys father is a convicted murderer, serving his sentence in prison currently. Jacob, afraid of his mothers gradual speeding on such a rainy day, says, Fine, I killed him, OK? We review, recap and give our theories on the ending of Defending Jaco. The possibility of the murder gene is floated. Chris Evans and Michelle Dockery lead the cast while Jaeden Martell and Cherry Jones also play key roles.

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who really killed ben in defending jacob