User Reviews

Defending Jacob - B+ (Memorable)

Defending Jacob is a compelling story about a boy charged for murder as his bully is found murdered a park near his house. The show focuses on how everything changes immensely for family once their child becomes main suspect in a murder. The show focuses on damage it can does to a family, and how regardless of the child proven guilty or not the family's old life is mostly gone. Chris Evans, Michelle Dockery and Jaeden Martell are excellent in the series. Portraying people who have everything but with one bad thing and people will look at them different for rest of their lives.

The series also brings up the Murderer Gene theory, as the family has violent history of murders. It goes deep into psychological study of the gene and whether it is possible. Can person commit crime because of his genes rather than circumstances very similar to Serial Killer genes? I noticed show spend more time exploring this element for viewer than the plot. As it questions viewers whether they believe Jacob or not same as his mother. The show did not try to answer the question who exactly killed Ben? The show spends lots of time exploring an interesting theory but not as much as JACOB' actions itself. When you stab someone with knife you sure get some blood on yourself, you can not just wash away. There were lot of elements not discussed in the show even during court scenes. Jacob always says it is just a Knife, and then it is just a stupid Facebook comment, Just a Picture with an Axe and just a story about killing Ben online. The show was creating this pretence that he definitely did it for viewer and his mother, as it cannot be a coincident that he does all these incriminating things and believes it is no big deal.

In the Book, the girl HOPE in Mexico does found dead weeks later and that is why Lori slammed the car in accident and actually kills Jacob, as she knows her son is a psychopath. In the series, the girl in Mexico is alive, and they return then Lori's motive was slamming her car does not feel as Big as it was in the book. As it felt like a diversion created so Andrew can reveal to Lori that his dad paid someone to get confession of the paedophile. More importantly, as viewer a show is about if he did it or not, ends on open ending for us to decide feels cheated.

An ambiguous endings are good if the sole focus is not if he did it or not for 8 hours. Also, why change the ending from the book. I do not understand if the book is soo good that it has been ordered to be a series Why change the ending?? The book worked because it lands the ending, Lori realises that her son is a psychopath. The series more I thought about it, the more I started to realise how the ending did not serve the story or its viewers. It was there to leave viewers frustrating to make it a topic of conversation online and give them different ending from book. The series ending may serve Chris Evens' character as he gets this tragic ending with a Son who is a killer and Wife who is technically a killer as she tried to kill his Son. The similar thing happened with Little Fires Everywhere in the show they changed the ending Who started the fire? So they could show Elena's all children are messed up. Even though, there is not strong enough character's motivation to do so same as Lori here. Creators forget that reason mystery novels are successful because they land the ending if the book doesn't land the ending the book is considered mostly a dud. There are very few books which are popular with bad endings as it all needs to tied up in the end.

The show tried to step away from book for a shock value as viewers can Google or have read the book knows the endings, its happening too often and leaves a bitter taste in the end.

It's been four days since the season finale and I can't get it out of my head. First of all this show doesn't look like a tv show at all. It looks like an 8 hour movie. With a tight 45 mins per episode there's almost no room for fillers. And a cliff hanger at the end of each episode makes you restless.

The characters are the true winners here. They are complex layered characters with a lot of vulnerability. There's a reason why each character does something. It is not a whodunnit. Rather the story of a family and their journey from being a respected family to the murder accused one.

Do not watch it if you want straight answers!!

The rippled effects of Jacob's accusation are seen in Andy's and Laurie's lives. They are given judging looks at the diner and they run errands at odd hours to avoid public stare. Eventually secrets come out and the circumstances along with them. The heart warming unconditional love of a father seems real and not cheesy. And the paralleling between episodes is great. The very last scene of Andy sitting alone in Jacob's room is mirrored with that scene of Ben's father grieving in his room in the first episode.

The color grading and haunting music just adds everything up. The cinematography makes you view things with a different hind sight. The color palette is mostly blue or grey which is pretty aesthetically pleasing. The opening credit sequence is genius. Where things metamorph into something else. Symbolising things aren't always as they seem.

Also it's a Chris Evans' show all the way and boy does he deliver. His scenes with JK Simmons are one the best ones in this series. Chris really brings Andy to life and you can't help but grieve along side him as the story comes to an end. Hope he's recognised for this one.

Michelle and Jaeden shine equally and the last 15 minutes of the show are gonna stay with you for a while.

I actually liked the open ending. Seems realistic. Because honestly the truth never comes out. Ambiguity is a part of life and you may never find the answers. There's a thousand of open unsolved cases and the truth never came out. Or justice was never actually served. In this show the family was the victim. And this story will stay with you for a long time. Was Jacob really the gory gruesome psychopath or was he just a victim of circumstance? Did he do it? Did he kill Ben?? Or was he innocent?

It's upto you.

A lot of people seem disappointed that the ending was not tied up with a pretty ribbon. From personal experience losing a loved one to homicide, I can tell you that these things never ends happily with all your questions neatly answered. There's an array of suspects, conflicting stories, suspicious behavior, events that cannot be untangled and differences in opinion which often includes confirmation bias and armchair detectives, speculation and confusion. There are people who will behave in ways that make you feel extremely suspicious but it's only a hunch and not necessarily meaningful. You can lose your mind trying to make sense of it all. I found the ending to match real life. The iceberg metaphor also hit home. The feeling of your entire life changing. Things will never be the way they were before. There's your life before the event and your life after the event and you do lose a huge piece of yourself in the process. I found myself frustrated with Laurie but she was rightfully confused and scared. We never really get to know the truth. Doubt creeps in. It was well acted even though we've seen these characters before in many shows but has a special twist to it that I thought was interesting. It's not going to charge your life but it's worth a watch to me. Felt relatable and real.

After watching the whole series, I have to say that I really enjoyed it. It's a really good show to binge as each episode left me wanting to watch another to find out what was going to happen next. I thought the show was well acted as well.

Now, I have not read the book (but I did read the synopsis, so I know that there is one main difference that seems to be riling some people up. I will say that this change doesnt bother me. I think it makes the series more ambiguous. Just as the parents will never truly know what happened that day, neither will us the audience. It puts us in their shoes. I think it's a change that works for the better. And I don't think it changes Lori's motivation at all.

Now that being said, I dont think the series was perfect. There was little things that I felt didnt really go anywhere, like Sarah befriending Jacob for instance. Or when the lawyers were discussing Matt's testimony right in front of Andy. Like, they wouldnt do that. And despite the fact that I liked the ending, I do think the last episode did have some pacing issues. But those are some minor complaints. I thought it was a well crafted show and would be deserving of nominations (whenever award shows get back on track).

People are saying that the finale is disappointing and that it's very different from the book. Well, I think the differences are quite justified. Don't continue reading my review if you don't want any spoilers from the book. So in the book, the girl dies. Andy sees the blood stains in Jacob's shorts. And this makes Jacob look extremely suspicious. Even though the book doesn't give a definite answer just like the show, I'm sure %95 of the readers believed that Jacob was guilty, because all the evidence lead to that conclusion. On the other hand, the Jacob that we see here, is quite different. The girl isn't killed. There is no blood stains. We can't be totally sure. I think this ending is so powerful that it totally makes you question if he did it or not. On the other hand, I was quite sure about the fact that Jacob was the killer in the book. Overall, the show has phenomel acting by all of the lead actors and actresses. I found Michelle Dockery's acting incredibly powerful. The soundtrack, the music and the setting are all awesome. The series has that depressing feel that you'd expect from such events. It really makes you wonder. And as I've mentioned in the beginning, it totally nails its uncertain ending.

*Mild spoilers follow, I wish I had known going in...*

It is really difficult to rate this series. It really depends on how this series is being viewed. As a first season with a planned second season, this would be an exceptional season of television. As a mini-series that is supposed to tell a contained story, well this series gives us 7.5 episodes of absolutely riveting television, followed by a final half that is shocking, upsetting, and does not answer the central question of the series. I don't feel like this is spoiling much; I wish I had known going in. At least I would have had leveled expectations. At least I wouldn't have gone the entire series, absolutely absorbed in having the most central question of the series answered - only to be left hanging. Chris Stuckmann said it best. The series presents a central question - did Jacob do it? And in the end, the show shrugs it's shoulders. "Eh, heck if I know." Perhaps the writers did it on purpose, as sometimes in life we really never know. But what comes before is so devastating, so upsetting, it demands answers. It is almost cruel to leave the audience without them. As a first season, it is an exceptional first season, with a shocking and devastating end that requires a second season to wrap things up. As a mini-series, this was just major emotional manipulation without any resolution.

*Major spoilers follow*

Not knowing, after all, that is what drove the mother of the series off the deep end. Just simply not knowing, and living with the guilt that it was possible. It was possible that her son took the life of another, and left another mother grieving an incomprehensible loss. But this series is not real life, and it just feels like a major cop-out. The show spends half of its runtime presenting itself as a murder mystery "who-dun-it". There is a massive revelation at the end of episode two, that is never directly addressed. It is information only we, the audience, is given - and then it is left without any explanation. And only a lot of speculation. Then the final episode rolls around, and I just have to talk about the ending. It really is why I am here.

It's been days since I finished the series and I am still bothered by how it all wrapped up. Or failed to. I think I've expressed my frustration that we never find out who killed Ben Rifkin. There is a lot of reason to believe Jacob may have, but just as much evidence to believe it was a pedophile, Patz. (Can't remember his first name) Through the course of the series, we really see the mother (can't remember her name) slowly falling apart. She remembers a moment from Jacob's childhood, when he tried to hit another boy from behind, on the head, with a bowling ball. She is constantly questioning whether her son could have done this. Her first thought when the news came out about Ben's death was that she was "glad it wasn't her son." And she wondered if she should feel awful for that. Andrew assured her everything was feeling that way, and it was completely normal. And possibly it was. But we see her mental state become very fragile over the course of the series, staring endlessly at a painting in the office of a biological doctor they see for her son. I was pained that the show kept beating her up. She had one happy moment grocery shopping, and she ran into Ben Rifkin's mom. Word on the street was that Jacob was the killer. Instead of having a heartbreaking moment between these two mom's, Ben's mom spat right in her face. She leaves the store distraught. This is the kind of series we are watching here. This family is destroyed, it could all be for nothing as in the end of it all we STILL don't know if Jacob did it. The mom absolutely loses it driving Jacob to a hair cut, and grills him on whether he did it, as she continues increasing the speed. Many random Youtubers commented that it seems he's innocent, as he maintains his innocence even as his life is in danger. As she goes past 70. Eventually, he finally says "Fine, I did it! If that's what you want to hear!". She tells him she loves him and plows the car into a tunnel. She is left relatively unscathed with supposedly no recollection of the accident. Jacob is in a coma. Andrew is lying to her about it being an accident and is all alone in the house. Whether Jacob was innocent, will never be known. Unless a season two takes place. I hope it does. I really want to love this show. I did for the first 7.5 episodes. (It is only an 8 episode series) But that final half of the last episode. As a series finale, it is one of those endings that are so bad, it ruins the entire film. But in this case, it's an 8-hour film. The first 7.5 hours were so good, so riveting. This series needs a proper ending. I hope the powers that be will find a way to give it one.

The last episode left many questions unanswered.

Starts off very well creating a solid character driven plot, deliberately paced but with enuff tension n suspense. It portrayed the turmoil a family has to go thru very well. The only thing which will bother some fellas is the last episode n the ending but the 7th episode which consists of the courtroom fight is a top notch thriller. Spoilers below, scroll down with caution.

















Why the mother has to bang the car inspite of the girl Hope being alive? The ending of the book makes sense....

My take : They shud have shown the girl Sarah as the killer n Jacob protecting her by leading the clues towards himself as he is confident that his dad being a lawyer will protect him.

If only they didn't do so many changes... specially the ending...

I will just pick on some things that didn't matter - the addition of the girl at school who for whatever reason wanted to be Jacob's only friend - why? I thought it was to add a relatable victim instead of the one in Mexico, but there was no last victim in Mexico, so why include her, other than to pad a few episodes? And of course, no Mexico victim, so no reason for the mother to go off the deep end, so let's have the father confess and burden her that way..and then they are both alive at the end and mom remembers nothing about her year long battle with defending Jacob to herself so now everyone can be happy...naw..read the book instead.

A lot of other reviews compare to the book. I hadn't read the book. The themes and ending still work despite the apparent change to the book because the themes mirror the struggles of its characters - ie the burden of uncertainty and doubt.

Acting is brilliant throughout, nicely paced, sharp cinematography. JK Simmons just never fails to disappoint. Chris Evans steals the show.

Spoilers below:

The story ends with ambiguity; was Jacob a killer? We never really know, although his story is a very clear indicator he's a murderer, and that audience experience mirrors the emotion of the parents. The fact that the suicide / confession was staged adds to the parents' ambiguity about their son - they are robbed of the pure innocence of their son. If people here were frustrated by the ending, that feeling is a great insight into how a mother would feel not knowing if her son is a psychopath or not and why it would drive her to smash into the bridge.

The series chose this path - the not knowing is what tore the family apart more than the knowing and this is the central storyline. The book makes it clear he is the killer but I think the anguish at the end of the series is more powerful and more believable - a mother's murder/suicide to end her own pain and kill the son she believes is a murderer. The father is the one left behind, with a son he thinks could be a murderer and a wife who could have attempted to kill her son.

An 8 episode limited series for a story that would've been a 2 part episode from the law & order TV show.

I've said it before & I'll say it again, no one with any common sense reads reviews & makes a decision to watch or not watch something, this is a place for the viewer to put their thoughts down, not to influence anyone one way or the other, having said that it is pretty frustrating to read so many fake reviews, giving a score of 10 for a TV show that is mediocre, over acted with so much forced melancholy & no suspense, thrills or mystery is just ridiculous.

Clearly this has a decent budget, sets & locations are excellent, great to see Chris Evans, but why choose such a boring bland story to go with, the fact this has been stretched to 8 episodes to incorporate every tiny irrelevant detail actually makes this so boring.

There are a billion stories out there, this mind numbingly overrated "best seller" just shouldn't have been it, I get that Apple TV is new, I get they want to stand head & shoulders above the likes of netflix but just because quite literally anyone of any age likes the iPhone doesn't mean this kind of drivel will get a decent size of the viewing audience.

Apart from Chris Evans & only because it's Chris Evans I for one can't find a single character within this show that is either likeable or interesting, mundane is how one of the characters refers to people's lives & quite literally "mundane" is the best description of the show itself.

A fair & honest review of this isn't a 1,neither is it a 10, a 5 or 6 is a more honest score, I just don't see the interest in it, life at times is boring & bland & I for one neither want or need a show to remind me of that, if I want to be reminded of that then I'll watch the news.

A well written bore fest is still a bore fest, I'm well aware of the awards the novel has accrued, I am also aware of the authors pedigree, himself being a successful lawyer, no I've not read the novel & I have no interest in reading it, a quick read of the novels synopsis instantly tells me it holds no interest for me, the decision to make the TV series had me hoping for something interesting & gripping, unfortunately this is not the case, from the very 1st episode I found it unimaginative & lacklustre, I for one found nothing new here & very little in the way of entertainment.

The fact that a successful lawyer turned author writes a story about a lawyer & has that lawyer discard a possible piece of evidence that could as easily be useful in defence as in prosecution instead of having the lawyer do the more sensible thing & just keep the evidence safe just goes to show how absurd the story is.

By all means watch & make your own mind up, just be honest with your review should you take the time to leave one.

Set and filmed in and near Newton Massachusetts areas, the story focuses on a standard well-off family. Dad is the assistant district attorney with a stellar reputation. The son, Jacob, is 14 and one day one of his classmates is discovered dead in the park, stabbed with a knife. There are no suspects until a fingerprint on the dead boy's sweatshirt matches Jacob's. Everything changes, the family goes through what no family should.

Is Jacob really guilty, or is his story accurate? He eventually said he found the boy and grabbed his clothes to turn him over. But why didn't he report it right away? Why didn't he try to get help?

This is a fictional story, the product of the author's imagination. Still it gets you to think and is so well produced that I found myself always wondering where the next chapter would lead and what would be revealed.

I was able to watch this at home on a three DVD set from my public library. It is presented in eight episodes, most of them around 48 to 50 minutes, the last one just over an hour. Some ambiguities remain, not everything is tied up neatly as it ends but viewers can use facts and situations to draw conclusions. Whether every viewer agrees doesn't matter.

My wife chose not to see this because she had read the source book and already knew how it would turn out. I suppose. We haven't compared the two presentations.