What I’m Watching: Defending Jacob (Series Finale)

Defending Jacob: Season 1, Episode 8 “After” (B-)

This didn’t feel like the emphatic conclusion I was hoping for, doing what series finales often do and skipping ahead to a scene further in the future that necessitated a quick sprint through the events that got us there. Patz confessing and killing himself meant that Jacob got exonerated right away, but of course both Ben’s father was still convinced that he had done it. Father O’Leary stepping in to protect them from him revealed to Andy that he was working for Billy, who, perhaps not surprisingly, had sent his henchman to go take care of Patz, who very well may not have been guilty. Deciding to go to Mexico seemed innocuous enough, and Jacob’s fast friendship with Hope was a positive thing for the teenager who had been exorcized from society. But it all came flashing back when Hope went missing, and, most problematically, Laurie was reminded of what she believed her son to be capable of doing. Their drive to get him a haircut turned into something far more intense, and he, for the first time, seemed even more scared than she was. Turning the wheel so that they would hit the wall was a bold and, by all indications, purposeful act, one that did manage to prevent Jacob from hurting anyone since he couldn’t go anywhere or function on his own. Laurie getting cleared of all charges while Andy now has to live with the uncertainty of not knowing if everyone in his family except for him is capable of killing was definitely haunting, but it didn’t feel like the right way for this to end. All performers involved were strong, but this resolution makes this limited series feel less essential.

Series grade: B
Series MVP: Michelle Dockery as Laurie

What I’m Watching: Defending Jacob (Penultimate Episode)

Defending Jacob: Season 1, Episode 7 “Job” (B-)

This episode fully turned this show into a courtroom drama, and it’s hard to know how things could possibly turn out well with Jacob having essentially implicated himself. The final scene showing Patz wracked by guilt and writing down his confession may not be found before the verdict is in, and it’s hard to believe that those who have heard the story Jacob wrote will believe that he is fully innocent even if someone else has officially taken the blame. Laurie isn’t on board anymore, if she ever was, since Jacob thinking that writing a fantasy of how he might have killed his bully indicates problematic enough tendencies for her to be sufficiently worried. Neal’s antics were unscrupulous, and while the judge was clearly not having most of it, the fact that he let him trick Paula into blurting out that Andy’s father is a convicted murderer. Even Ben’s father was upset that Neal was screwing it all up, and that opening scene featuring Andy teaching Neal everything he needed to know about how to dehumanize the defendant suggests that Neal took things considerably further to ensure that he can try to win his cases. Paula also had to confirm that there was violent pornography on Jacob’s computer, and just hearing that alone will likely be damning to his chances. Billy’s interest in his grandson’s fate hasn’t won over his son just yet, and the news that the mystery man following them is a well-known gangster makes it pretty clear that, even if Jacob is deemed innocent, this family won’t soon be able to get back to normal.

What I’m Watching: Defending Jacob

Defending Jacob: Season 1, Episode 6 “Wishful Thinking” (B)

It’s continuously troubling to see how Jacob behaves, thinking for some reason that photo-shopping his face onto a picture of Christian Bale from “American Psycho” wouldn’t be the absolute worst idea. It’s very true that the way justice should be carried out is to make sure that the person on trial is indeed guilty of a crime rather than just asserting the horrific nature of a crime should on its own implicate the suspect (see: “When They See Us”). Neal’s refusal to even consider that Patz should be looked at, even calling Matt a liar to his face with his mother right next to him, is deeply troubling, and it seems obvious from the snippets we’ve seen of Andy responding angrily on the stand that things don’t go particularly well over the course of the trial. Matt really did offer up a logical story implicating someone else, but that may not be enough to exonerate him. The lowdown that Andy and Laurie got from Dr. Vogel wasn’t exactly comforting, and there’s really so much in the way of statistics and allegedly inherited genes that can be used against people in court. Jacob’s birthday celebration was appropriately muted, and hearing him say that his one wish should be relatively obvious was the first truly appropriate reaction he’s displayed in all of this. Billy calling Andy from prison felt like an olive branch in a way, but he still threw in just enough nastiness to make it clear that he had his own best interests in mind.

What I’m Watching: Defending Jacob

Defending Jacob: Season 1, Episode 5 “Visitors” (B)

I had forgotten that J.K. Simmons was announced as a cast member on this show, and it now makes complete sense that he would be playing Andy’s murderer father. He made an immediate impression as a vicious, unkind person, and whatever help he may now be ready to offer is sure to come with strings attached that will unnerve Andy and threaten whatever mental stability he has left. Opening the hour with “The Circle Game” playing at graduation before Ben’s mother spoke was a haunting setup, and Laurie experienced yet another devastating moment when she ran into her in the supermarket just after she had finally worked up the positive energy to buy something celebratory, which prompted her to spit in Laurie’s face. Running to Dr. Vogel was an interesting move, and even though she’s not the appropriate therapist for her, she was at least compassionate and understanding, which Laurie definitely needed. Her story about a young Jacob nearly smashing a bowling ball over another kid’s head was disturbing, and the mentions of this cutting room porn site do not bode well for Jacob’s innocence. Andy is still doing his own off-the-books research, which we see during the eventual trial doesn’t look good for him, and it’s unclear whether that wordless phone call, which represents a lead that might prove crucial, will lead to anything just yet. Even if he is concerned, Andy certainly isn’t sharing any of that with Jacob, offering him a totally positive perspective on his chances in front of a jury.

What I’m Watching: Defending Jacob

Defending Jacob: Season 1, Episode 4 “Damage Control” (B)

It’s frustrating to watch Andy continue to do things that he knows he shouldn’t, and that he would hold against anyone he might be prosecuting if his son wasn’t on trial for murder. It was strange to see a moment of levity from him with his hipster pizza joke, and that attitude clearly doesn’t hold up through when he takes the stand and gets grilled by Neal about how he always worried her might turn into his father. His search for answers took home to a very accent-heavy part of town, a firm reminder to anyone who forgot for a moment that this show is set in Boston. Jacob’s behavior hasn’t changed at all, inviting friends over to play more shooting video games in his room and generally failing to take anything seriously except for the moments where the reality of his situation actually sets in thanks to the no-nonsense rundowns from Joanna. Laurie was having the toughest time of all, unable to grapple with their new normal that means they can’t be seen out anywhere. Going somewhere she hadn’t been and being able to be anonymous while eating a meal was a comfort, especially when the other diner didn’t appear to recognize her at first. Being targeted for an interview was almost worse than being yelled at as the mother of a murderer since it was an invasion of privacy from a seemingly nice stranger. The whole experience shook her so much that she didn’t even respond to the question of whether she wanted anything off the record, which is unfortunate.

Take Three: Defending Jacob

Defending Jacob: Season 1, Episode 3 “Poker Faces” (B+)

As expected, Joanna did take the case, which is a good thing since Cherry Jones always plays intense, determined characters and she’s not going to back down in her pursuit of justice for her client. She knew exactly what to say to each of them, particularly to Laurie, who had only been tangentially exposed to these kind of proceedings, and Andy, who was on the other side of it for the first time. It was a relief that the judge categorically denied Neal’s absurdly high request for bail, which assures that Jacob can at least be with his parents while this all happens instead of sitting in prison. Andy’s role is what’s complicating matters so much, as evidenced by Lynn explaining that she would usually ask Andy’s advice on what statement to make, which she of course can’t do now since he’s the subject of that very statement. Requesting files from Paula on another suspect wasn’t a smart move, and it was even worse that Paula opted to give them to him since that will surely come back to haunt both of them later. Andy’s family history revelation hit both his wife and son the wrong way, and it’s only going to serve as additional ammunition to make Jacob seem guilty. The fact that he’s spending his time playing shooting games online seems irresponsible and highly suspicious. Laurie and Andy obviously feel very differently about Jacob’s childhood, and they’re both unraveling as a result of the increased shunning they’re experiencing from their friends and colleagues.

Round Two: Defending Jacob

Defending Jacob: Season 1, Episode 2 “Everything Is Cool” (B+)

Things intensified quickly in this second hour, which felt just as engaging and worthwhile as the first. I’m glad that we aren’t seeing too many flashes to the present since this story is interesting enough in its own without having to keep us guessing about how we get to a certain point. Framing Andy as the main character is effective since he’s someone who traffics in this world of conflicts of interest and suspects all the time, and the growing sense of dread he felt as first Dan Rifkin and then Lynn told him he was being taken off the case fueled this episode. Finding out that Neal, who already despises him, would be prosecuting the case was a particularly crippling blow, though presumably he’ll end up hiring Cherry Jones’ Joanna Klein, who we can presume has her own reputation of being tough. Andy getting rid of the knife is an unfortunate development, one that will surely make him look like he covered for Jacob down the road, and Jacob claiming that he did find the body and just didn’t tell anyone may not be his best defense even if it’s true. Jacob having to spend the night in jail before getting the bail his father foolishly promised him they’d get in the morning is unnerving, and their lives aren’t likely to ever go back to normal, whether he’s guilty or not. We are seeing another person framed as the primary suspect, whose damning deleted photos that were likely backed up might just be the only thing that ends up exonerating Jacob.

Pilot Review: Defending Jacob

Check out my one-minute take on every new pilot, which is embedded below and you can also watch by subscribing to movieswithabe on YouTube.