Defending Jacob Ending & Book Differences Explained: Did Jacob Kill Ben?

Apple TV+’s Defending Jacob ending is tragic, but the book handled a bit differently. 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. 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.

Set in Massachusetts, Defending Jacob revolves around the Barber family. MCU superstar Chris Evans portrays the patriarchal figure, a lawyer named Andy Barber. Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey) co-stars as Andy’s wife, Laurie, and Jaeden Martell (IT) rounds out the main cast as the couple’s 14-year-old son, Jacob. When a local teenager named Ben Rifkin is found dead, Jacob quickly becomes the primary suspect due to comments made on social media, both by himself and classmates. In addition, Andy discovers a knife in his son’s room – a possible murder weapon – which is what kicks off the story, as the Barbers aren’t fully convinced their son is innocent.

By Defending Jacob episode 7, the Barber family history becomes an issue in court. Prosecutor Neal Logiudice (Pablo Schreiber) finds a way to connect Andy’s father being in prison with Jacob’s trial. 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. Still, Laurie becomes convinced that her son is guilty, and tearfully breaks the news to her husband. Everything changes when a local pedophile named Leonard Patz (Daniel Henshall) kills himself and admits that he killed Rifkin.

How Billy Barber Arranged For Leonard Patz’s Death

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 a character, Billy underlines Andy’s life-long guilt. Jacob’s father lied about his past to Laurie, and then became too self-righteous to accept any help from his father.

As it turns out, Father O’Leary never intended to harm Laurie or Jacob. He was initially spotted by the couple in town, leaving them unsure about his motivations. When Jacob is officially exonerated, Father O’Leary protects the Barbers from a still-angry Dan Rifkin (Patrick Fischler), the father of the teenage murder victim, Ben. During one last prison chat, Billy admits that he orchestrated the Patz murder, and just so that his grandson could live a relatively normal life. According to Billy, Andy can either be a good man or be a good father; he gets to “choose.” Crucially, Andy doesn’t tell Laurie about Billy until a family trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Why The Barber’s Mexico Trip Is Important

The Barbers’ trip to Mexico creates various forms of conflict in the Defending Jacob season finale. On the surface, it allows the family to escape from reality as they contemplate an impending move to Denver. 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. The teenagers plan to spend time together on New Year’s Eve, and it’s ultimately revealed that Hope went missing, with the implication being that Jacob could be a serial killer.

Before going to Mexico, Andy wasn’t sure about his son being a murderer, but things changed after the trip – and he ultimately started to side with Laurie on the matter. Andy and Laurie both remember that Jacob wrote a bizarre story online in which he seemingly confessed to Ben’s murder, and now they’re confronted with yet another tragedy, it seems, that forces Andy to confess the truth about his father. Naturally, Laurie panics about the reveal, and once again believes that her son is indeed a killer. But then Hope show up, unharmed, after being drugged by vacationers. Andy’s drunken emotional breakdown effectively splits the family apart. The lack of confidence in Jacob shatters both parents; they can’t know for sure if their son is innocent.

Defending Jacob’s Car Crash Explained

Even though Jacob didn’t kill Hope in Mexico, Laurie becomes more suspicious than ever about the Rifkin murder. She’s been forced to sort through Andy’s lies about the past, and now can’t find clarity in the present. During a car ride with Jacob, the internal and external “noise” becomes too much to bear for Laurie. Outside, the rain pours and makes navigation difficult. Inside, Jacob’s continued silence keeps dark thoughts swirling in Laurie’s head. At this point, she just wants a definitive answer, and then asks her son if he killed Ben. Jacob is initially surprised, and then frightened as his mother drives erratically. Just as one single thought crushed Andy’s psyche in Mexico, a few simple words destroy Laurie’s frame of mind, resulting in a near-fatal accident after swerving off the road.

A later deposition reveals that Laurie began the day by calling attorney Joanna Klein early in the morning, along with Dr. Vogel. The subsequent car crash suggests that Laurie felt purely isolated from reality – even from her husband and son. The final lesson reinforces the underlying theme of faith in Defending Jacob. Laurie survives and lives to explain what many would consider an unforgivable act. She still has Andy, who defends her during a deposition. But will Laurie ever be forgiven by Jacob, who clings to life in a separate hospital room? The final irony is that everybody seems to know what Laurie did – in fact, there are even witnesses who saw her failed suicide-murder attempt. Yet nobody knows for sure if Jacob had anything to do with Ben’s death.

Did Jacob Barber Kill Ben Rifkin?

One could argue that Jacob’s odd behavior implies that he did indeed kill his classmate, Ben. But logic suggests that he’s a quiet teenager who was bullied by classmates, and made some questionable comments for attention. On top of that, Jacob can clearly recognize that his own parents aren’t convinced of his innocence, which could lead to more awkward behavior as he tries to figure out his place in the world as a 14-year-old.

In contrast to Jacob, Leonard Patz is a grown adult who must be accountable for his decisions. Defending Jacob implies that Billy framed Patz, but it’s also highly likely that Patz did indeed kill Ben and then accepted his fate. And so, the argument can be made for both Jacob and Patz. The dark truth may be that someone else in the community just may be the real killer – someone who steadily appears on camera but never exhibits any suspicious behavior. The main takeaway is that danger always lurks within tight-knit communities, and that having a friendly smile can’t be used in court as proof of innocence. Jacob is targeted because he’s a social outcast with obvious communication issues.

Why The Defending Jacob Book Ending Is More Tragic

Defending Jacob deviates from the book’s heartbreaking ending. In Landay’s source material, the Barbers go to Jamaica (rather than Mexico), and Jacob does indeed meet a girl named Hope Connors. But whereas the TV series reveals that Hope merely disappeared, the book ends with her corpse being discovered on a beach, and that she’d likely been strangled to death. From there, the book becomes even darker: Laurie’s crash results in Jacob’s death, and she barely survives. In Apple TV+’s Defending Jacob, there’s a somewhat hopeful ending as the Barbers all survive. Then again, the final image shows Andy sitting in his son’s room, still in the dark, which suggests that Jacob’s potential off-screen death essentially closes the door on clarity – not only about Ben’s murder, but also about whether he could forgive his own mother, Laurie.

About The Author

Q.V. Hough
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Q.V. Hough is a senior writer at Screen Rant. He’s also the founding editor at Vague Visages, and has contributed to RogerEbert.com and Fandor.

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