The finale of the Apple TV+ Defending Jacob has created a lot of confusion among the fans and they are demanding answers to a very obvious question- Who killed Ben? Well, read the article to know more.
The Plot
The series focusses on Jacob, an eight-grader, who is convicted of murder and how his parents- Andy and Laurie Barber defend their son against such charges. The role of District Attorney Andy is enacted by Chris Evans and teacher Laurie by Michelle Dockery. The plot is based on William Landay’s 2012 novel, and the ending of the series seems to be even more puzzling than the novel.
What the cast members have to say
Creator Mark Bomback says, “At the end of the day, I’m not super interested in this binary thing of did he do it or didn’t he do it? I think if I’d given you a definitive answer on either one of those, you would have been a little bit frustrated because you’ve already entertained the possibility in both directions”.
“What I was really interested in trying to create for the viewer was this very subjective experience of what his parents are going through. So all I’m really interested in at the end of the day is: What do Andy and Laurie think he might or might not have done? And I think for each of them, they’re going to always have a lingering doubt.”
Bomback added, “In telling her this, he knows he’s potentially destroying his entire [life]. He finally got everything back. He’s on vacation with his family, they’re living, they escaped. And yet he’s living with this one massive lie, which is, we are indirectly responsible for the murder of another human being, and everything you thought at the end of episode seven about our son is back on the table.”
Chris Evans has also shared his thoughts, saying, “I think in our version, everyone copes with shame and guilt differently and I don’t think Laurie has any of the coping mechanisms necessary to process a life of, once she understands that Father O’Leary killed Patz, she’s a part of the lies now.
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. I think that’s far more interesting and leaves a lot more to examine in terms of how we are able to survive when we learn harsh realities. Do you need the cleansing of truth or can you compartmentalize and find a balance just being a little bit darker?”
Stay tuned with Stanford Arts Review for more updates.
