[Warning: General spoilers ahead.]
When you come from a place of privilege, life moves along easier. That’s the assumption, anyway. In the opening moments of Defending Jacob, the Barber family–Assistant District Attorney Andy (Chris Evans), teacher and education administrator Laurie (Michelle Dockery), and their teenage son, Jacob (Jaeden Martell, who co-starred with Evans in Knives Out) are inhabiting that rarefied, idyllic air in a bedroom community outside Boston. They’re wealthy, they’re happy, they want for nothing. They’re the white suburban American dream. Or so it would seem.

Andy’s plagued by a secret, recurring nightmare from a childhood memory that he does not share, and it has significant bearing later on. It’s the only hat tip that there’s a layer of unease below the surface. And that surface is polished, professional, and always in charge. Andy’s well-regarded by his colleagues on the police force, including lead detective, Paula Duffy (Counterpart‘s Betty Gabriel) and in in the DA’s office, save for Neal Logiudice (Pablo Schreiber), who plays a larger part later on.

In very short order, the mirage of perfection is broken when one of Jacob’s classmates is discovered murdered in a park. With no immediate suspect, Andy takes point interviewing the students at the school and reassuring the victim’s father, until a combination of online whispers and evasive interviews start to create suspicion around his son.
The title tells you that Jacob is eventually arrested, and the case plays out over the course of the season. That’s just one of the mysteries to solve as the episodes are framed by Andy’s grand jury testimony to Logiudice in a separate case that may or may not be related, set some indeterminate time after the murder case. So we have tandem mysteries to sort though.

What’s delicious for us as viewers is that the series works as a procedural, following the clues, and as a family drama. We watch the picture-perfect family disintegrate as the seeds of doubt take hold and all of the trappings of the life they had–and the friends that ostensibly came with it–all-too-easily fall away.

Evans is impeccable as a father whose love for his son is boundless, but still tempered by some of the undeniable truths that are beyond his control. It’s such a treat to watch him physically deflate Andy from a man with a pretty healthy swagger and self-esteem into a shell of himself who’s trying to protect his family, damn the moral costs.
At one point, he’s very effectively told, “You can be a good father or a good man. You can’t be both.” And when that lands, and Andy knows it to be true, Evans does magical things with his reaction. I think his performance here will shift him toward other dramatic roles in his post-Avengers era and I am here for it. He’s a fine comedian, but so, so good at drama, too.

Dockery is equally good as a mother emotionally unraveling while she questions the truth of what she believes, or thinks she believes. And she has the added weight of desperately searching her own memories of raising her son in search of something, anything, to shift her toward a resolute determination of her son’s actions.
As the enigmatic Jacob, Martell is a cipher. Along with Jacob’s parents, we’re never sure whether to believe, or be sympathetic toward him. It’s a terrifically effective performance. Also look for the always fantastic Cherry Jones as Joanna, the attorney who takes on Jacob’s defense and the role of de facto family counselor who has to remind her former colleague, Andy, of the clear line between father and defense attorney.

The series is directed by Morten Tyldum, who’s helmed projects as varied as the feature film Passengers and the pilot episodes of Jack Ryan and Counterpart. Mark Bomback, who wrote Unstoppable, one of my favorite, utterly repeatable movies, as well as last year’s The Art of Racing in the Rain. adapted William Landay‘s novel.

I have to give a shout out, too, to Atli Örvarsson for his score. He’s previously done the Dick Wolf Chicago trilogy and here his music perfectly captures the mood of the series. Jonathan Freeman‘s lenswork is also superb. It’s a gorgeous series to watch.
The first three episodes drop on Apple TV Plus this Friday, the 24th with the remaining five rolling out each successive Friday.

Apple TV+ is available now in over 100 countries through the Apple TV app on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, iPod touch, Mac and other platforms, including online (tv.apple.com), for $4.99 per month with a seven-day free trial. Here’s a sneak peek.
Photos and Videos Courtesy of Apple.
Heather M
Related posts
Classics
John Griffin and Harold Perrineau Talk From on EPIX Season 1 Finale
[Warning: General spoilers ahead.] How are we doing, #FROMily? In case you missed it this morning, the very good news is that that cliffhanger will be followed by a second season, which was gifted this morning ahead of the linear broadcast of the finale. I always legitimately appreciate when we…
Elizabeth Saunders Talks EPIX’s From
[Warning: General spoilers ahead.] One of the things that makes EPIX’s From such a fun ride is the abundance of Canadian cast members. Elizabeth Saunders, who plays Donna, is a favorite from her turn on the third season of Mary Kills People [streaming on Global TV in Canada and Roku…
Corteon Moore Talks From “Broken Windows, Open Doors”
[Warning: Spoilers for tonight’s episode.] Tonight’s episode of From had us all in our feels as we learned through flashbacks about the Sophie’s Choice Boyd had to make to save his son, and back in the present as Boyd said his piece with Ellis before heading into the woods with…
Pegah Ghafoori Talks From “All Good Things…”
[Warning: Spoilers for tonight’s episode] Tonight on From, Fatima’s anniversary celebration turned into a Colony House of horrors when a misguided Kevin let his monster bae in and she promptly killed him and left the window open for her crew. While the party devolved into terror and sent everyone running,…
Shaun Majumder Talks From “Book 74”
[Warning: Spoilers for tonight’s episode.] Tonight on EPIX’s From, Father Khatri made a bold move, kidnapping Sara instead of turning her in, and then recognizing her as a vessel for some big messages. That startling realization speaks to him on multiple levels–as a man of faith, a man trapped in…
Avery Konrad Talks About Sara’s Struggle in From “Silhouettes”
[Warning: Spoilers for tonight’s episode.] Over the course of the season so far on From, we’ve witnessed Sara’s battle against the voices telling her to to do terrible things, and tonight we saw her unravel further, threatening the Matthews and lashing out in a moment of terror with horrifying results….
Hannah Cheramy Talks From “Choosing Day”
[Warning: Spoilers for tonight’s episode.] Tonight, on EPIX’s From, the Matthews participate in the show’s version of the sorting hat, choosing where to call home–the town or Colony House. At the end of the episode, Julie makes the decision to split from her family and instead settle in with Fatima…
Ricky He Talks From “The Way Things Are Now”
[Warning: Spoilers for episode 102 of EPIX’s From.] Epix’s new series From is two episodes in and it’s already laying the groundwork for a seriously spooky season. Tonight’s episode demonstrated the careful balance of relief and horror that the show hits, with our characters’ worst fears realized, just not when…
Catching Up with Ted Lasso and Previewing Season 2
[Warning: General spoilers ahead.] The not so dirty little secret about how I approach a new series is that I sometimes make a call based on the headspace I’m in at the time. It’s been a minute since I’ve picked up a show after the first season and then binge…
Interview: Henri Esteve on Grown-ish Season 3
An interview with Henri Esteve, who plays Javi on Freeform’s Grown-ish. He talks about his season three experience.
What They Said: Three Revealing Conversations from Survivor’s Remorse “Closure”
WARNING: Spoilers for Survivor’s Remorse “Closure” The latest episode of Starz’s Survivor’s Remorse featured conversations that showed characters really digging deep into their thoughts, emotions and motivations.
Two Takes: The Catch “The Knock-Off”
Who can you trust? If this episode of The Catch was any indication, the answer is just about nobody. Betrayal was running rampant as Felicity (Shivani Ghai) arose from the dead to seduce-con Margot, Gretchen (Maria Thayer, Gotham, The Mindy Project) played gold-hearted Alice 2.0 before swindling Ethan, Tessa jumped…
What They Said: Top 3 Quotable Moments from Preacher “El Valero”
Both Quincannon and Jesse refuse to give up on what they each think is rightfully theirs. While Jesse is struggling to face the consequences of his actions, Quincannon has laid his past demons to rest and is hellbent on moving forward and putting Annville on the map again. Despite a…
What They Said: Favorite Quotes from Supergirl “Worlds Finest”
Oh, Supergirl. That ending was cold. But I can’t hate on you because the latest episode has quickly become one of my favorites.
What They Said: Top 4 Quotable Moments from Black Sails “XXIII”
The dialogue in “XXIII” is phenomenal. It’s always a fun ride when Black Sails carries its viewers along without giving them the chance to catch their breath. When an episode moves at this unforgiving pace, there is no chance for a breather nor is there a respite from the information…
What Lucifer Said: Favorite quotes from Supernatural “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”
Supernatural episodes are almost always funny but thanks to the dialogue and a certain man speaking said dialogue, I laughed a lot during “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” You know, when I wasn’t busy fearing for Sam’s life or wondering what in the world was going on with Dean and…
What They Said: The Flash, “Legends Of Today” and Arrow, “Legends Of Yesterday”
Two nights of Arrow + The Flash = what more could we ask for?! I don’t know what it is about blending these shows, but I can’t help but feel that every time they come together, they somehow become greater than the sum of their parts. And that’s saying a lot…
What they Said: Top 4 Quotable Moments from Graceland “Little Bo Bleep”
Shoot outs. Fake outs. And long-awaited revelations. “Little Bo Bleep” was a jam-packed episode that wrapped up some loose ends and totally frayed others. Â It finally gave us one Sarkissian in jail and pulled back the curtain on Briggs’ master plan, but it also set up Jakes for a world…
What They Said: Favorite Quotes from Poldark “Part 4”
“What have I told you, I don’t require my wife to crochet and sip tea, but I do require her to remember she’s not a beast of burden.†No, I’m not talking about The Rolling Stones! I have to admit though, just for a second, the lyrics popped into my…
3 Moments of Goodness from Brooklyn Nine-Nine “Johnny and Dora”
The most satisfying part of this season’s finale has to the Jake and Amy kiss. Well, they kiss three times but the last one is the best one — and it means something. The Charles and Rosa dynamic was also great. I love how she’s convinced he doesn’t know anything…