Parents' Guide to

Defending Jacob

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Book-based crime drama has violence, cursing.

TV Apple TV+ Drama 2020
Defending Jacob Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

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age 13+

Based on 4 parent reviews

Nicole D.
Nicole D. Adult
July 20, 2020
age 14+

great!

i was so excited for the release of this show. mainly for chris evans and jaeden martell who are 2 very good actors i’ve seen in many projects. was a good show . only concern for parents that want to know is just the language and topics relating to sexual acts briefly involving kids. a dark mini series so if you like happy stuff this isn’t the best choice. wish there was another season though. i’d give it a watch if you wanna watch something new!

This title has:

Too much swearing
1 person found this helpful.
Aisharris
Aisharris Adult
October 17, 2021
age 13+
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Based on the book by William Landay of the same title, DEFENDING JACOB tells the story of a state prosecutor who unexpectedly finds himself doing everything he can to defend his family. District Attorney Andy Barber (Chris Evans) lives an idyllic life in Newton, Massachusetts with his wife Laurie, (Michelle Dockery) and Jacob (Jaeden Martell​), their 14-year old son. But when Jacob stands accused of stabbing a classmate to death, Andy finds himself caught between the ethical decisions he must make as a state attorney, and doing everything he can to protect his son. As events unfold, Andy's former colleague, D.A. Neal Loguidice (Pablo Schreiber) builds a strong case against Jacob, and even Laurie begins to question Jacob's innocence, especially since Andy's own father (played by J.K. Simmons) is in prison for murder. But Andy remains unwavering in his belief that his son has done nothing wrong.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4 ):
Kids say (16 ):

This dark crime series combines family drama with a legal procedural as the Barbers navigate their son's murder trial to the best of their ability. Told as a series of flashbacks from Andy Barber's point of view, it mainly relies on the conversations between Andy and Laurie to establish the feelings of confusion, frustration, and doubts they have about their son. These exchanges push the story along, but thanks to the attempts to tell it over eight long episodes, the overall story feels slow and overstretched. As a result, dramatic tension and elements of suspense are diluted. But Defending Jacob offers a solid plot, and provides some some entertainment if you have the patience to stay with it.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the reasons Jacob is arrested for allegedly committing a murder. What role does social media play in the case? Why do people question if he is capable of committing such a violent crime?

  • Should Andy choose thinking and acting like a prosecuting attorney over protecting his son in Defending Jacob? Why? Do you think he goes too far to protect his family?

TV Details

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