Is ‘Defending Jacob’ a Limited Series That Warrants a Season 2?
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Season 1 of Defending Jacob.]
Apple TV+ just concluded its first season of the limited drama series Defending Jacob with a seriously big and bold cliffhanger.
Chris Evans, Michelle Dockery, and Jaeden Martell star in the crime drama as the Barbers, a family faced with the unimaginable when son Jacob (Martell) is accused of murdering his classmate Ben Rifkin (Liam Kilbreth). Throughout the twisty series based on William Landay’s novel, the characters and the viewers are given reason to doubt Jacob’s innocence.
Little things spark doubt in Jacob’s own mother Laurie (Dockery) as she remembers moments from her son’s childhood where he was prone to act violently. When she and husband Andy (Evans) learn that Andy’s jailbird father Billy (J.K. Simmons) forced a sex offender into confessing to Ben’s murder in a “suicide note” (before ultimately dying), Laurie’s thrown over the edge.
In spite of Jacob’s innocent verdict, Laurie continues to question whether her son is a cold-blooded killer. And when the Barbers go on vacation to escape their troubles, Jacob finds himself at the center of another investigation when a girl he’d been spending time with goes missing. Wracked with guilt and assuming their son guilty, Laurie and Andy are relieved when the girl is found safe.
(Credit: Apple TV+)
Still, Laurie’s doubts grow so deep that she takes the situation into her own hands, seeking answers via her own lie detector test which includes speeding down the road and pressing her son for answers. Jacob is terrified by his mothers reckless behavior in the moment and admits to killing Ben if it’s what she wants to hear, hoping she’ll slow the car. Whether Jacob’s confession is real or not, fans will never know because Laurie drives herself and Jacob into a wall, injuring herself and leaving her son’s life in the balance as he remains in a coma at the end of the season.
With so many big questions unanswered, we’re wondering if Defending Jacob is a limited series that actually warrants a second season. The intention was that the show would tell its story over the course of a single season, and to an extent it did. And while Apple TV+ has no plans for Season 2, Defending Jacob wouldn’t be the first limited series to extend beyond its initial plan if that did come to pass.
A prime example is HBO’s Big Little Lies which featured an A-list cast, similar to Defending Jacob, that ultimately was ordered for a second season despite its classification. Season 1 of the show ended with the reveal of who murdered of Perry Wright (Alexander Skarsgard), the abusive husband of Nicole Kidman‘s Celeste. The drama garnered such praise that the cast which included Reese Witherspoon, Kidman, Skarsgard, Laura Dern, Zoe Kravitz, Shailene Woodley, Adam Scott and more, that it came back for another round of storytelling.
Based on Liane Moriarty’s novel, Big Little Lies branched out into exploring life after Perry which included the arrival of his mother Mary Louis (Meryl Streep). So, where did that story come from? Moriarty told TV Insider, “I basically wrote a 50,000-word novella and then [showrunner] David E. Kelley took it from there… I just handed it over in exactly the same way I handed over the book.”
Big Little Lies(Credit: HBO)
Unless William Landay provides showrunners of Defending Jacob with some new material, a second season seems unlikely. After all, some endings are better left ambiguous. In the case for leaving Defending Jacob as is, look no further than HBO’s other limited series, Watchmen.
The drama from Damon Lindelof wasn’t originally branded as a limited run, but after Lindelof revealed plans to steer clear of a second season, HBO changed Watchmen‘s classification in hopes of improving its awards chances. The show, which stars Regina King, Jeremy Irons, Jean Smart, Tim Blake Nelson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Hong Chau, and Louis Gossett Jr., ended with a cliffhanger as well. Just as King’s character Angela is about to learn whether or not she’s inherited Dr. Manhattan’s powers, the screen cuts to black.
Watchmen (Credit: HBO)
Sure, it leaves viewers wanting more, but the uncertain future is what makes the season so though provoking, which leads us to believe Defending Jacob should follow suit. While Big Little Lies was considered great, the show was slightly diminished by a less stellar second season, made noteworthy mostly for Streep’s performance.
Defending Jacob ended with a crash, literally and figuratively and while our questions about Jacob’s role in Ben Rifkin’s murder remain, it leaves viewers thinking about the series long after they’re through with all eight installments. Perhaps the concept that a seemingly perfect family’s life could blow up in such a major way is meant to show viewers just how susceptible they could be to such a predicament themselves.
Only time will tell for sure if Defending Jacob will return someday. For now, we’re fine to settle into thinking through the questions raised and perhaps do some investigating with a rewatch. Let us know what you think about whether Defending Jacob should return for a second season or not in the comments below.
Defending Jacob, Season 1, Streaming now, Apple TV+
Conversation51 Comments
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Comments are closed on this story.
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B
Yes absolutely I would love a second season! I have rewatched the first season trying to find clues as to Jacob’s guilt or innocence! I’m so intrigued by this story line.
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B
Yes most definitely bring on Season 2
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C
Yes definitely it cannot be left like this
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O
Well done ... except for the actress Michelle Dockery. For me , her acting was like a flat note in the entirety of the film.
Even when the scenes were happier - she never really displayed a happy character mom.
I struggled watching her weak victim like acting. Maybe I am missing something but all the others actors upheld themselves well!
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O
I think it is a excellent show I hope they don’t leave you hanging with the last episode of season one that will be pretty horrible if they done that.
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P
Yes! A second season is warranted. There’s so much left hanging and if a second season is done they can maybe have the dad turn a leaf and work as a defense attorney..... endless possibilities!
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G
Please don’t leave us hanging.
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B
Yes!!!!
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G
Yes, there must be Season 2, lots of questions unanswered....it is a great series!!!!
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P
NO. Should have finished the story line like the book.. Way to blow it Apple TV..
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O
Yes 2nd season please!
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R
Yes id like another season
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C
Um yes!!!! Who did it??? We need to know. And the mom wanted to kill her son she couldn’t take not knowing. And now all of a sudden she feels sorry for what she did and claims it was a accident. We need to know.
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B
Yes it should return. We don’t know if he’s innocent or guilty.
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R
I most definitely believe there should be a season 2!
I’m lost I have so many questions, did Jacob really kill Ben ? Why did Laurie try to kill both herself and Jacob. Please make a season 2.
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O
Yes to season 2. There are a lot of possible twists, like Derek can also be the murderer. Why did he follow Jacob to his home on the day of the murder? May be he stole Jacob’s knife and found a way to replace. Who knows?? just give us the murderer
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B
Definitely needs a season two. Such a good show!!!!!
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R
Me and my husband absolutely loved it bring defending Jacob season two ASAP
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G
Yes, definitely!!! Great series and needs to continue on for the viewers!!
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C
Way too many unanswered ???? Yes to Season 2 But please make the parents a little smarter to all the what if’s concerning a teenager. Despite all of the are you kidding me moments, it was very intriguing. Little more please.
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B
Of course
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M
Thank you for bringing this to our attention, we realized that the context in the article didn't clearly reflect the scene it was describing. This has been corrected now.
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O
It should have a 2 season
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B
Most definitely yes !!
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B
Definitely,should return — great show - great actors
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B
Yes, season 2 needs to happen ASAP!
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O
Yes it should return!!
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R
Yes. In the book, the ending was clear. The series ending just leaves the viewer feeling frustrated and sad. The future for the Barber family is bleak, Ben’s family has no closure. If Jacob lives, he could likely kill again. Andy is left living with the truth, but also burdened by lies. Laurie will eventually remember at last events prior to the car crash. If there is no season 2, I will be disappointed with the way the series departed from the book, sort of wishing I had not watched it.
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P
Absolutely, it’s very interesting and I would like to watch more of it!
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C
Yes,definitely. I would love to see what happens to Jacob. Does he come out of the coma or not. Who really killed Ben ? There is a lot that people are asking about this first season. I know I am.
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G
Definitely! Rewatched and read the book!
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B
I would love a second season but I would not recommend this show to anyone knowing there may not be a follow up season.
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O
I just finished it and I absolutely think there should be a second season way too much happend for there not to have a second season it would be disappointing if there wasn’t a season 2 to get so interested in the show take your time to watch and just get left hanging. Please bring a season 2
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O
Yes! Yes!!! Please I loved watching it, and got addicted to it. Like others I want answers because way to many unanswered questions. I bet if you made a poll and put it on social media you'd be surprised of how many people want a season 2. Get another writer if you have to.. Please...
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B
Please make a season 2 of Defending Jacob!
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B
Season 2 PLEASE!!!!
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B
Thought*
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C
Yes! It needs a second season. They could do so much with it!
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O
Yes, PLEASE! What a great series with too many unanswered questions.
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O
Yes!
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B
There has to be a second season. We grew so close to the family watching it that we HAVE to KNOW what happens next ..
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R
Yes
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G
Yes yes yes
s
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O
Absolutely I need a second season and I need jake to come out of the coma. And a nice wrap up...maybe 4 episodes? Need validation that the creep actually did kill Ben and that Ben wrote that story as kind of way to potentially turn the whole thing into a murder mystery book in his adult future. Please do a season 2
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R
YES OMG
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O
I had to buy the Novel.... LOL.
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C
Yes there should be a Second season. So many unanswered questions. I still feel like Jacob is not innocent and he’s celebrating as if he got away with murder.
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O
There should be a season 2 unless it does the story and the characters justice.
I really enjoyed reading the novel “Defending Jacob” and watching the miniseries. The miniseries and the actors stay true to the book and tell the story well up until the last episode. I wish that like the book Hope died in the miniseries because there definitely hints that Jacob committed both murders. I like that in both the book and miniseries Jacob’s mother Laurie does detective work and realizes that Jacob is the murderer. In the final episode I was angry that Jacob did not die because Laurie’s intent was to kill Jacob because she knew he would kill again. The miniseries did not do the book justice.
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O
Bring it on. That was a great series with a great cast, and questions remain. Please please let there be another season!
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B
Who wrote this article? You clearly did not watch the series as there was no suicide!
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O
That Range Rover hit the wall head on. There should be no damage to the rear yet it looked like it rolled down a hill. They pulled that one out of the junk yard for that shot.
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