Miniseries · Apple TV
Defending Jacob
Family is unconditional.
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
Chris Evans
Andy Barber
8 eps
Jaeden Martell
Jacob Barber
8 eps
Michelle Dockery
Laurie Barber
8 eps
Cherry Jones
Joanna Klein
8 eps
Pablo Schreiber
Neal Logiudice
8 eps
J.K. Simmons
Billy Barber
8 eps
Daniel Henshall
Leonard Patz
8 eps
Betty Gabriel
Pam Duffy
8 eps
Sakina Jaffrey
Lynn Canavan
8 eps
Jordan Alexa Davis
Sarah Grohl
8 eps
Ben Taylor
Derek Yoo
8 eps
Poorna Jagannathan
Elizabeth Vogel
4 eps
Tamara Hickey
Toby
4 eps
Hale Lytle
Matt McGrath
3 eps
Maria Elena Ramirez
Cara
3 eps
Ted Arcidi
Kingston
3 eps
Liam Kilbreth
Ben Rifkin
3 eps
Shawn Fitzgibbon
Detective Peterson
3 eps
William Xifaras
Father O'Leary
3 eps
Devon Diep
Reiko
3 eps
Cheryl McMahon
Mrs. Mandel
3 eps
Daryl Edwards
Judge French
2 eps
Therese Plaehn
Lita McGrath
2 eps
Myra Lucretia Taylor
Judge Rivera
2 eps
Aaron Andrade
Mr. Fuller
2 eps
Shannon Ashe
Christine
1 eps
Alfred Briere
Molloy
1 eps
Gene Dante
Ian
1 eps
Mai Delapa
Katie
1 eps
Frankie Francois
Sienna
2 eps
Rebecca Gibel
Wendy
1 eps
Gary Kirby
Older Man
1 eps
Collin Knight
Police Officer
1 eps
Ian Lyons
Burt Knox
1 eps
Melissa McMeekin
Roxanne
1 eps
Michele Proude
Court Clerk
2 eps
Carrie Ann Quinn
Kathleen
2 eps
Odis Spencer
Principal
2 eps
Angela Hope Smith
Molloy's Counsel
1 eps
Patrick Fischler
Dan Rifkin
4 eps
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How Defending Jacob actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
Defending Jacob reads strongest on Bingeability, Serialized and Tension.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
The story
What it's about
A family's lives are irreparably disrupted when the 14-year-old son is accused of murdering a fellow classmate.
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.
S01E07
Job
As the trial begins, Jacob's fate hangs in the balance.
- Directed by Morten Tyldum
- Written by Mark Bomback
S01E08
After
The trial comes to an end, but with unexpected consequences.
- Directed by Morten Tyldum
- Written by Mark Bomback
S01E05
Visitors
Andy visits his father, and learns some troubling information from Jacob’s friends Derek and Sarah.
- Directed by Morten Tyldum
- Written by Mark Bomback
S01E06
Wishful Thinking
Andy and Klein explore two last-ditch efforts to prove Jacob's innocence.
- Directed by Morten Tyldum
- Written by Mark Bomback
S01E02
Everything Is Cool
When new evidence is discovered, Andy is taken off the case.
- Directed by Morten Tyldum
- Written by Mark Bomback
S01E03
Poker Faces
Andy admits a family secret to Laurie before it becomes public.
- Directed by Morten Tyldum
- Written by Mark Bomback
Recently aired
Latest Episodes
S01E06
Wishful Thinking
- Directed by Morten Tyldum
- Written by Mark Bomback
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Created by
- Mark BombackCreator
Executive production
- Mark BombackExecutive Producer
- Chris EvansExecutive Producer
- Morten TyldumExecutive Producer
- Rosalie SwedlinExecutive Producer
- Adam ShulmanExecutive Producer
Writing
- Mark BombackWriter
Direction
- Morten TyldumDirector
Cinematography
- Jonathan FreemanDirector of Photography
Music
- Atli ÖrvarssonOriginal Music Composer
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
- Apple TVStreaming
- Apple TV Amazon ChannelStreaming
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Where to go from here
Watch Next
Our editors' suggestion for the show you should start tonight — and why.
Perry Mason
1957
Another morally complex epic for anyone who wanted more grey.
The Blacklist
2013
Watch this next if you like protagonists you can't quite defend.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
1999
A crime story told with the patience of a novel.
Reacher
2022
Another morally complex epic for anyone who wanted more grey.
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Watch this next if you like protagonists you can't quite defend.
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If the world-building is what held you, this is the next map to walk.
Never stop watching
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