Some of the best shows to spend your time with are on Apple TV. One massively overlooked entry on the watchlist stars Chris Evans in the limited series, “Defending Jacob.” Following the slew of addictive crime shows available on Netflix and Amazon Prime, “Defending Jacob” follows Chris Evans as Assistant District Attorney Andy Barber, whose reputation and family are forever changed when his son is the prime suspect in a recent murder. Released in 2020 — a year after Evans had stepped down from the star-spangled shield as Captain America — “Defending Jacob” was one of his first roles in breaking free from the confines of his former superhero identity.
Supporting him was “Downton Abbey” star Michelle Dockery as his on-screen wife, along with former “IT” star Jaeden Martell as the titular son at risk of facing jail time. Adapted from William Landay’s 2012 novel of the same name, “Defending Jacob” plays somewhere between “Abandoned” and “Gone Girl,” where the show continuously toys with the innocence of Barber’s son, who may or may not have done what he’s been accused of. Perhaps the real highlight of the show, though, was the surprise appearance of an Oscar-winning star waiting to add an even colder twist to this compelling family drama.
J.K. Simmons steals Defending Jacob
Perhaps one of the greatest turns in the overlooked drama series is the addition of J.K. Simmons as an important figure bound to Andy’s past. It’s here that the show’s interesting question arises: whether a killer instinct is a generational issue. More importantly, if so, is there any way to break the chain and prevent the younger generation from inheriting such a disturbing family trait? It’s this that pushes Evans into new territory with a performance that we’d rarely seen him in, having spent so much time fighting alongside hammer-chucking heroes to save the world, and eventually the universe, as Steve Rogers. In a year where shows like “Killing Eve,” “The Queen’s Gambit,” and “Ozark” were on the air, it was easy for “Defending Jacob” to get lost in the crowd, even after earning an impressive reaction from critics.
Earning 70% on Rotten Tomatoes, the show was deemed somewhat of a slow burn, as some fantastic shows often are, but was praised by The Guardian for being an ensemble character piece that hits the mark. Vanity Fair also said it accomplishes being “a worthy little binge for these stuck-at-home times.” With verdicts like that, it really makes sense to give this one-time show a shot and see just how good “Defending Jacob” is as a hidden gem of a drama on the streaming service that is full of them. Should you be in need of a greater crime-solving fix, check out this list of the best gritty crime dramas on Netflix, HBO Max, Apple TV, and Prime Video.
