'Defending Jacob': Was Jacob Barber right when he hid from the cops despite not committing the murder?
Spoilers for 'Defending Jacob' Episode 2 'Everything is Cool'
The Barbers aren't a picturesque family. Not anymore. Not after Jacob (Jaeden Martell) was being searched for across town after he was believed to have been the prime suspect in killing Ben Rifkin. The first cracks appeared when Andy Barber (Chris Evans) finds out about Jacob carrying a pocket knife around with him. When asked, the son retaliates. By then, the law's done a bit of its homework and we see the cops in the city launch a search for Jacob who decides to hide.
On the other side, a furious Andy battles shock while his wife, Laurie (Michelle Dockery), is equally flummoxed. Such is the rapid flow of events that we see the lives of the Barbers completely torn apart in the episode. Especially for the young teen. 'Everything is Cool' delves into Jacob's psyche and provides a glimpse of his lack of exposure to how things work in the real world.
Perhaps, his only crime was to touch Ben's cold dead body. Was he unaware that he would leave a print? Had he conveniently forgotten he was carrying a sharp object that would easily pass to qualify as a weapon? What was the logic when he hid back in school after watching cops waiting for him at his doorstep? The biggest mistake was to tell the arresting officer about him finding the body and conceal the fact from his parents. While he does later admit it was "dumb" of him, Jacob's lack of thought is clearly outlined.
Leading to that question: What was running in his mind when he pulled these moves? Honestly, it's difficult to answer. And as viewers, it's easy to sympathize with him with anger welling up. Part of the answer can be looked at as a petrified teen who thought he could outrun the law and plan a course of action eventually. The other part could be looked at as Jacob just did what he did as he was purely unaware that these actions could have consequences.
Fear, faith, and confusion are the three elements that could be attributed to Jacob by the end of Episode 2. The fear is about getting jailed, being asked questions and public embarrassment. The faith is why he trusts Andy and asks him to be his lawyer — the love and the bond he shares with the father is distinctly seen as he pleads Andy to get him out of the pickle he's gotten himself into.
And thirdly, confusion is one of the first emotions the human mind registers when it encounters a situation it's not prepared for. And that's exactly what's happened with Jacob. What would anyone do when they are pulled up by the law for no reason? Especially, when it looks like a wrongful conviction.
Answers to this question of Jacob's actions will surely be mixed. If it boils down to putting an opinion and taking a stand, then as unbelievable as it seems, it's okay to cut the teen a bit of slack. Note that Jacob is 14 when the events unfold, and while it is natural to look at him and judge him as foolish for his actions, it's also safe to say he just bogged down to pressure. If the audience were to put themselves in his shoes, it wouldn't have come as a surprise that they'd have done the same thing he did.
Ultimately, this isn't about whether he committed the murder, but his actions that led the law to believe he did.
What are your thoughts on Jacob's actions in 'Everything is Cool'?
'Defending Jacob' is available for streaming on AppleTV+.