Defending Jacob

Defending Jacob follows Andy Barber, an assistant district attorney in Newton, Massachusetts. His quiet family life breaks apart when his 14-year-old son, Jacob, is accused of stabbing a classmate. Andy leaves the case but keeps trying to protect Jacob, while his wife Laurie starts to doubt their son. The eight episodes use a dark, slow crime-drama tone and keep asking whether Jacob is guilty.

The show has very little woke content that viewers can see. Joanna Klein, the defense lawyer, briefly mentions her wife, which confirms a lesbian relationship but does not affect the case or the family’s choices. The supporting cast includes several people of color, and the series changes two male roles from the novel into female roles, but the story does not present those choices as a political message. Most of the drama concerns family loyalty, the pressure of a murder case, social media rumors, hidden family history, and the hard question of whether parents should protect a child they may not trust.