An assistant DA’s world is shattered when his beloved son gets charged with murder. Andy Barber has been an assistant district attorney in his suburban Massachusetts county for more than twenty years. He is respected in his community, tenacious in the courtroom, and happy at home with his wife, Laurie, and son, Jacob.
Chris Evans stars as Andy Barber, an assistant district attorney whose son Jacob (Jaeden Martell) is accused of murdering a classmate. Though no suspect appears apparent at first, all eyes soon hone in on Jacob, forcing Andy to recuse himself from the investigation. Pablo Schreiber as Neal Loguidice, Andy’s oleaginous rival in the DA’s office, waits in the wings, anxious to take over the case and prosecute Andy’s son.
Michelle Dockery plays Laurie Barber, Jacob’s mother. She refuses to believe that Jacob could have committed such a crime, but both she and Andy start to share growing concerns as more information about online activity prior to the murder comes to light.
Though at first glance Jacob seems to be a sensitive, quiet kid, events reveal that he maintains a mysterious darker side, though it’s unclear whether he’s going through a phase or harbors a permanent condition.
His friends Derek (Ben Taylor) and Sarah (Jordan Alexa Davis) evince concern for his situation but are suspicious and uncertain as well. The local townspeople, on the other hand, share no such compunctions, having plainly made up their minds – and not to Jacob’s family’s benefit.
Cherry Jones as defense attorney Joanna Klein offers wise counsel to her troubled clients, parents, and child alike. Betty Gabriel as Pam Duffy is a police detective who remains sympathetic to Andy’s plight despite her nominal adversarial role. Sakina Jaffrey, as District Attorney Lynn Canavan also appreciates Andy’s dilemma and ensures that the ongoing investigation is impartial and businesslike, even though Loguidice obviously has no such intention of doing the same.
Of particular note is J.K. Simmons as Andy’s father Billy, who turns in yet another fine performance. A convicted murderer sentenced to life in prison, Simmons’ first scenes display an indifferent jerk patronizing his adult son, who in turn condescends right back with equal gusto. Over the five episodes in which Simmons appears, however, he eventually warms up to the role of Jacob’s grandfather, at least as far as circumstances allow. Billy begins to exhibit something of a variation on his criminal bent, even lending an unexpected – if also unwelcome – hand in the proceedings.
Based on the New York Times bestselling novel by William Landay – seen interviewed in the Special Features section along with the cast and crew – the series makes some deliberate departures from the source material to good effect. Jacob’s demeanor is equivocal and less menacing than in the book, which fits better with the final scenes. Although viewers might prefer more of a bow tied around the ambiguous conclusion, the tension infusing the narrative always remains taut. This eight-part limited series feels just right in terms of its length by providing enough screen time to flesh out the characters sufficiently and to lay out the story in a manner in which the author clearly welcomed.
Now available on DVD
