Defending Jacob Review: Visitors (Season 1 Episode 5)

In the words of Luke Skywalker, “This is not going to go the way you think.” On Defending Jacob Season 1 Episode 5, “Visitors,” expectations and reality clash, but while there is good news among all of the hardships, the episode lacks the punch of previous episodes.

Jacob’s not doing himself any favors by steering into joking about his predicament with memes and slut-shaming his only friend (which doesn’t exactly track since Sarah did absolutely nothing wrong in the slightest).

The mystery side of the murder is pointing further away from Leonard Patz and closer toward Derek. And yet the show ends with Leonard’s possible victim phoning Andy in the middle of the night, which only keeps Leonard on the hook as a suspect in the eyes of the show. Including Jacob, three potential suspects is quite a few to juggle.

Defending Jacob wants to keep Jacob as a suspect while broadening the field, but the way he treats Sarah after she comes clean is not doing him any favors. The trap Ben places her in is infinitely scummy, and Derek’s infatuation with her certainly places the most guilt in his direction once he steals Ben’s phone. There is bad blood between them, and it’s not looking so hot for his chances, either.

Now that the phone is in police custody, though, this may speed up the investigation some.

Sarah just wants to move on from such a hard moment, but Jacob essentially blaming her and writing such a hurtful thing ends up showing how Jacob can be rather heartless. The cutting porn that Derek clues Andy into definitely doesn’t help with that heartlessness. There’s also the possibility that Jacob knows part of Sarah’s ordeal already, as he is super close to Derek before the murder occurs and must have heard something.

The meeting with William Barber is a tricky spot for the show. J. K. Simmons dazzles on such a short but significant scene, able to convey so much rage, arrogance, and a dirty sense of levity with only a few fleeting minutes. We need far, far more of William not only for Andy’s own closure, but for the show’s sake, because it’s the kind of liveliness that could go a long way and also offers a window into Andy’s internal conflict.

All the same, however, is the fact that keeping this short and sweet adds to its potency. Both Barbers are dug in, refusing to bend even a little, lobbing emotional bombs to score the points they have been waiting decades to win. They both have an agenda, and neither want the other to succeed without some pain in the process.

But for something that’s been building for the first four episodes, being over so quickly is rather deflating. Even with Laurie, it’s a little smile rather than hearing what they have to say to each other. Maybe that comes on the next episode and helps further Laurie’s views on Jacob, but for this episode as it stands, it feels like it’s over before it really begins.

Something to keep in mind is that William treats the DNA swab as a transaction, that he needs something in return. Laurie only has information to give, and so it’s possible William knows way more about his son and grandson now. The issue with that is he may use this against them, as is the case with the article that comes out from Laurie’s comments at the diner.

This isn’t to say Laurie is bad at trusting people with the wrong information, but that any information in William’s hands is likely a chance to further his own life by handing it over to prosecutors and Neal. Hopefully we find out what they said to each other.

The Barber family dynamic is especially ironic when contrasted with Ben Rifkin’s mother pleading to appreciate your family at the middle school graduation ceremony. While her words certainly ring true for most, Andy’s proving to be the exception to that rule with his own father, the scenes nearly back-to-back to further show how no one way is the right way.

One issue that’s becoming more prevalent is over-explaining some things while neglecting others. Laurie’s quick flashback of the bowling ball incident when Jacob’s younger doesn’t really need any extra context, as the images are pretty self-explanatory; and so while there is merit to her seeking help from Jacob’s behavior therapist, explaining something we have already seen comes across as not trusting the audience.

This is in contrast to somewhat larger plot threads not being given a larger spotlight, like Derek’s initial involvement on the sidelines mostly played out in looks and quick asides, or the knife found in the park not being the weapon murder, which is a random line of dialogue on Defending Jacob Season 1 Episode 4, “Damage Control,” rather than a plot point.

The show does have some cover with the fact that Andy is completely cut off from the investigation and is flailing for any chance to defend his son, but all the same, some things are given a lot more attention when others desperately need more.

But all the same, this episode has Michelle Dockery really portraying the pain and isolation Laurie faces. The early grocery store visit is one of the most damning moments, where reluctance gives way to happiness, only to be brought back down by the sight of Ben’s mom. Spitting in Laurie’s face is such a crushing moment, one last theft of her chance for public normality.

It’s this realization that no matter how much time passes, from now on everything will be in a different light.

Her opening up may be overly explaining something we know already, but it is necessary to keep Laurie’s headspace in view as she struggles with the two views of her son. This is why her conversation at the prison could do really well not only in giving us more of Andy’s father, but also have her talk more matter-of-factly with someone that could help her find some answers to her questions.

Defending Jacob Season 1 Episode 5, “Visitors,” works through its emotional pain but is starting to stifle under its narrow scope. Keeping the perspective to the Barbers, the flashforward grand jury, and Sarah leaves some story threads to feel a little stretched while others need air to breathe.

There are still fantastic moments on the episode, and the acting and production continue to be top notch. But the mystery feels like it’s pulling away with its many tentacles of possibility rather than slowing down and pointing the finger now that we’re closer to the end.

The show is using the slower pace to dig deeper into character during their quieter moments, which does go a long way. The show just needs to balance it out a little.

 

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Defending Jacob streams Fridays on Apple TV+.

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