Defending Jacob Season 1, Episode 6 recap: Does Jacob have the murder gene?

Defending Jacob Episode 6 dives deeper into Jacob’s genetics, does he have the murder gene? Plus, Billy Barber tries to get involved more in the case.

In Defending Jacob Episode 6, the investigation finally shifted toward Leonard Patz, although it doesn’t pan out the way Andy hoped. When we left off with the fifth episode of the season, Matt was ringing Andy up in the middle of the night from a blocked number and then hanging up before saying anything.

Finally, Matt comes around and sets a meeting with Andy, where he confesses the truth about his relationship with Leonard. Matt reveals that Leonard would pay him money to let him feel him up. Matt was a teenager, so the whole thing is repulsive no matter which way you slice it. Leonard Patz should not be out of a prison cell.

More so than his own incriminating interactions with Patz, Matt tells Andy the reason they stopped meeting up is that Patz found a new obsession — a “beautiful” boy named Ben.

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Patz never confirmed it was Ben Rifkin, but given what we as the audience know (remember Patz had photos of Ben on his phone), it looks pretty suspicious. Plus, Matt says Patz has a knife in his house, one that could be the murder weapon.

While Matt’s information isn’t enough to move the District Attorney or Neil, it is enough to get a search warrant drawn up. Duffy and her team tear Patz’s apartment upside down, but no knife.

Andy, who had been hoping for an 11th-hour reprieve that could get Jacob’s trial delayed, or even canceled if they found a new prime suspect in Patz, doesn’t take the news well.  He stalks Patz and angrily confronts him in the street, ramming into his car. It’s not the smartest move, but Andy is known for being somewhat impulsive.

Which brings us to Doctor Vogel’s findings — based on the genetic test, Jacob does not have the “murder gene”; however, he does have other genetic predispositions that could potentially be used to mitigate his sentence if he is found guilty.

According to the DNA findings, all three Barber men are prone to violent outbursts, impulsivity, recklessness, and a potential lack of empathy. We’ve seen the impulsivity in Andy and the lack of empathy in Jacob.

Laurie, who has had quiet doubts about her son’s innocence from the beginning, is the most disturbed by the findings.

Aside from the investigation, Defending Jacob Episode 6 also introduces another potential antagonist in the form of a suspicious man trailing the Barbers from a Lincoln car. Andy notices him first at night while taking out the trash, and then the vehicle quietly trails Laurie while she goes on a morning jog.

Andy loses his temper and confronts the driver, demanding him to leave the family alone and reporting his license to the police. They learn the car is registered as stolen. Who could it be?  A member of the defense team?  Someone hired by Neil? I  have a sneaking suspicion the man might be a friend of Billy Barber’s.

Billy alludes to the special “jail economy” during a phone call with Andy, who is startled by his father having his phone number. Billy reaches out to Andy in this episode. It sounds like he is more affected by Jacob’s potential jail stint than he initially acted. Could Billy have something in mind to help Jacob, or will he make things much worse?

In the final moments of the episode, the Barber family arrives at the courthouse for Jacob’s trial.

Odds & Ends

• Andy and Laurie find out about Jacob’s secret “Jay Kobbs” Instagram account, and Andy loses his cool. The American Psycho meme Jacob shared is not going to reflect well on the jury.
• Jacob celebrates a birthday in the episode, although no one is exactly in the celebratory mood.

What did you think of Defending Jacob Episode 6? Who do you think is in the car trailing the Barbers? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

New episodes of Defending Jacob become available on Fridays on Apple TV Plus.