Defending Jacob spoilers follow.
Captain America finally retired last year in Avengers: Endgame, but Chris Evans (and his illustrious beard) aren't going anywhere just yet.
Speaking to Variety, the Marvel star teased retirement in real life too before explaining why he now likes working more on the small screen instead of film, saying: "I think TV right now, those creative minds are given a bit more freedom."
What to Read Next
The result of this newfound focus is Defending Jacob, a new Apple TV+ show which places Evans and his glorious beard centre stage as both lead actor and executive producer.
Buy the Book Defending Jacob by William Landay
Based on William Landay's best-selling novel of the same name, the story revolves around Andy Barber, a district attorney whose sense of justice is shattered when his teenage son is accused of murder.
Across eight episodes, Defending Jacob jumps back and forth between the murder's immediate aftermath and Barber's own interrogation on the stand 10 months later. Along the way, Andy's family face the police investigation and subsequent media frenzy head-on, all while trying to avoid the possibility that their precious Jacob might not be as innocent as he seems.
Like most Apple TV shows, Defending Jacob has all the makings of a sure-fire hit, but there's something missing still.
Despite those prestige production values and that facial hair, the central mystery doesn't quite captivate like it should – and much of that is down to the show's drawn-out pacing. Yes, some red herrings might take you by surprise and sure, the big reveals will cut deeper than Evans' jawline, but not everyone will stick around long enough to see the whole story play out.
That's not the cast's fault though. Michelle Dockery impresses as a mother who truly *wants* to believe her son is innocent but starts questioning everything she thought she knew. Evans' Knives Out co-star Jaeden Martell also excels here as Jacob, walking the perfect knife-edge between enigmatic and ever-so-slightly creepy.
That's not why you're here, though. You clicked on this article to find out how Captain America himself fares in this small town suburban nightmare. Thankfully, Evans is just as solid as you'd expect, and not just in the physical sense either. While the family unit itself isn't always the most believable, Chris is super relatable as a father who would fight off Thanos himself to protect his family, no matter what the cost.
Unfortunately, the role itself is rather stern and borders on too gloomy at times. Aside from the occasional dad joke, Evans is lumbered with a heavy script which could have smothered a lesser actor's charisma completely, just like the show's incessant darkness threatens to wash out his fine angular beard.
Defending Jacob is naturally worlds away from something lighter like Knives Out or What's Your Number?. Still, that doesn't mean every single frame needs to look so grey and washed out. What we can see looks absolutely stunning, much like Evans himself, but the story's bleak subject matter has been interpreted far too literally by the show's cinematographer.
Unfortunately, that's also true of the rare moments when Evans goes shirtless, forcing fans to rewind over and over as they squint into the darkness for a glimpse of his physique.
Despite all that, Defending Jacob is still worth a watch. That beard might pull you in, but it's the central mystery which will keep you watching, along with some truly affecting scenes like Laurie's encounter in the supermarket.
It's just a shame that Defending Jacob doesn't take more advantage of the "creative freedom" that Evans was so keen to pursue in his transition to TV. Honestly, if it wasn't for that beard, then we'd probably have a tougher time defending the show.
Defending Jacob debuts with its first three episodes on Friday, April 24 on Apple TV+. Subsequent episodes will debut weekly.
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After teaching in England and South Korea, David turned to writing in Germany, where he covered everything from superhero movies to the Berlin Film Festival.
In 2019, David moved to London to join Digital Spy, where he could indulge his love of comics, horror and LGBTQ+ storytelling as Deputy TV Editor, and later, as Acting TV Editor.
David has spoken on numerous LGBTQ+ panels to discuss queer representation and in 2020, he created the Rainbow Crew interview series, which celebrates LGBTQ+ talent on both sides of the camera via video content and longform reads.
Beyond that, David has interviewed all your faves, including Henry Cavill, Pedro Pascal, Olivia Colman, Patrick Stewart, Ncuti Gatwa, Jamie Dornan, Regina King, and more — not to mention countless Drag Race legends.
As a freelance entertainment journalist, David has bylines across a range of publications including Empire Online, Radio Times, INTO, Highsnobiety, Den of Geek, The Digital Fix and Sight & Sound.
