by Austen Terry, Contributing Writer
Can any of us say we truly know a person? There have been a few mysteries over the years where something happens that involves the past of someone a person thought they knew, but didn’t. These stories often lead to good mysteries as the main protagonists go down the rabbit hole to solve it. That is where the newest Apple TV+ series, The Last Thing He Told Me, comes into play. Going into this story, its description just felt like a novel that would serve better as a movie, but upon watching the series, I was able to get wrapped up in the narrative and all its twists and turns. With a stellar cast, I had high hopes going in, and fortunately, this limited series delivers.
It follows Hannah Michaels (Jennifer Garner) who is married to Owen Michaels (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), and after Owen disappears, Hannah is left to figure out what’s going on and protect his daughter Bailey (Angourie Rice). As the story unfolds, one thing is made clear: Owen is not who he appears to be. Bailey is distraught, wondering what is going on, and she pushes Hannah to untangle the mystery, causing them to bond. Many people help them on the way, but none more so than Jules (Aisha Tyler), a friend of the family who is desperate to help. I don’t want to spoil anything, but this mystery is pretty good. It will have you hating Owen one week, and the next, sympathizing with him and seeing why he did what he did.
Having seen pretty much everyone involved in other critically acclaimed projects, I knew they would bring a fantastic performances. I felt like I had seen Garner play a similar character in the past, but that didn’t take anything away from enjoying her performance. Rice has been proving herself over the last couple of years, and she continues to be phenomenal here. Coster-Waldau — or, as most of us know him, Jamie Lannister — is also good in the little we see him, but he makes his presence known. Tyler is amazing at bringing a sense to this role that helps pull Garner and Rice’s character where they need to go. Garner and Rice are just fantastic together over the seven episodes. Their relationship grows and strengthens as they bond over this shared trauma.
That this series is based on Laura Dave’s 2021 novel of the same name should say something about the caliber of the story: In two years, they have already filmed a series for it. The story comes to a satisfying conclusion that doesn’t need more seasons. I have said many times there are some books you can fit into a good two-hour movie and get the message across. Then there are others which need a show or limited series, and this one definitely benefitted from being a series.
The show has four directors, so there’s not much to say on that front, except that I wish shows would stop not having a light source in a dark room. I shouldn’t have to sit in a dark room just to see everything on the screen.
The Last Thing He Told Me doesn’t really drag anywhere; the episodes aren’t overly long, and they typically wrap up in under 45 minutes. Essentially, it is a quick watch which you could easily binge in a day. I do recommend it: The acting is fantastic, and I hope to see Rice in more projects in the future.
This series pulls a lot out of its actors, which makes for great storytelling. You find out some things, and then immediately feel for these characters in their situations. If you like all the actors, you will definitely enjoy this series.
Score: 8/10
The Last Thing He Told Me is currently streaming on AppleTV+
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