The Last Thing He Told Me is an American thriller television series for Apple TV+, based on the novel of the same name by Laura Dave. The series was developed by Laura Dave and Josh Singer and stars Jennifer Garner as the main character Hannah Hall. It premiered on April 14, 2023.[1] In March 2024, the series was renewed for a second season.[2]
Premise
The series follows Hannah Hall, who forms an unexpected relationship with her stepdaughter as she searches for her husband who recently disappeared.
In Sausalito, successful woodturner Hannah Hall is married to Owen Michaels, who works at a software startup called The Shop. Hannah is happily married, but struggles to connect with her teenage stepdaughter, Bailey. When The Shop is raided by the FBI for fraud, Owen disappears, but he has a note sent to Hannah with the words "PROTECT HER". Owen also leaves a note for Bailey along with a bag of money. Hannah wants to believe that Owen was ignorant of the fraud, but their reporter friend Jules believes it unlikely, because he was unsurprised when she warned him that the raid was going to happen. Hannah feels that their house is being watched. A US Marshal warns Hannah that Owen is not who she thought he was.
2
"The Day After"
Olivia Newman
Laura Dave & Josh Singer
April 14, 2023 (2023-04-14)
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Hannah makes Bailey go to school over her protests, where Bailey's boyfriend Bobby is the only one to support her. Hannah is approached by FBI agents who are surprised when she tells them that she talked to a US Marshal named Grady Bradford. Grady's number has an Austin area code, and Hannah's further investigation suggests that Owen had a past in Austin. Hannah contacts Jake, a lawyer ex-boyfriend, for legal advice, and he engages a private investigator to dig into Owen's history. Bailey feels that someone broke into their house, but Hannah doesn't think that anything is missing. Grady secretly trails after Hannah, but misses her when she takes Bailey on an early flight out to Austin.
Hannah and Bailey follow Bailey's vague childhood memories of Austin to a church where she and Owen once attended a wedding. However, the church has no records of a wedding during the period that matches Bailey's history. The Shop's security officer, who has been watching Hannah's house, tries to break in but he is stopped by Grady. Grady breaks into the house himself and finds the bag of money. Following a password hint on Owen's laptop, Hannah asks Jules to check Bailey's piggybank; Jules does, and finds a key inside. Jake tells Hannah that there is no record of Owen and Bailey Michaels existing prior to their arrival in Sausalito.
4
"Witness to Your Life"
Deniz Gamze Ergüven
Harris Danow
April 28, 2023 (2023-04-28)
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A confused Hannah tells Bailey about how her father changed their identities. Hannah and Bailey track down Owen's former math professor, Tobias Cookman, who helps them narrow down Owen's possible identities. The church from the previous day contacts Hannah with a correction, for there was a wedding in the correct time period between Charles Smith and Andrea Reyes. While searching Owen's class yearbook, Hannah and Bailey find a photo of Katherine Smith, who looks very similar to Bailey. At Hannah's instruction, Jules looks for the bag of money, but it is missing. Hannah tells Jules to look for a safe in her workshop that might match the piggy bank key. Grady tells his boss about the Michaels case, and voices his concern that Hannah and Bailey are in danger.
Hannah and Bailey find the Never Dry, the Smiths' family bar. Hannah meets the bar's owner Charlie Smith, who confirms that he is Katherine's brother, and that Katherine died some time ago. When Hannah shows Charlie a picture of Owen, Charlie reacts angrily; Bailey intervenes, and Charlie calls her "Kristin". Hannah and Bailey are chased by Charlie, but escape. Bailey recalls another memory that confirms that Katherine was her mother. Grady receives Owen's cellphone in the mail, which contains records of how Owen tried to prevent the Shop's fraud. Jules and Jake inform Hannah that they found Owen's safe, which contains a will stating that his name was Ethan Young. Owen/Ethan's late wife's father, Nicholas Bell, was a lawyer for the powerful Campano mob family, and after Katherine was killed in a possible hit, Owen turned in state's evidence that brought down the Campanos' key members. Hannah readies to leave Austin but Bailey is missing. Grady finds Hannah and calls a search for Bailey.
Bailey tracks down her aunt Andrea Reyes, who tells her about her family and the reasons Owen took her away. Grady tells Hannah that she and Bailey have to go into witness protection, as the Campanos are likely to target them as leverage to flush Owen out of hiding. Grady returns the bag of money to Hannah; he advises her to use the money, which is clean and must have been prepared by Owen for this purpose. Hannah has doubts if witness protection would be sufficient, as there is a leak in the US Marshals' office. Additionally, the move would uproot Bailey's life, which Hannah believes Owen tried to avoid by leaving in the first place. Nicholas and Grady both go to Andrea's house to pick up Bailey, but Grady gets there first. Hannah sneaks out of the US Marshals' office and finds Charlie, with the request that she wants to speak to Nicholas directly.
7
"Sanctuary"
Olivia Newman
Laura Dave & Josh Singer
May 19, 2023 (2023-05-19)
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Charlie sends Hannah to Nicholas' house. Hannah makes Nicholas an offer: she and Bailey will not go into witness protection, and she will allow Bailey to reconnect with her grandfather and extended family, if Nicholas can guarantee their safety from the Campanos. Hannah accepts that this protection can never extend to Owen, who must remain on the run. Owen calls Bailey to apologize, and Bailey understands that she may never see him again. Grady advises Hannah and Bailey against trusting Nicholas, but Bailey chooses to follow Hannah. Hannah and Bailey return to their lives in Sausalito, aware that they are being watched by the mob. Five years later, Hannah and Bailey's relationship has improved, with Bailey calling Hannah "mom". At an exhibit for Hannah's woodwork, Hannah briefly crosses paths with a disguised Owen, who whispers that he still loves her.
Production
Development
Ahead of its May 4, 2021, release, the novel The Last Thing He Told Me was optioned by Hello Sunshine and Red Om Films. Soon after, in partnership with 20th Television, Hello Sunshine and Red Om Films put the project on the marketplace. Apple, in a highly competitive bidding war, won the project and gave it a straight-to-series order.[3]Laura Dave, author of the novel, will write the adapted screenplay with her husband, Josh Singer. Olivia Newman is set to direct the series pilot, with Deniz Gamze Ergüven, Daisy Von Scherler Mayer, and Lila Neugebauer directing the other episodes.[4][5] In March 2024, Apple TV+ renewed the series for a second season.[2]
The Last Thing He Told Me premiered on April 14, 2023, with the first two episodes available instantly and the rest debuting on a weekly basis until May 19.[1]
Reception
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 45% approval rating with an average rating of 5.2/10, based on 33 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Jennifer Garner's sensitive performance brings some heart to the proceedings, but monotonous pacing and a glossy veneer keep this mystery from standing out from the pack."[13]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 49 out of 100 based on 19 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[14] The show reached 4.5 million unique viewers in its first 31 days of streaming.[15]
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