Jennifer Garner’s Apple TV Thriller Returns to Mixed Reviews as Cast Says Season 2 Moves Beyond the Book
jennifer garner returns as Hannah in the second season of The Last Thing He Told Me, which premiered on Apple TV on February 20 and has drawn a 33% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a low mark that follows the first season’s 41% score.
Jennifer Garner’s Hannah faces new twists in a season that diverges from the book
The season follows Hannah (played by Jennifer Garner) and her 16-year-old stepdaughter Bailey (played by Angourie Rice) as they cope with the reappearance of Owen (played by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau); the show’s storyline now departs from Laura Dave’s novel and its sequel, which was published in January. Angourie Rice said the production was unusual because the cast was filming at the same time the book sequel was being written, a process she described by saying, “We only just read the book as it came out. ”
Rotten Tomatoes score and the season’s release schedule
Season 2 has an overall 33% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with some critics calling it a season “that wouldn’t hurt to skip” and arguing that “the writers didn’t seem to know what drew people to the series. ” The season was released on Apple TV on February 20 and consists of eight episodes, with the final episode scheduled to premiere on April 10.
Cast recounts working apart from the book and the on-set surprises
Rice, 25, said the production and the author were “in conversation with each other while we were making it, ” and Judy Greer added that the writers and showrunner sometimes had different information than the novel. Greer recalled asking the showrunner what would happen next and being told he didn’t know because the book’s author “hasn’t told me, ” a mismatch she called funny and which she said yields “loads of surprises” for fans who read the novels.
The season continues to build on the series’ central mystery: Owen’s disappearance and a paper trail tied to The Shop, a software company accused of fraud and of stealing half a billion dollars, which the characters uncover while trying to follow Owen’s trail. Owen left a note for Hannah that read “Protect Her, ” referring to Bailey, and the search for him drives much of the plot this season.
While the show’s departure from the books and the lukewarm critical reception leave the future uncertain, it has not been confirmed whether a third season will begin development; context notes that the latest reviews could put a damper on any further seasons. The Last Thing He Told Me is available to stream on Apple TV, and viewers can watch the season’s remaining episodes through the finale scheduled for April 10.
