Jennifer Garner stars as a girl whose husband has mysteriously vanished within the Apple TV+ thriller “The Last Thing He Told Me.”
Premiering April 14, the miniseries (executive-produced by Garner and Reese Witherspoon) relies on a bestselling novel by Laura Dave (and is co-written by Dave and her husband, Oscar-winning “Highlight” screenwriter Josh Singer).
The storyline follows Hannah (Garner), an artist and a newlywed who, for just over a yr, has had what appears to be a terrific relationship with a widower, Owen (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, “Game of Thrones”) — regardless that his churlish teenage daughter, Bailey (Angourie Rice), hasn’t warmed as much as her latest stepmother.
When Owen mysteriously vanishes after a fraud investigation at his tech startup — “It’s like what they did at Enron,” Hannah’s friend Jules (Aisha Tyler) helpfully contextualizes — Hannah’s life gets turned the other way up. She’s blindsided, since Owen never gave the look of the white-collar criminal type.
She’s also left attempting to take care of Bailey after Owen’s last message to Hannah was a note entreating her to guard his daughter. Since Hannah hasn’t officially adopted Bailey, and if Owen doesn’t return, it’s not guaranteed that the teenager could stay together with her stepmom.
At the identical time, Hannah tries to uncover the puzzle of Owen’s disappearance and why he really vanished. Her anxiety rises when Owen’s colleagues are splashed everywhere in the news — with reports that they’re being investigated and indicted.
Before long, what initially gave the look of a problem with Owen’s workplace becomes a broader story of how Hannah might never have really known her husband, despite his geniality (seen in flashbacks). To make matters much more complicated, various figures emerge from the woodwork, and it’s unclear who she should trust — including a person claiming to be a US Marshal (Augusto Aguilera) who says he desires to protect Owen and advises Hannah to put low and to get a lawyer.
“The Last Thing He Told Me” tries to inform two stories directly: the mystery of what’s happening with Owen, and a fraught relationship drama between a stepmother and stepdaughter who previously weren’t close, but now must depend on one another.
For essentially the most part, it succeeds — although the stepmother /daughter a part of the plot is commonly stronger. The thriller element has the proper amount of tension, however it’s a bit ho-hum, often with underwhelming reveals as the assorted mysteries unfold.
The visuals are scenic; Hannah lives in a floating home in Sausalito, Calif., so for any “Big Little Lies” fans clamoring for one more mystery/domestic drama set in expensive homes on the water, this show satisfies that appetite.
Harkening back to her “Alias” days, Garner is a professional at playing a reliable woman who finds herself in hot water. That is her first leading series role in several years (for the reason that 2018 HBO series “Camping”), but a lot of her recent movie roles have been of the “compassionate mom” type (“Love, Simon,” “The Adam Project”). “The Last Thing He told Me” is an intriguing spin on that familiar role as Hannah flails at being a stepmom who’s out of her depth but trying to hook up with her surly teen stepdaughter.
An actor of Coster-Waldau’s caliber is sort of wasted, here — since he doesn’t get much screen time — but he delivers a simple charm that makes you wonder if something darker is lurking beneath the surface … without laying it on too thick.
“The Last Thing He Told Me” isn’t as distinctive and edgy a thriller as “Yellowjackets,” or as soapy fun as “You.” But, like “The Night Agent,” it’s a positive enough character-driven thriller anchored by a robust forged.