The Last Thing He Told Me - General Discussion

[CheshireCat]

Quote

A woman (Julia Roberts) forms an unexpected relationship with her 16-year-old stepdaughter while searching for the truth about why her husband has mysteriously disappeared.

Ordered to series on Apple TV. Premiere date TBD.

Anticipate away.

[CheshireCat]

Jennifer Garner was cast to replace Julia Roberts as the lead. https://deadline.com/2021/11/jennifer-garner-the-last-thing-he-told-me-apple-limited-series-recasting-julia-roberts-1234873334/

[AnimeMania]

The Last Thing He Told Me      April 14    AppleTV+

[LegalParrot81]

I loved this book, hope the movie can hold up.

[AnimeMania]

The Last Thing He Told Me      April 14    AppleTV+

Episodes 1-2     Titles and Descriptions

Spoiler

S01.E01: Protect Her 

Hannah's world is turned upside down when her husband goes missing leaving her and his 16-year-old daughter behind.

S01.E02: The Day After

A string of frightening events drive Hannah to convince Bailey they need to find out the truth about Owen.

[peachmangosteen]

I didn't love this but I'm intrigued enough to keep watching.

I feel like Bobby is involved somehow but I don't know why or how lol.

[Cementhead]

I found this to be tedious and boring and won't watch the rest of it.  I was also getting really distracted by Jennifer Garner overdoing the squinting eyes / pursed lips expression that she so often does.  Points for the beautiful setting and scenery though.  Reese Witherspoon productions usually excel at that and this is no exception.

[AnimeMania]

S01.E03: Keep Austin Weird

A clue to Owen’s past provides a lead. Jake and Jules start piecing together how much trouble the Michaels family is in.

Premiere Date: April 21, 2023   AppleTV+

[zapper]

i didn't find it slow at all, but rather very paced as she starts to realize what she doesn't want to realize and starts to step up to the role of being the step-mom in the Bailey relationship instead of being the father's new wife with whom Bailey happens to live. 

I'm happy for the lack of immediate jumping to [correct] conclusions or any rising into action on the part of the two. Just watching them try to continue with life and normalcy as their world is completely shifted and broken seems more real to me.

[Broderbits]

I'm pretty sure that if I had found a big bag stuffed with cash I wouldn't just throw it under the bed and go merrily on my way! Also, why aren't there any door cameras that can send alerts to her phone? Why are they still using their regular phones? And whose credit card is she using?

[zapper]

nothing to see.

Edited April 24, 2023 by zapper

[peachmangosteen]

5 hours ago, Broderbits said:

And whose credit card is she using?

It says Maxine and Jules' girlfriend/wife is called Max so I assume it's her's.

[Rickster]

I thought episode three was an improvement on the first two, with a nice plot twist at the end to keep me watching. Apple phones sure get a workout on this show. My pet peeve is constantly having to rewind and freeze episodes in order to walk up to the screen to read texts (although there are worse shows than this). An aspect of modern life that TV doesn’t handle that well, IMO.

[hurrrz]

The daughter character is insufferable to me. Why is she insistent on being such a dick to step-mom? Like every frickin sentence u til they got to the stadium is filled with disdain. 

[SoMuchTV]

9 hours ago, Rickster said:

I thought episode three was an improvement on the first two, with a nice plot twist at the end to keep me watching. Apple phones sure get a workout on this show. My pet peeve is constantly having to rewind and freeze episodes in order to walk up to the screen to read texts (although there are worse shows than this). An aspect of modern life that TV doesn’t handle that well, IMO.

Hmmm... that reminds me of something I heard a while back, that Apple wouldn't give permission for their phones to be used by "bad guys".  So it could be a mini-spoiler for a show.  Not sure if that's just on Apple+ shows, or if any show needs to get Apple's permission to use them.  I wonder if that's still true (if it ever was).

[Shermie]

8 hours ago, SoMuchTV said:

Apple wouldn't give permission for their phones to be used by "bad guys".  So it could be a mini-spoiler for a show. 

I’ve heard that too, but maybe there’s an exception when Apple is producing the show.

I find this interesting so far, but man, that daughter is a pill. I’m so sick of surly teen girls bitching at random adults who are just being caring and nice to them, just because the girl has some issue. Newsflash bratz, everyone has issues; it’s not a licence to be an absolute jackwagon to everyone.

I haven’t read the book, so I’m assuming this will end up being that Owen is a good guy, and the deception was to protect Bailey, and now Hannah too. Although whatever “It” is, if it’s so damn dangerous then why involve other innocent people in your life in the first place?

I’m also guessing that Bailey is older than she thinks or something, and that the year they went to a wedding and football game in Austin is a different one than they think. Plus, if Owen says there is no extended family, why didn’t Hannah immediately raise her eyebrows when he said Bailey’s grandmother gave her the piggy bank? And in the 10+ years that piggy bank has been there, no one every opened it and found the key? Bailey never put coins in it and then take them out again, as kids would do? 

On 4/15/2023 at 5:13 PM, peachmangosteen said:

I feel like Bobby is involved somehow but I don't know why or how lol.

I have a feeling Max is involved and is letting Hannah use her card so she can keep track of her.

And that stadium? Good god, it’s huge. It boggles my mind that there are that many people who would want to sit there and watch football, but then I don’t understand the love of that weird game.

Anyway, I’m in. I like Jennifer Garner and it’s an interesting show. Anyone know how many episodes?

[peachmangosteen]

15 hours ago, Shermie said:

And in the 10+ years that piggy bank has been there, no one every opened it and found the key? Bailey never put coins in it and then take them out again, as kids would do? 

I assume the key was put in there more recently because yea otherwise that makes no sense.

Quote

I have a feeling Max is involved and is letting Hannah use her card so she can keep track of her.

Oh yea, Max has to be involved. She acts so suspicious lol. I'm confused, were Jules and Max Hannah's friends originally or Owen's? Didn't Hannah move to wherever they are from like New York or something to be with Owen? Plus, Jules seems very close to Bailey. That made me think Jules and Max were Owen's friends and then became Hannah's friends after her and Owen got together but I'm not positive I have that right.

Quote

Anyone know how many episodes?

7. The finale is May 19th.

[zapper]

For some reason, I keep thinking of the Hugh Grant Nicole Kidman vehicle "The Undoing" where the wife's world falls apart as her husband is suspected of malfeasance.  Dunno why, entirely different feel to the story and production.

[EtheltoTillie]

This is a terrible show!  I watched one episode and guessed the twist.  As many have said, the bratty daughter was annoying.  I looked up the plot summary on Wikipedia, and I was right.  Now I can save hours and not have to watch this.

 

Spoiler

The twist is that hubby is in witness protection.  I figured that out when a US Marshal showed up.  I used to watch that US Marshal witsec show with Mary McCormack. 

 

[katenm]

For those who read the Wikipedia summation of the book, it left a few salient plot details.

Edited April 26, 2023 by katenm

[AnimeMania]

S01.E04: Witness to Your Life

Hannah and Bailey uncover a key piece of information. Jake and Jules make another disturbing discovery.

Premiere Date: April 28, 2023   AppleTV+

[HerkyJerky]

Jennifer Garner and Victor Garber together again? I LOVED Alias!

[Rickster]

Felt a bit cheated to have such a short episode after waiting a whole week.

[peachmangosteen]

Who was in the picture at the end? Bailey's mom?

[HerkyJerky]

PM, I had the exact same question!  And that’s what I was thinking too, that it was her mom.

[zapper]

absolutely how i took it. So she also changed her name from college days.

[zapper]

I also suspect that there is more to the death of Bailey's mom than a simple car accident.

[Eureka]

1 hour ago, zapper said:

I also suspect that there is more to the death of Bailey's mom than a simple car accident.

Same here.

[peachmangosteen]

I've been thinking her mom is actually still alive but yea now it seems like she was maybe killed because of whatever happened that made them all change their names.

[zapper]

i have not read the book, or the wikipedia page but I suspect ...

Spoiler

... that the husband and Bailey went on the lam after the mom got killed because of something that they knew/saw.  I'm also wondering about witness protection playing a role (hence the marshal's office being involved).

 

[sharifa70]

I’m liking this so far, but yes, this most recent episode is the first one that didn’t make me want to drop-kick Bailey off the nearest tall building. The way she says Hannah’s name so often triggers my Spaniel Rage. I don’t know about y’all, but nobody says my name several times in a conversation and people repeating it even without disdain is just so off-putting. 

The kid doesn’t have to see Hannah as a replacement mom, but basic manners go a long way.

I agree with the people who thought tossing the duffel under the bed was pretty weird. 

Even if Owen does turn out to be a good guy, I don’t know how they go forward from this. I get that knowing nothing protects them from the authorities, but knowing nothing also opens them up to potentially trusting the wrong people. Not to mention the extreme violation of trust in play here.

[peachmangosteen]

Quote

I'm also wondering about witness protection playing a role (hence the marshal's office being involved).

Yea, I definitely think Bailey and Owen in witness protection. Although, the marshal's boss' totally uninterested response makes me think maybe not.

[KristenR]

18 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

Yea, I definitely think Bailey and Owen in witness protection. Although, the marshal's boss' totally uninterested response makes me think maybe not.

I believe that you can choose to leave witness protection at any time but, if you do, you're on your own. The boss's reaction made me wonder if that was the situation here. 

[AnimeMania]

S01.E05: The Never Dry

Bailey refuses to leave Austin until she finds out the truth.

Premiere Date: May 5, 2023    AppleTV+

[Emcber]

I’m for some reason still sticking with it but my goodness it’s a slow moving show. 

[Broderbits]

7 hours ago, Emcber said:

I’m for some reason still sticking with it but my goodness it’s a slow moving show. 

Totally agree! Wish I had waited until all the episodes were up so I could binge it.

[sharifa70]

I’m back to wanting to drop-kick Bailey off the nearest tall building.

[Johnny Dollar]

They go all the way to Austin to “find answers” but when Hannah finally starts to get closer, she runs away. What made her so suspicious of the BIL? I didn’t think his reaction to seeing his sister’s husband and daughter for the first time in ten plus years was that abnormal.

But man is this show sloooowwww.  This definitely should’ve been a movie. I can’t believe that Julia Roberts was originally going to be the lead. It’s so slight. Jennifer Garner needs to be more selective. 
 

My wife read the book, so I’m determined to make it to the end. I hope it’s worth it. 

[rebel2u]

This show is rendered almost unwatchable by the actions of Bailey.  She is rude, sarcastic, just generally mean and, worst of all, a backtalker.  If I had, as a teenager, exhibited any of Bailey's characteristics, my dad would have gotten me in shape in the first 15 minutes.  I wonder what the writers' purpose was to make her so salty. Just for an interest point?  So she can can redeem herself in the end and become the kind, respectful teenager we knew/hoped she could be?  I think this show would have been more palatable had they turned down the snarkiness said and the disrespect shown by Bailey.

[sharifa70]

17 hours ago, rebel2u said:

This show is rendered almost unwatchable by the actions of Bailey.  She is rude, sarcastic, just generally mean and, worst of all, a backtalker.  If I had, as a teenager, exhibited any of Bailey's characteristics, my dad would have gotten me in shape in the first 15 minutes.  I wonder what the writers' purpose was to make her so salty. Just for an interest point?  So she can can redeem herself in the end and become the kind, respectful teenager we knew/hoped she could be?  I think this show would have been more palatable had they turned down the snarkiness said and the disrespect shown by Bailey.

Yep. I would never get away with talking to an adult like that. No, I wasn’t a perfect angel and did fall into occasional teenage backtalk (truly occasional), and do you know who put up with it? Literally no one.

Bailey’s behavior actually makes me kind of hate Owen even more.

[AnimeMania]

S01.E06: When We Were Young

While Bailey confronts her past, Hannah must make a devastating decision about their future.

Premiere Date: May 12, 2023    AppleTV+

[sharifa70]

Well, that was…a tv show.

[Renee in CA]

Minor brownie points for an unexpected ending but eh??? Who was the mob contact inside the Marshall’s office? I really liked the actress who played Bailey even though the character was unlikeable for so much of the series.

Edited May 19, 2023 by Renee in CA

[AnimeMania]

S01.E07: Sanctuary
(Season Finale)

Hannah risks everything to protect her family.

Premiere Date: May 19, 2023    AppleTV+

[HerkyJerky]

10 hours ago, Renee in CA said:

Who was the mob contact inside the Marshall’s office?

I want to know that too!

[zapper]

well, not covering off the Marshall's office insider, and having Owen/Ethan make contact leads into a second season.

[peachmangosteen]

I also want to know who the mob contact is. Also, who called the Marshall to tell him that Hannah was at the mob lawyer's house?

That was painfully boring. I guess they are going for a second season but I doubt I'll watch.

I saw an article that said something about a 'purposeful' change from the book. Can someone spoiler tag explain how this was different than the book, please?

[katenm]

Spoiler

In the book his was wife murdered but not by the drug cartel. She was working for a judge who was about to rule against an oil conglomerate. Her death was warning to rule in their favor. The judge also received a bullet in his mailbox as an additional warning. He upended everyone's life by "mistake."

 

[zapper]

1 hour ago, katenm said:

  Reveal spoiler

In the book his was wife murdered but not by the drug cartel. She was working for a judge who was about to rule against an oil conglomerate. Her death was warning to rule in their favor. The judge also received a bullet in his mailbox as an additional warning. He upended everyone's life by "mistake."

 

thanks @katenm I think that including that would have made it more convoluted, but no more exciting.

[Rickster]

Rarely been so annoyed at a series ending as I was with this one. I guess the whole point of the book/show was for her to get the mob to leave her alone? I thought we were going to go much further into the hubby’s disappearence.

The jump forward makes me doubt there will be a season 2.