The Last Thing He Told Me Tests the Strength of Familial Love

Every relationship has its secrets.

Some are more significant than others, and when Hannah's husband disappears, leaving only a terse message behind, "Protect her," she must team up with Owen's daughter, Bailey, to discover the truth of his disappearance.

This sets up a situation in which Bailey must rely on and trust the stepmother she dislikes, and Hannah must become the mother Bailey needs.

The Last Thing He Told Me is a new Apple TV+ series based on the bestselling book by Laura Dave.

Dave adapted the book for screen alongside her husband, Josh Singer (Fringe), with Hello Sunshine's Reese Witherspoon and Lauren Neustadter.

Jennifer Garner is Hannah, Angourie Rice is Bailey, and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau is husband and father, Owen.

The series is being promoted as a bit of a thriller, and it's easy to understand why, but it's important to stress that it's as much, if not more, a family drama.

One morning, Owen is a loved, fully present member of the family, and by afternoon, he's disappeared without a trace. This isn't a family with many issues. Hannah and Owen are deeply in love, and Owen's love for his daughter is foremost in his mind.

That's why when he disappears, leaving only the "Protect her" note behind, both of the women in his life know everything is not as it seems. It's that understanding of Owen that provides the background for them to trust each other, even without the strongest relationship.

Hannah knows the note means she's to protect Bailey, but she doesn't know why. She believes that if she determines why Bailey needs her protection in any way other than as a mother would protect a daughter, she'll discover the whereabouts of her husband.

It's not as easy as solving a puzzle, though, because there are people who seem to be after Hannah and Bailey who are also trying to get to the bottom of Owen's disappearance.

On the surface, it seems he took off due to a work issue with severe financial and legal ramifications, but as Hannah goes deeper, she realizes there's something more at play.

Longtime fans of Garner's know that she's got a believable presence in times of crisis. As Sydney Bristow on Alias, Garner effectively changed her appearance and mannerisms to accomplish the most daring missions.

Of course, Hannah is not exactly like Sydney Bristow, but she does need to present herself differently depending on the information she's seeking.

Alias is still the TV role Garner is best known for, so it's easy to grab it as a reference. A short reunion between Garner and her on-screen father, Victor Garber, also propels Alias to the forefront of Garner's vast resume.

Also, like Sydney, Hannah must sew together disparate pieces of information to make a coherent story. Doing that while helping Bailey through one of the toughest periods of her life is challenging.

Various members of their lives drift in and out of episodes allowing Hannah to do that, but we don't get to know many of them very well.

Most significant is Hannah's best friend, Jules, played by Aisha Tyler. Tyler has a warm, calming presence which fits the character perfectly. Jules can do background on what Hannah discovers without nudging the hands of those who are after Hannah and Bailey.

Given his Game of Thrones fans, Coster-Waldau is certainly a draw for the series, but once Owen disappears, there's not much left for him to do outside of random flashbacks as Hannah works to uncover why he's gone.

To offer up much more would be to tip the scales of the story in the viewer's favor, which would spoil too much. And since the series does relatively well at keeping viewers in the dark until it's ready to spill its next secret, we wouldn't want to muddy those waters.

I figured out what was happening rather early in the story. Once the details were hashed out, it was a straightforward path from beginning to end.

Where the story and the series excels is in the emotional aspect and in what Owen is asking Hannah to do.

"Protect her" needs a cipher of its own, and it puts considerable weight on Hannah to do the right thing in Owen's eyes, which is not the same as doing the right thing in society's eyes.

I'm hesitant to believe the methods Hannah and Bailey use to uncover secrets would work in the real world, and that pulled me out of the story more than I would have thought.

Looking back at it, I believe that's because so much of what we see on screen is window dressing for the larger points Dave was trying to make about love and family. If you're down with more emotional heft than a traditional thriller, then it will work out well for you.

Rice is called on to do a lot of emotional heavy lifting, and whether it's being an ungrateful teen or reacting to the layers of her life as they unfold, she does a commendable job.

Despite a large cast, Garner and Rice hold the series on their shoulders. They must sell Hannah and Bailey's relationship and what it feels like for the veil of secrecy to be slowly pulled away, leaving them vulnerable to outside forces.

The outside forces offer a few surprises, but again, the series is more about familial love than anything too dark knocking at the door. That said, The Last Thing He Told Me isn't perfect, but it's created with a lot of heart and offers a satisfying ending.

The limited series premieres with two episodes on Apple TV+ on Friday, April 14.

Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.