Season 1 of The Last Thing He Told Me, based on the novel of the same name by Laura Dave, had viewers on the edge of their seats when it aired in 2022. Four years later, the show returns for a second season on February 20.
Considering it’s been quite a while since the show’s first seven episodes came out, there’s a lot to remember before Hannah (Jennifer Garner) and Bailey’s (Angourie Rice) stories continue in Season 2. The new season will take place five years after the events of Season 1, picking up during the flash-forward scene at the very end of the 2022 finale.
In Season 1, Hannah and her stepdaughter, Bailey, were forced to work together, despite their strained relationship, when Owen (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), Hannah’s husband and Bailey’s father, disappeared, leaving Hannah nothing but a note that said, “PROTECT HER,” and Bailey a duffel bag full of cash with a message urging her to trust Hannah.
Their search for Owen led them from California to Austin, Texas, where they discovered what sent him on the run and learned secrets about Bailey’s past that they never expected. Scroll down for a recap.
What is Owen’s secret?
In Austin, Hannah and Bailey learned that Bailey’s mother and Owen’s first wife, Kate (Tate Moore), was the daughter of attorney Nicholas Bell (David Morse), who worked for a powerful crime syndicate. Owen, whose real name was Ethan Young, got tangled up in the syndicate when he started helping Nicholas encrypt files to help them pass messages.
But when Kate was killed in a mysterious hit-and-run car accident at the hands of a syndicate associate, Owen no longer wanted to be part of the shady dealings and began turning over evidence he had against Nicholas and the crime group. He and then-toddler Bailey (who was born with the name Kristin) ran away, changing their identities in the process to avoid being tracked down by those who Owen turned against.
While Owen was able to remain off the radar of his nemeses’ until Bailey turned 16, he was thrust back into the spotlight when the start-up he worked for was accused of fraud. Worried that his new identity would be exposed during news coverage of the company’s downfall, Owen disappeared without an explanation to Hannah and Bailey, which is what led to their hunt for answers.
That hunt brought Hannah face-to-face with Nicholas, who offered her and Bailey (but not Owen) protection in exchange for letting him get to know his granddaughter.
Did Owen and Hannah end up together?
No, Owen and Hannah did not end up together. Instead, Hannah chose to sacrifice her own relationship for Bailey’s safety. The women were given the option of entering the Witness Protection Program via the U.S. Marshals Service, which would allow Owen to join them when he felt it was safe, or taking Nicholas’ offer and returning to their regular lives, which would force Owen to stay off-the-grid to avoid putting them in danger.
Bailey took her father’s advice to “trust Hannah,” who promised her, “I think we’re going to be fine, you and me.” Bailey was not certain that Owen would ever feel safe enough to reunite with her and Hannah, even if they were in the Witness Protection Program, and Hannah let Bailey know that she would be willing to do whatever the teenager wanted. Through tears, Bailey asked her stepmother, “Can we go home? Please take me home.”
Apple TV
In agreeing to that decision, Hannah gave up the chance to possibly have a life with Owen, but in the final scene of the show, they reunited when he showed up at her art exhibition five years later. She first noticed him when she saw his wedding ring, and in utter disbelief and shock, she dropped the stack of papers she was holding. Owen helped her pick them up and briefly grazed her hand before disappearing once again.
But while Hannah may have lost the love of her life, she gained something even more monumental: a relationship with Bailey. Just as she was processing Owen’s reappearance, Hannah’s thoughts were interrupted by Bailey walking into the gallery and addressing her as “mom,” a far cry from barely wanting to acknowledge her when the show began.
What did Owen whisper to Hannah in the Season 1 finale?
During Owen and Hannah’s quick interaction, he whispered one phrase to her: “The could-have-been boys still love you.” But what does this mean?
The message was a callback to Episode 2. After Owen disappeared, Hannah recalled an early date in her and Owen’s relationship where he admitted he was working up the guts to ask her about her exes, whom he referred to as “could-have-been boys.” Owen claimed it was a phrase Bailey used.
By the end of the season, Owen was acknowledging that he was now a “could-have-been” boy, confirming to Hannah that he understood that they couldn’t be together, but also making sure she knew that he still loved her.
The Last Thing He Told Me, Season 2 Premiere, Friday, February 20, Apple TV
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