The 2021 book,The Last Thing He Told Me, by Laura Dave has now been made for the screen with the same title, starring Jennifer Garner, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Angourie Rice, and Aisha Tyler, among other stars. The story follows a woman named Hannah, who married a man named Owen.
One day, she finds that Owen has disappeared without a trace — but one. She gets a letter telling her to protect his teenage daughter, Bailey. With a 16-year-old stepdaughter who hates her, Hannah has to figure out where Owen has gone and to protect Bailey from what. In her journey, she is only disappointed to discover that she doesn’t know Owen, not even his real name.
TheApple TV+ serieswas released in the first half of 2023. The book lovers are quite happy that the series and the book’s story largely line up. However, no book-to-screen adaptation is 100% the same. There are differences between the two, as stated by the book author and series co-creator Laura Dave.
Jules, portrayed by Aisha Tyler, is a reporter who is also the best friend of Hannah. She plays a larger role in the series than in the book, which changes a few plot points throughout the episodes. Being a reporter, she has seen and gone through a lot which gives her character more layers and complexity, as stated by Tyler.
This changes her relationship with Hannah, adding depth that the book version of their relationship doesn’t have. In the series, Jules is the one person who always helps and supports Hannah in solving the mystery of Owen’s disappearance. Jules’ complexity in character adds bond, strength, and warmth to their relationship.
Related:Exclusive: Aisha Tyler and Angourie Rice on the Badass Women of The Last Thing He Told Me
One small example in the series that shows Jules’ bigger role in solving the mystery is when Hannah asks Jules for help to find information about a wedding in nearby churches. Whereas in the book, Hannah decides to find such information herself.
2Hannah and Bailey’s Relationship
Due to the nature of their relationship, it is common for them to have such a rocky one. The teenage stepdaughter hates her stepmother, and the stepmother tries really hard to bond with her. This doesn’t happen easily, both in the series and the book.
However, their dynamicis slightly different between the two mediums. In the series, Bailey appears to be more distant and mean towards Hannah. In the book, although still unaccepting, Bailey seems to be a little warmer towards her stepmother.
For example, the series does not show Bailey’s tiny gesture that appears in the book to help Hannah deal with her upset stomach. Another small gesture is when Bailey pays no attention to Hannah’s efforts when she tries (and fails) to cook dinner.
3Owen’s Note to Bailey
This small detail may connect with the previous difference regarding Hannah and Bailey’s relationship. Although this one is shown through Owen’s letter to Bailey after he disappears.
Owen’s note for Hannah is as simple as it is in the book as in the series: “Protect her.” But, a little difference is with Owen’s note for Bailey. In the book, he states in his note for her to also work with Hannah through the difficult time and that Hannah and Owen both love her. However, the note in the series disregards that and only says how sorry Owen is to Bailey and how important she is to him.
4Hannah and Owen’s First Date
The book and the series show different details of Hannah and Owen’s first date. The series only shows how Hannah gives Owen a wood-turning lesson for their first date. In the book, the readers are shown how they first met. It was when Owen, his boss, and his boss' wife visited Hannah’s studio to check on Hannah’s project for the boss’ wife.
5Hannah’s Actions
In the midst of the chaos, Hannah has toface the FBI agentswho are investigating her husband’s disappearance. Especially since he disappears when his company is under scrutiny, which makes the situation more complicated than before. This is when Hannah shows more of her motherly instincts to protect Bailey from the chaos of it all. Both the book and the series portray this trait of Hannah’s.
What’s different is Hannah’s decision to cooperate with the authorities. In the book, she appears to be so untrusting of them, refusing to disclose any information regarding her little family. But, in the series, Hannah decides to give Owen’s laptop to the FBI, gives out Grady’s name, and chooses to name Carl as her lawyer. All of which she decides not to do in the book.
6Hannah and Bailey’s Perspective
The story, both in the book and the series, is mostly told from Hannah’s perspective. Only in the series, though, some parts are told from Bailey’s perspective to show more of her emotions and her take on the whole situation. This also adds a layer of new meaning to her and Hannah’s relationship that isn’t covered in the book.
One criticism that the creators take from the book is how redundant the storytelling becomes if it only focuses on Hannah’s simplistic perspective. Therefore, for the series, they add Bailey’s perspective to build on the tension while also helping grow Hannah and Bailey’s relationship. We can see clearer from the series how their relationship grows from hating to caring for each other — especially from Bailey’s end.
7Characters’ Backstories
In introducing the mafia, Nicholas, the series takes a different approach than the book. Instead of introducing him as a complete villain, the series gives a backstory to his character, such as how he met Owen. This gives Nicholas’ character more humanity than the book Nicholas.
Another example of this is when the series shows Hannah’s backstory about her earlier life and how she grew up. This also adds a layer that provides understanding for the audience about how and why Hannah can connect with Bailey despite the tension between them.
8When in Austin
The search for Owen takes Hannah and Bailey to Austin, hoping to find more answers which can lead them to the truth. While the larger portion of this journey is similar in both the series and the book, there are several little details that the series leave out from the book.
Related:Exclusive: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Is Part of a Big Mystery in The Last Thing He Told Me
One of which is Bailey’s lightbulb moment when they hear about a football game. In the book, it isn’t as clearly told as it is in the series how the memory pops into Bailey’s mind. While in the series, it is told more specifically through Bailey seeing a foam finger that makes her remembera football gamefrom years prior. Despite this, both mediums still present the question of why she has that memory, especially since there isn’t any interest in football from either Owen or Bailey.
9Original Details
There are additional details and points that are original in the series. One of which is the scenes from back home in Sausalito, involving Grady seeing a mysterious man lurking around the houseboat. The scene ends with Grady finding the money inside the houseboat, which doesn’t happen the same way in the book.
Another example is regarding the piggy bank, when Hannah asks Jules to get the piggy bank in the houseboat. During that, Jules finds Jake inside, which also doesn’t occur in the book.
There is also a scene that only happens in the series where Bailey finds out that someone has broken into their house. After that, the police check the house, as well as Hannah, checks the money under her bed, still sitting there.
Despite his small appearance, in the book, Hannah very openly shows that she doesn’t have a positive relationship with Carl, her husband’s lawyer. However, the series doesn’t include that. Instead, the series only shows several details about Carl that can’t be said as positive traits, such as how Carl loses a lot of money on gambling and keeps his wife in the dark.
This detail differs slightly from the book, though, as in the book, Carl loses his money by spending it on his mistress. Either way, Carl’s negative traits are apparent in both the book and the series.
The Last Thing He Told Metakes the majorityof the book and puts it on screen, with quite a few differences between them. One may argue that additional perspectives and backstories add more spice to the mystery and storytelling, making the series more engaging and less redundant than the book.
The author and co-creator of the book and series, Laura Dave, also states how the love relationship between Hannah and Bailey is more amplified in the series, with the heart-warming ending, when Bailey decides to call Hannah “mom,” having fully accepted Hannah as her mom despite the rocky start of their relationship.
