Fans of the hit thriller The Last Thing He Told Me can mark their calendars. Apple TV has officially announced that the show’s second season, starring Jennifer Garner, will premiere on February 20, 2026. The new season picks up five years after the dramatic events of the first season, with the unexpected return of a character everyone thought was gone for good.
The Story Continues
The second season jumps forward in time. Owen Michaels, played by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, shows up after spending five years in hiding. His sudden return forces his wife, Hannah Hall (Jennifer Garner), and her stepdaughter Bailey (Angourie Rice) into a dangerous new situation. They must now figure out how to bring their family back together while trying to stay one step ahead of the past that threatens to destroy them.
This new chapter is based on Laura Dave’s forthcoming sequel novel, “The First Time I Saw Him,” which is scheduled for release on January 6, 2026. The first season was a major success for Apple TV, drawing in 4.5 million unique viewers in its first month and setting a record as the platform’s most-watched limited series at the time.
Who Is Returning for the New Season?
The main cast from the first season is returning. This includes Jennifer Garner as Hannah Hall, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Owen Michaels, and Angourie Rice as Bailey. David Morse will also be back as Nicholas Bell, Bailey’s grandfather.
The show is also adding new faces to the story. Actors Judy Greer and Rita Wilson are joining the cast in starring roles. They will be alongside returning cast members Augusto Aguilera, Josh Hamilton, and Nick Hargrove. Newcomers for the season include Michael Galante, John Noble, and Luke Kirby. Notably, Aisha Tyler, who played Hannah’s best friend Jules in season one, is not among the returning cast.
From a Single Season to a Continuing series
The Last Thing He Told Me was initially planned as a limited series, concluding its story in one season. The first season followed Hannah Hall as her husband Owen mysteriously vanished, leaving behind only a note that told her to “Protect her,” meaning his daughter, Bailey. Hannah and Bailey were forced to work together to uncover the truth about Owen’s past, which involved witness protection and dangerous connections to a mafia family.
The season ended with a five-year time jump. Hannah and Bailey had built a stable life together, but a heavily disguised Owen briefly appeared at Hannah’s art exhibition, confirming he was still alive. The show’s renewal for a second season in March 2024 signaled an expansion of the story, which will now be drawn from Laura Dave’s sequel novel.
The series is executive produced by co-showrunners Josh Singer and Aaron Zelman, alongside Reese Witherspoon and Lauren Neustadter of Hello Sunshine. Jennifer Garner also serves as an executive producer.
The eight-episode second season of The Last Thing He Told Me will be available to stream globally on Apple TV.
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