The new Netflix limited series His & Hers brings together a stellar cast and a twisty murder mystery, but the show struggles to live up to its own potential. The six-episode thriller, which premiered on January 8, 2026, features Tessa Thompson and Jon Bernthal as a estranged couple at the center of a shocking crime. While the setup promises a complex “he said, she said” narrative, the execution has left many critics and viewers disappointed by its illogical plot turns and underwhelming character development.
The series is an adaptation of Alice Feeney’s 2020 novel of the same name, developed for television by filmmaker William Oldroyd. The story moves the setting from a British village to the small town of Dahlonega, Georgia, where the production was filmed on location.
What is His & Hers About?
The series opens with a brutal murder. A woman is found stabbed to death on the hood of a red sports car in a rainy Georgia forest. This crime draws two key figures back into each other’s orbits.
Tessa Thompson plays Anna Andrews, a former top news anchor for WSK TV in Atlanta. A personal tragedy caused her to vanish from her job and her life a year ago. Seeing the Dahlonega murder as her chance to reclaim her career, she returns to her hometown to report on the case. She specifically requests Richard (Pablo Schreiber), who happens to be the husband of the woman who replaced her at the news anchor desk, as her cameraman.
Jon Bernthal stars as Detective Jack Harper, the lead investigator on the murder case. Jack is also a Dahlonega native who recently returned after losing his job with the Atlanta Police Department. A major complication is quickly revealed: Anna and Jack are estranged spouses, separated after the death of their young child.
The victim, Rachel Hopkins (Jamie Tisdale), adds another layer of connection. She was an old high school friend of Anna’s and was also having an affair with Jack. This tangled web of relationships immediately casts suspicion on both Anna and Jack, turning their professional clash into a deeply personal one where each believes the other could be the killer.
“There are at least two sides to every story. Yours and mine. Ours and theirs. His and hers. Which means someone is always lying,” states the ominous narration that opens the series.
The Supporting Cast of Suspects and Secrets
Beyond the two leads, the town of Dahlonega is filled with characters hiding their own secrets, many connected to Anna and Jack’s past.
Anna’s mother, Alice (Crystal R. Fox), still lives in town. Her health is declining, and she is cared for by Jack, even though her own daughter has been absent. Jack’s sister, Zoe (Marin Ireland), is a sharp-tongued woman who lets Jack stay with her and her young daughter. Zoe was also part of Anna’s high school friend group.
That clique included the victim, Rachel, and Helen Wang (Poppy Liu), who is now the headmistress of their old school. Helen becomes increasingly hostile toward Anna’s reporting. Clyde Duffie (Chris Bauer), Rachel’s wealthy and eccentric husband, is an obvious suspect for the detectives.
At the police station, Jack is partnered with Priya Patel (Sunita Mani), a new detective from the city who brings a quirky efficiency to the job. At the news station, Anna battles her professional rival, Lexy Jones (Rebecca Rittenhouse), who took over the anchor chair in Anna’s absence.
Critical Reception: Strong Performances, Weak Story
Critics widely agree that the show’s greatest strength is its cast, particularly the two leads. However, most reviews note that even Tessa Thompson and Jon Bernthal cannot overcome significant problems with the script and overall plot.
A review from RogerEbert.com states that the show “wastes the notable talent of its two undeniably gifted leads,” who work hard to elevate material that ultimately lets them down. The Hollywood Reporter criticized the lack of chemistry between Thompson and Bernthal and called the finale “inept”. The Guardian offered a more positive take, describing the series as “twisty, absurd and bingeable” and “ideal new year TV” for those seeking undemanding entertainment.
A common criticism is the show’s reliance on contrivance and its habit of withholding logical information from the audience to manufacture mystery. The A.V. Club review gave the series a D+ rating, calling it “one of the most frustrating shows of the year” and noting that the characters “don’t function like real people”.
Many reviews also point out that the series introduces several dark themes—including sexual assault, bullying, and dementia—but handles them in a superficial or exploitative manner. The Playlist’s review was particularly harsh on the series’ ending, calling it “an insanely ridiculous twist that will leave you incredulous and laughing—and not in a good way”.
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Should You Stream His & Hers?
For viewers deciding whether to watch, opinions are split. Decider’s review recommends “STREAM IT,” based primarily on the strength of the performances and the potential for entertaining twists. This suggests the series might satisfy viewers looking for a familiar, glossy thriller that doesn’t require deep scrutiny.
However, for audiences who prioritize tight plotting, logical character motivation, and meaningful payoff, the consensus is less favorable. The series has drawn frequent comparisons to prestige murder mysteries like Sharp Objects and Mare of Easttown, but most critics find it falls short of those benchmarks.
The show attempts to explore the idea of perspective and truth but, according to critics, fails to deliver a narrative complex enough to support its central theme. As one critic summarized, the show “doesn’t so much interrogate perspective as weaponize it, treating subjectivity like a get-out-of-logic-free card”.
His & Hers is now streaming in full on Netflix, with all six episodes available globally.
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