The highly anticipated second season of The Last Thing He Told Me has finally arrived on Apple TV+, but the homecoming is not getting the warm welcome fans expected. The Jennifer Garner-led mystery thriller, which premiered its new episodes on February 20, 2026, is facing criticism from both reviewers and audiences for straying too far from the source material. The season currently holds a disappointing score on Rotten Tomatoes, with many pointing to the show’s creative decisions to rewrite key elements from Laura Dave’s sequel novel, The First Time I Saw Him, as the main point of contention.
What Is The Rotten Tomatoes Score For Season 2?
The second season of The Last Thing He Told Me has landed with a thud on the review aggregator site. Early numbers show the season struggling to impress critics, with the score falling significantly below the first season’s reception. While the debut season managed to connect with viewers and critics alike, the sophomore outing is facing a much colder reception.
Reviews highlight a common theme: the show has lost the tight, mystery-driven focus that made the first season a hit. Critics from Roger Ebert’s website did not hold back, bluntly stating that Season 2 is “the last thing you’ll want to watch” . The review points out that the plot relies on contrived suspense and requires viewers to completely ignore logical gaps to enjoy the story. The publication gave the season a negative review, contributing to its low aggregate score .
Other outlets noted that while Jennifer Garner continues to deliver a strong performance, the story around her has become muddled and overly ambitious . The show expands its world, taking characters from California to Paris, but critics argue that this bigger scope does not translate to a better story .
Why Is The Show Straying From The Book?
The main reason for the disconnect between the series and its source material comes down to a very unique production timeline. Laura Dave, who wrote the original novel, published her sequel, The First Time I Saw Him, in January 2026. However, the writers room for Season 2 of the show had already started working long before the book was finished .
Executive producer Lauren Neustadter explained that this was an unconventional but necessary process. After the massive success of Season 1, which became Apple TV’s most-watched limited series at the time, the demand for a second season was immediate . Waiting for Dave to finish the entire manuscript before starting production would have meant a much longer delay for the audience .
The solution was to develop the show and the book “in parallel” . The writing team, led by Dave’s husband and co-creator Josh Singer, received the first 100 pages of Dave’s manuscript to use as a blueprint . According to Neustadter, this meant the premiere episode and the beginning of the book are “very, very synced,” but after that initial section, the two versions “go on interesting parallel paths” .
Cast Members Open Up About The Creative Differences
The unique production process created an unusual working environment for the actors, who often found themselves in the dark about where the story was heading. Judy Greer, who joins the cast as the mysterious Quinn Favreau, shared her experience of filming while the book was still being written.
“I remember [asking showrunner Josh Singer], ‘What happens now?’ And he’d be like, ‘I don’t know, she hasn’t told me,’ or like, ‘We’re doing it this way, and she’s doing another [way],’” Greer revealed in an interview . She described the situation as the cast and crew being on “two little islands,” working independently from Laura Dave as she crafted the novel . Despite the uncertainty, Greer teased that “loads of surprises” are waiting for viewers who have read the book .
Angourie Rice, who plays Bailey, offered a more optimistic view of the situation. She noted that filming at the same time the book was being written created a rare dynamic . Rice explained that the two versions are not identical, and that’s what makes it interesting. “If you’ve seen one or read one, it’s not like, ‘Oh, I’ve got the whole story,’” she said . She believes the show and book “complement each other so well,” with each medium bringing out different notes and elements of the core story .
Laura Dave herself acknowledged the unique collaboration. She noted that because she and Josh Singer are married, they were in constant communication. She pointed to a specific moment in Episode 7 where she wrote a line for the book, and Singer had written “almost the exact same line in the show, having not yet seen that line” . For Dave, this proved that the characters were living in both of their minds simultaneously.
How Does Season 2’s Story Differ From The Sequel Novel?
Spoilers ahead for those who have not started Season 2 or read The First Time I Saw Him. Both the show and the book pick up five years after the events of Season 1 . Hannah (Garner) and Bailey (Rice) have built a quiet, cautious life in Los Angeles under the protection of Nicholas (David Morse). The peace shatters when Owen (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) resurfaces, forcing the family to go on the run again as the Campano crime family re-enters the picture .
However, the paths diverge significantly in the details and character focus. In the show, the threat is immediate and physical. The premiere episode features a brutal home invasion where Hannah is forced to fight off an assassin, a scene that Garner described as a reunion with a stuntman she had worked with years ago on The Kingdom . The series shifts from a slow-burn mystery into a “propulsive moving target” thriller, with Hannah and Bailey caught in a global struggle for survival .
Judy Greer’s character, Quinn, is also highlighted differently in the show. Garner, who serves as an executive producer, personally handpicked Greer for the role and helped shape the character’s arc . The creative team described Quinn’s journey as the “birth of a super villain,” giving Greer a darker, more layered role than what readers might expect from the book .
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What Are Critics And Viewers Saying?
The general consensus among critics is that the show has shifted its identity. Some argue this change is for the better. A review from Yahoo News suggested that the series finally “starts to thrive” in Season 2 by capitalizing on Garner’s action star abilities from her Alias days . The review praised the decision to move away from the “pensively sulking” tone of the first season and embrace higher stakes .
On the other hand, many critics and book readers are disappointed. The divergence from the source material is a major sticking point. For fans who read The First Time I Saw Him in January, the show offers a different experience, which has led to mixed reactions. Some viewers appreciate the expanded roles and the action sequences, while others feel the emotional core of the story, which was the mother-daughter bond between Hannah and Bailey, gets lost amid the globe-trotting chaos.
The show’s decision to have its writers “go on their own journey” after using only the first 100 pages of the book is a risk that has resulted in a polarized fanbase .
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Release Schedule For Season 2
The Last Thing He Told Me Season 2 premiered on Apple TV+ on February 20, 2026 . The season consists of eight episodes, which will be released weekly. The episode schedule is as follows :
- Episode 1 “Cape Cod” – February 20
- Episode 2 “Safe” – February 27
- Episode 3 “Reunion” – March 6
- Episode 4 “Ghosts” – March 13
- Episode 5 “First-Date Material” – March 20
- Episode 6 “The Prosecutor” – March 27
- Episode 7 “Isia Moriendo Renascor” – April 3
- Episode 8 “Souvenir d’enfants” – April 10
For global audiences, new episodes drop at 6:00 PM Pacific Time on Thursdays, which translates to 2:00 AM GMT and 7:30 AM IST on Fridays .
For those hoping to see a faithful adaptation of Laura Dave’s latest novel, the showrunners have made it clear that this season is its own entity. As Lauren Neustadter put it, fans can look to the novel for one experience and the show for “all of these delicious extras” .
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