The Last Thing He Told Me (TV Series) Sanctuary (2023) User Reviews

So who killed the wife?

[lesley_apples · 6/10 · 19 May 2023]

Well that was a disappointment. It could have been done in 4 episodes and not stretched out over 7.

Who killed the daughter? If it wasn't the organised crime gang then who did it??

Why did Owen stay with a company knowing that it would likely be exposed and he'd be exposed with it?

Why did he phone the daughter after all that time just to say trust Hannah?

Why were they casting doubt on the US Marshall at the last minute only for nothing to be said?

Why did Owen come back just to say I love you and then leave?

I knew by half way through the episode that the answers weren't coming and felt the whole thing was a bit flat.

Plot holes galore.

Didn't get substantially better-or worse

[dfloro · 7/10 · 19 May 2023]

I reviewed the first episode of the 7, and I'm back to review the last. Jennifer Garner's Hanna has been burdened with a heavy load for all of the series, but she eventually got much needed assistance from the fine actor David Morse, as the mobbed-up lawyer Nicholas Bell, whom her missing husband sent away to prison (along with 7 other miscellaneous mobsters). This lawyer just happened to be his father-in-law, and the husband had always blamed him for the tragic death of his first wife (and the mother of his beloved daughter). Now permanently on the run from Bell and his crime-boss clients, the hubby vanished leaving only the note: Protect Her. So Hanna ultimately does that by making a pact with "the devil," Mr. Bell-by "trading" for her stepdaughter's safety. As the legendary drive-in movie reviewer Joe Bob Briggs once said: "That's a little too much plot gettin' in the way of the story." I'd have preferred to learn more about the husband and the history with his daughter after his wife's death. Hanna has several friends (and even an ex-boyfriend, who's also a lawyer) about which we learn bupkis. And what was the deal with the head of that fraudulent startup? In other words, we could've used more character development to actually enhance the story. So I will leave my initial 7/10 stars rating unchanged.

I liked the show but I didn't like the ending

[Just-A-Girl-14 · 6/10 · 21 May 2023]

I'll start by saying that I liked the show. The story was interesting, the acting was good and the pace was decent too! It wasn't a sit at the end of your seat thriller but it wasn't boring or slowed paced either. I only wish NCW had more screen time because he is a really great actor but I understand now that the focus of the show was on the relationship between Hannah and Bailey.

Unfortunately I didn't like the ending of the show. I think there's a double message here. Owen (or Ethan) was willing to sacrifice everything for his family but clearly they were not willing to do the same for him. There is no real reason for Hannah and Bailey to go back home to their regular lives when they have the option to go into Witness Protection or even go on the run with Owen on their own. He did it once he can do it again. They have money and they can create a new life for themselves someplace else. So what if Hannah would have to give up on wood-turning and Bailey would have to give up on singing? I'm not minimizing the impact of leaving your home, your job or your friends but they would keep their family together. Isn't it more important? There are people who went into Witness Protection and had to give up on a hell of a lot more!! Why make a deal with the devil? Why give up on the father and husband that is willing to do anything for them? What kind of lives are they choosing? Is Bailey supposed to have a relationship with a man who hates her father and is willing to kill him? Is Hannah supposed to be alone for the rest of her life? I'm not buying it!

I also don't feel like the relationship between Hannah and Bailey were strong enough for her to become Bailey's mom. It doesn't feel natural to me. Bailey is practically an adult and Hannah and Owen were married for just over a year. Sure the bond between them got stronger due to everything they went through but not so much as to the point that Bailey would consider Hannah her mom. Maybe if she was a lot younger but not at her age. I also think that for Hannah to sacrifice her own happiness to keep Bailey safe is a little unrealistic. Not when there's another option. I just don't see any reason to make the choice they made just so that they can go back to their regular lives. Why trust criminals? The grandfather couldn't keep his own daughter safe. Why would they trust him now? He could die tomorrow and then who would keep them safe? If they don't trust law enforcement and witness protection then they can go on the run on their own. And don't tell me Owen doesn't want them to be in that position because either way they already are. They may go back to their old lives but can they really trust that they are safe? Can they really trust that it would last? Truth is that they can't. Not when they are putting their trust in the hands of unknown criminals. It doesn't make any sense and it feels like it was a forced ending that was done to make a point.

What the show really needed was a reunion at the end. The focus should have been on staying together as a family. Knowing that family is the only thing that matters. You make the sacrifice to stay together at all cost. Football, wood-turning, singing etc are not important as much as family. That should have been the message. Also, as a viewer, I just prefer a happy ending. It's nice to get the satisfaction at the end of a show. Writers nowadays put too much emphasis on twists and messaging etc. What's wrong with a happy ending? You don't always have to leave the viewer shocked or confused or craving for more. Sometimes I just want to watch an ending that is happy and ties everything together. This show didn't do that and on top of that they forgot to answer a few important questions like who killed Kate and why? Why did Owen stay with The Shop when he knew he could be exposed? Was his boss threatening him? And where is he now? What's his plan? Just stating away and expect his wife and daughter to get by on their own forever? And what about Bailey and her family? Are they in contact?

It's like all they wanted to show us at the end was Bailey calling Hannah "mom". I find it hard to believe that either one of them would find it enough. The bond between them got stronger, a lot stronger but the one thing that really connects them is Owen. He is not dead and this isn't enough. It can't be enough! Especially not for the long run. At least that's how I see it.

From what I understand there won't be a second season so I'll sum it up like this: a good show with a disappointing ending.

Also, I know it's not exactly acceptable nowadays to comment on somebody's look but actresses (and actors too) should really avoid plastic surgeries! I don't know what Jennifer Garner did to her lips but it doesn't look good. She is a good actress but her facial expressions look completely unnatural. They think it's making them look younger or sexier but instead it's interfering with their ability to act (and more often than not it's making them look ridiculous). I don't mean to offend anyone but facial expressions are really important when it comes to acting.

This Need another Season!

[moviesfilmsreviewsinc · 10/10 · 19 May 2023]

The Last Thing He Told Me on Apple TV+ ends with Hannah making a calculated risk on behalf of her stepdaughter and herself, and they are still distraught over the disappearance of their husband and father. A shadowy criminal and a U. S. Marshal offer competing visions of safety, but no one is sure which is better. Hannah Hall (Jennifer Garner) is about to make a tough decision to protect her stepdaughter, Bailey (Angourie Rice). Her husband, Owen (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), went on the lam when the FBI raided The Shop, the software company he worked for. Owen vanished, leaving only a note and a bag of money for his wife and daughter. It turns out he was already in hiding. Owen's former father-in-law, Nicholas Bell (David Morse), worked as a lawyer for the mob and when he messed up a case for his clients, they killed his daughter, Katherine (Tate Moore). Owen turned state's evidence in retaliation and began his life anew. Knowing the raid on The Shop would have plastered his face all over the news, he went into hiding so Hannah and Bailey could stay safe. Maybe it worked better in Laura Daves' book, where this kind of backward plot logic is part of the genre. The finale of Apple TV's The Last Thing He Told Me dropped today, and it brings a satisfying end to a mystery that has kept the stepmother-stepdaughter duo of Hannah and Bailey on their toes. Hannah returns to Charles Smith's bar and asks to be taken to Nicholas Bell, who is Bailey's grandfather. What happens when Hannah goes to Nicholas and what does she want to tell him? The detailed recap of the season finale of The Last Thing He Told Me follows. Owen was alive and loyal to his wife, Hannah, even after having to disappear from his family. He visited her suddenly and left in less than a minute, just enough time to let her know that he wanted her to move on with her life. Owen used the phrase "could-have-been boys" to describe Hannah's previous boyfriends and told her to be with someone who loves her. Bailey finally accepted Hannah as her mother, and she became a healthy adult who could spend her later teens with a loving family and a mother who loved her. It looks like Owen planned it thoroughly until the end.

Frustratingly unsatisfying

[rjgrund-123-603438 · 5/10 · 21 May 2023]

Was anyone paying attention? Unrealistic one dimensional characters. Unlikable me at times. Jennifer Garner who is usually a good actress was flat and held one dumb look on her face the entire series. That's bad direction. Did no one notice?! The writing was so bad at times I was screaming at the screen. The only voice of reason was the US Marshall and then they neutered him at the end. He said what needed to be said to the bungling Hannah and then Bailey disrespects him at the end. It got to the point that you don't care about the characters after they make one bad decision after another. Makes you wonder if the husband was the smart one to get out when he could.

Money run out

[tomillemailia · 1/10 · 27 May 2023]

Still unclear what happened, but money run out and end was like "need to wrap this up still today"

Deal was made but no deal was made. Criminal guy was locked down for good due to testimony, but in the end the sentence was only couple years etc...

poor end for the show that had promising start and great line-up, but the project didn't had enough juice to push it through the end. All the problematic relationships turned out to be normal after all, as if the show was suppose to last 10 episodes but somewhere in the middle they realized that there is no more money so let's call it for the day here.

Unsatisfied

[brandoncallen-58930 · 4/10 · 25 May 2023]

I agree with most of these reviews. Show just fell flat. One dimensional characters. Josh Hamiltons character was a gutless joke and like another user said. Jennifer Garner had the same stupid look on her face the whole show.

They could have used the money to get fake IDs and left for Bangladesh. No family scene at the end even though they made that a huge deal.

Then we're supposed to believe Owen shows up five years later with a Moses beard and a hat just to touch her arm and say. "They could have been boys." If he was stealth enough to show up then why not at her house so they could see each other in a real way and even though he's been non-existent for 5 years he's still in danger, come on all those involved would have moved on, they we could have bigger fish to fry of course even though the actress that plays Bailey is young looking, she literally didn't change a hair in 5 years and neither did Hannah ,who apparently will never get with another guy even though she's a total milf. Ya , pretty stupid ending.these shows now days think when they have these type of endings they are being artistic and innovative,,NOT! Hope the Silo don't have such a stupid ending.

What an anti-climax!

[putneychick · 3/10 · 21 May 2023]

The first few episodes were really exciting and it got worse towards the end. I found Jennifer Garner's acting terrible for this series. She was extremely stiff and trying to act natural turned out to be unnatural. The plot just got worse and messy and I found it hard to keep myself entertained or give myself reason to stay tuned so I ended up doing things in between to come back to watch it faithfully to the end. What a total disappointment for a series that started well.

Only worthy of mention was the strong acting by Angourie Rice. NikolaJ Coster Waldau's active scenes were too short and most of the scenes showing him were in passing so a total waste of him being in the series to exploit his full acting range. At the end the whole show was about Jennifer Garner and only if she could have acted better, it would have been a good series.

Yet another Apple+ show that doesn't know how to do a final episode

[writeliller · 5/10 · 25 May 2023]

I was gripped by this show and was so excited for each episode to come out so I could see what happens next. Then there's the final episode... woof. I thought there was going to be an 8th! The episode felt slow, but the conclusion felt rushed! The scene at the lake house was so slow pacing wise, but then the final few minutes felt super rushed.

There also were so many loose ends. Charlie calls Grady to tip him off? Grady is pushing hard for WitSec? Is Grady on the payroll after all and just pushing for that so he can know exactly where he is and tip the family off? But that doesn't make sense with Owen sending the phone! Did Owen just send that to Grady to make it so the feds aren't looking for him, so The Shop mess isn't following him, and all he has to worry about is The Family?? Unless something went completely over my head, I'm not getting it. It felt like they forgot to flesh that storyline out.

They spent so much of the episode discussing how they're going to have family gatherings, but they didn't cut to a montage scene of them having a dinner together at the end or anything?

I don't know, just felt sloppy.

The Godfather

[vivianla · 5 July 2023]

Hannah goes to the luxurious mansion near the lake in the middle of no where with Charlie. Charlie drives her. Nicholas Bell tells his son to leave and he will get someone to drive Hannah back. Hannah asks for the safety of Bailey. Nicholas says that his clients did not kill his daughter. He doesn't think so. Owen messed things up impulsively and made Nicholas go to jail. Nicholas lost his daughter, granddaughter, wife, and career. Hannah just asks for Nicholas to ensure that the mafia does not ever persuade him to hurt his granddaughter. Nicholas wants a relationship with Bailey. He cannot promise the protection of Owen even if he wanted to he says. These people, the mobsters, don't forget. Grady and authorities arrive in front of the home to get Hannah. Hannah decides not to do witness protection because Owen would have already gone into it if he thought they wouldn't mess up again. 5 years later at her woodworking showcase, a bearded Owen shows up and brushes past Hannah. He tells Hannah the could-have-been boys still love her. He means her exes such as the Harvard lawyer who helped her. Bailey comes in calling Hannah "Mom" with her boyfriend.