In the gripping opening episode of "The Last Thing He Told Me," Hannah Hall (portrayed by Jennifer Garner) frantically roams through the hotel corridors, desperate to locate her teenage daughter, Bailey (Angourie Rice). In a fit of desperation, she shatters her smartphone, its screen once gracing an image of Hannah and her spouse, though his figure is conspicuously absent from the frame.
Just four days prior, the picture of domestic bliss was still intact, with Owen Michaels (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) by Hannah's side, meticulously planning their anniversary celebration. Hannah's nerves were frayed over an impending feature article that would spotlight her in the papers the following day. Their union, now 14 months strong, faced this milestone amidst growing tensions. While Owen envisioned a road trip to Sonoma for their festivities, Hannah yearned for Bailey, her stepdaughter, to share in the joy.
Hannah's endeavors to forge a bond with Bailey bordered on the heroic, often bending over backwards to please her. This emotional investment seemed paramount to Hannah, yet Bailey remained unresponsive, failing to reciprocate the desperate attempts at connection. Meanwhile, Avett from Owen's workplace hounded him incessantly, casting a shadow of suspicion.
Venturing into the town to procure Bailey's favorite bread, Hannah also delivered the wooden sculptures she painstakingly crafted in her workshop. An artisan with a knack for wooden artifacts, Hannah's world intertwines with that of Jules (Aisha Tyler, famously known as "Charlie" from "Friends"), a seasoned journalist and cherished friend.
A fateful encounter with Ash, her buyer, unveiled Hannah's feature article for the first time. Ash's desire for Hannah's grandfather's treasures added another layer of complexity, though they remained steadfastly unsellable. Through a mysterious intermediary, Owen dispatched a cryptic message to Hannah: "Protect her." Amidst this whirlwind, Bailey returned, prompting Hannah to relay a message back to Owen. Jules' persistent calls since their last conversation urged Hannah to reach out to The Shop, where Owen worked, but the undercurrent of trouble was palpable, evident in the chaotic ambiance echoing through the phone line.
As Hannah arrives at the scene, she discovers an FBI raid in full swing, casting a shadow of doubt over everyone's loyalty. Noticing Owen's car conspicuously absent from the parking lot, she decides to head to the school where Bailey is immersed in concert practice. While awaiting Bailey's emergence, Hannah receives bombshell news: The Shop, a software startup, has been raided by the FBI following a fourteen-month SEC investigation. Its CEO, Avett Thompson, has been apprehended in connection with the scandal.
Bobby, Bailey's sweetheart, invites her to spend a weekend in a secluded woodland cabin. However, Bailey, who boasts of a transparent relationship with her father, finds it impossible to deceive him about her plans with Bobby. To her dismay, Bailey discovers a note similar to Hannah's in her locker, accompanied by a bag filled with money—an ominous reminder of the fraud scandal that's now dragging her into the public eye, with accusations flying that Owen was complicit. Amidst this turmoil, Bailey seeks solace by inviting Bobby to their house. Meanwhile, Jules arrives at their residence and spots a figure lurking outside, keeping a vigilant watch.
Max, Jules' girlfriend who works at the SEC, attempts to warn Jules by dropping hints. The Shop's latest software is a dud, and Avett had artificially inflated sales figures by logging every inquiry as a sale, mirroring the Enron scandal. Jules reaches out to Owen, but to her astonishment, he flees, abandoning them all. Hannah suspects they're overlooking something crucial about Owen's involvement, whereas Jules believes otherwise, contending that Owen's sole concern was his escape timeline, not the fraud itself.
Tensions between Bailey and Hannah remain frosty, as haunting fragments of their shared past with Owen resurface. While outside, Hannah notices a bald man surveying the premises, prompting her to rush indoors and shield the windows.
The following morning, Hannah and Bailey confer about their next moves and ponder Owen's whereabouts. A US Marshal suddenly appears at their doorstep, grilling Bailey about Owen. He advises her to secure legal representation to facilitate matters but doubts Owen's capture, believing him too cunning to be apprehended. If Owen makes contact, Hannah is instructed to inform the authorities. The Marshal warns Hannah that Owen is not the person she's known for the past two years, as the episode draws to a cliffhanger.
