The new series Last Seen is based on the novel The Dispatcher. It’s focused on a former police detective, Ian Ridley (Patrick Brammall), who is trying to put his life back together more than a decade after his daughter was taken.
The two-episode premiere laid out the world and the mystery while dropping a big set of clues to the idea that his daughter is still alive and living close by. The second episode even ended with Ian close to a reunion. This week’s episode, “The Lie,” reveals that Ian is being lied to by someone close to him. Let’s dive in. SPOILERS BELOW.
Who picked up Sarah?
We ended last week with a drunk Sarah (Chloe Jean Lourdes) calling for help and getting Ian on the other line. He leaves the call center to get to her, but by the time he arrives, she’s gone. Turns out about the time she was on the phone, Donald (Daniel Henshall) was passing by. He spotted his niece, and he picked her up, returning her home.
While Henry (Brendan Cowell) and Jenna (Maxine Peake) are upset that she was out drinking, there is also concern as to what might have happened. They have kept Sarah locked up under the guise of religion and caution, but it’s really to prevent the truth from leaking out. Jenna is already beginning to crack, and now Henry is worried about what might happen with Sarah.
He thanks his brother and gets Sarah to bed. Then Henry heads back out, finds the payphone, and wipes it clean. By the time the police get to check it the next day, there is nothing to find. He’s taking precaution, which includes not letting Sarah out of his site or out of the house.
Sarah still has questions. Her experience awakened something, and she wants answers about the name Mags and what it might mean. She connects with Tommy (Felix Cameron), who agrees to get her another flier. But before she can meet him, Henry sniffs it out. He meets Tommy instead and tells him he’s not to come around that Sarah no longer wants to see him. He hopes it’s enough to break the connection, but it doesn’t seem like Tommy is fully sold.
Last Seen episode 3 ends with a search for answers
Meanwhile, Ian is determined to find the girl from the phone. He believes it’s his daughter, and he goes to the station to press Isabel Pena (Zahra Newman) to investigate. She’s less than eager to follow his lead, reminding him he’s no longer in charge. So, Ian sets out to find answers on his own. He questions some boys from the party and learns a little more about Sarah.
Feeling pressed and stressed when he turns up to meet Donald, he shares about his call. It sparks some concern and some questions in Donald, who realizes he was the one who picked Sarah up at the payphone. He wasn’t around when she was born, and now, he’s beginning to wonder if the story his brother told him is true. He feels compelled to speak up to his friend, so he reaches out to Henry.
Henry makes a trip out to the boat and meets Donald. He essentially admits to Sarah not being who he said she is but applies a heavy dose of guilt. He suggests that if something happens and the truth comes out, Jenna can’t handle it. He guilts Donald over his past drinking and pressures him, as a good brother, to remain silent. But Donald is conflicted.
Meanwhile, Ian continues to push for answers. He does a deep dive on the recording of the call and hears something in the background. He recognizes it as Donald’s van. He knows his friend is lying. As the episode ends, he meets at a meeting and offers a share. Sitting across from Donald, he offers a story that indicates he knows Donald is lying and he’s determined to get to the truth, whatever it takes.
Given the short run of the series, we’re already at the half-way point. This one picked up the pace quite a bit as Donald learned his niece isn’t who his brother claimed her to be and that she’s connected to his friend, Ian. Worse yet, Ian knows it too. The question is what really happened, who the girl is in the grave, and how Ian can set it all right.
Last Seen streams Wednesdays on Apple TV.
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