No one can frustrate and hurt you as much as family. But what happens when you’ve been estranged for years and are brought back together? That’s a question that is at the heart of this week’s episode of the second season of The Last Thing He Told Me.
While Hannah (Jennifer Garner) and Bailey (Angourie Rice) are on the run, they are also still dealing with old wounds. Both are forced to deal with that trauma as we launch into this week’s episode, “Reunion.”
As we left off last week, Hannah and Bailey made their Hail Mary play but still need and off-the-grid place to hide. So, Hannah swallows her feelings and heads to her mother’s house. It’s not a place she wants to be. In fact, the icy way she says Carol (Rita Wilson) belies that it isn’t her first choice. But her mother isn’t connected to her life, so her home in the desert in Arizona seems like an off-the-grid location.
Carol agrees to shelter them both with no questions asked. She does attempt to ask Hannah some questions but gets little in response. There’s an iciness between the two that goes back to Hannah’s own childhood. But Carol is willing to set all that aside and offer help when needed. Hannah is also waiting for someone else.
Turns out that locket that Owen (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) slipped her back in the premier was more than a keepsake. It’s a tracking device. And it allows him to find them in Arizona. He pulls up in the night and gets a somewhat frosty reception from Hannah. Bailey is asleep, so that reunion has to wait until the morning.
When it comes, while Bailey is happy to see her father, she still has questions. She’s possibly closer to Hannah now than her own father. So, there’s plenty of tension in the house with four people who don’t really get along and no air conditioning. Bailey slips out and makes a quick call to her boyfriend. As we suspect, that’s not a great idea.
Grady making moves
Back in Austin, Grady (Augusto Aguilera) is enacting his piece of the plan. He has an inside man who is supposed to get a confession that ties the Campanos to this drug trade. That, in addition to the documents Owen found, should be enough. But it’s a risky move. Still, Grady is committed and there is no way out.
His man in the meeting gets what Grady needs. Teddy (Luke Kirby), on behalf of his father, is there to make a deal. He gets it done with Grady listening the whole time. But it turns out to be a trap—for Grady. The Campanos knew he was there and knew he was there without backup. They grab him and he takes a beating as Teddy tries to learn how to find Owen.
The Last Thing He Told Me episode 3 ending explained: Danger in the desert
Meanwhile, in Arizona, the frost begins to thaw. Owen works his magic to make good with Hannah, who is still smarting from not being told the truth. He has to rebuild a bridge. He has to put in similar work with Bailey. Owen just wants them to be safe, but they want to be included. His work to keep them out of it hasn’t worked. They’re all in danger. And they all want to have an equal voice in how to get through it together.
Hannah has time to reflect on her own issues with her mother. We learn some of their interactions through flashback. But it’s when Hannah is finally willing to meet with her mother that she learns more. She begins to understand some of her mother’s story. She also begins to understand some of how her mother still loves her. It’s not a Hallmark ending, but it’s the beginning of something.
Not that there is time to explore those feelings or talk out those issues. Bailey’s call was, indeed, a mistake. As the Campanos team is closing in, Hannah, Bailey, and Owen hit the road again—together. Hannah tosses the burner phone on a train to mislead the Campanos team. They are away again, but they aren’t alone. The trio still has a tail—but who they are and why remain a mystery.
This is something of a bottle episode. We have our core characters, mostly, holed up in Arizona and dealing with their issues. I enjoyed Wilson in the episode, and I thought it worked to finally bring everyone together. It’s not simple and easy, but I’m curious to see what they can do as a team this season.
The Last Thing He Told Me streams Fridays on Apple TV.