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‘The Last Thing He Told Me’ Season 2 finally sets return but one familiar face from Season 1 is missing

A vanished husband, a fragile deal, and a new chapter loom as ‘The Last Thing He Told Me’ returns in 2026, however, one without one fan-favourite.

When ‘The Last Thing He Told Me’ first hit shelves, it was passed from reader to reader like a secret they couldn’t keep to themselves. Then it made the leap to the small screen as an adaptation for Apple TV+. The show pulled viewers into a tense domestic puzzle about a vanished husband and a note that said just two words: 'Protect her.' That was in April 2023. Season 2 is officially on the calendar now. It is scheduled to premiere on February 20. The catch? Season 2 did not come out of nowhere. Author Laura Dave actually wrote a sequel because the series renewal made it clear that Hannah Hall’s story was not over yet. 

That sequel, titled ‘The First Time I Saw Him’, arrived on January 6. So yes, the show gave the book a push. Back at the Deadline Contenders TV 2023, before the renewal was locked in, Dave did hint that she couldn’t quite let go of her main character. “Now whenever I’m writing, I see Jen’s face, which is a very nice face to see, but it makes me feel like Hannah’s story is not done,” Dave said. For the unversed, Jennifer Garner will once again step into Hannah’s shoes. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau returns as Owen Michaels, the husband whose disappearance set everything in motion.

Angourie Rice reprises her role as Bailey Michaels, the reserved teenager who had slowly begun to trust her stepmother. And then there’s David Morse, who is also coming back. His character, Nicholas Bell, played a main part in the first season’s closing moments. He struck a deal with Hannah that left viewers staring at their screens long after the credits rolled. He would keep certain secrets hidden, but only if Owen left them alone for good. The returning cast list also includes Augusto Aguilera, Josh Hamilton, Nick Hargrove, and Michael Hyatt. 

There are fresh additions, too. Judy Greer, whose casting was first reported by Deadline, joins the lineup, alongside Rita Wilson. New names, Michael Galante, John Noble, and Luke Kirby, are also stepping into this world. One notable absence? Aisha Tyler, who portrayed Hannah’s loyal best friend Jules Nichols in Season 1, will not be returning. Season 1 tracked Hannah’s frantic effort to piece together the truth after Owen vanished without warning. No detailed explanation. Just that short message urging her to protect Bailey. The Season 2 trailer was released in January.

What followed was a slow-burning investigation that peeled back secrets about Owen’s past and his identity. Hannah and Bailey, once wary of each other, formed a bond in the process. The final episodes didn’t tie everything up with a neat ribbon. Instead, they left viewers with a bargain and a sacrifice. Owen would stay away. Hannah would raise Bailey. Nicholas Bell would hold his silence. Now, with the sequel novel as source material, Season 2 has new ground to cover.