Streaming on: Netflix
Episodes viewed: 5 of 5
Another year, another Harlan Coben adaptation that dares to ask just how much nonsense you will put up with in the pursuit of an easy comfort binge. This time around, the action takes place in Manchester, upending the book's New York location to our side of the pond without losing any of the source material's unhinged narrative.
Detective Kat Donovan (Rosalind Eleazar) has had a rough time of it following a severe ghosting and the death of her father, but when her missing ex suddenly resurfaces, Kat is sent down a rabbit hole where lie upon lie is uncovered in an increasingly unlikely turn of events.
The likes of Steve Pemberton and Coben regular James Nesbitt chew scenery to pulpy effect...
The first two episodes spin their wheels, regurgitating the same plot points and implausible lines of dialogue such as, "He hurt you. Badly," and, "Refusing to tidy up in the 21st century is a bold act of feminism." Was the latter written by Coben or ChatGPT? Neither, technically, although the influence of both looms large over the work of scriptwriter Victoria Asare-Archer, whose characters are as improbable as the twists that propel them.
Eleazar carries the show in its weaker moments, while the likes of Steve Pemberton and Coben regular James Nesbitt chew scenery to pulpy effect as an intimidating dog-breeder and a cruel Mob boss respectively. But there's only so much even the most experienced actor can do when their character's motives (and the show's overall tone) lack cohesion to this degree.
Things do improve in the latter half as the reveals stack up, each more ridiculous than the last, although your tolerance for them and the series as a whole will very much depend on what you're looking to get out of this. If soapy thrills appeal, or even if you're looking to put something on in the background, Missing You is just about competent enough to fulfil those needs with its brisk, five-episode length and enough cliffhangers to keep you going until the end. Logic be damned.