Judy Greer Discusses the Differences Between Season 2 of The Last Thing He Told Me and the Book

While the narrative of The Last Thing He Told Me in its first season closely followed Laura Dave’s original novel, season 2 is set to take a different direction in its sequel.

“It’s fascinating because we were filming the series concurrently with the writing of the book. We only just got to read it as it was released,” Angourie Rice shared exclusively with Us Weekly in a joint interview with Judy Greer earlier this month, to which Greer added, “Yeah, I finished it last weekend.”

“This approach to adapting a book into a show is quite unique,” Rice, 25, remarked. “They were communicating with each other as we were producing it.”

From Greer’s viewpoint, the exchange wasn’t as extensive as she had anticipated.

“I remember asking showrunner Josh Singer, ‘What’s the plan now?’ And he’d respond, ‘I don’t know, she hasn’t informed me,’ or something like, ‘We’re doing it this way, and she has another direction.’ I found it amusing that we were on two distinct islands,” Greer, 50, recounted with a chuckle, mentioning that “there are plenty of surprises” awaiting fans of the book.

Rice expressed that the book and the series “enhance each other beautifully.” She elaborated that the two formats “highlight different facets and elements.”

“What makes this scenario so intriguing and distinctive is that if you’ve experienced one or read the other, it doesn’t mean you’ve grasped the entire storyline. You’ll want to see or read the other,” she noted, with Greer adding, “Indeed, they are distinct enough … Some characters are more highlighted, while others take a backseat.”

Rice affirmed, “Yes, but the essence remains the same.”

Dave’s sequel, The First Time I Saw Him, was released in January. The eagerly awaited second book begins with a time jump five years later, where Hannah (Jennifer Garner) encounters Owen (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) after he goes on the run. In season 2 of the mystery-thriller, Hannah and her stepdaughter Bailey (Rice) must deal with the repercussions of Owen’s return as past figures — including Quinn (Greer) — resurface.

Reflecting on the process with Us in January, Dave mentioned that she had “written an initial draft of the book,” which provided the season 2 showrunners with a direction for the storyline.

“I guided them through the book. They understood the world and its themes, but I only had 100 pages I was willing to share at that point,” Dave explained. “While I was editing, they were busy crafting the new narrative for the show. I think they complement each other wonderfully.”

Throughout it all, Dave emphasized that Garner, 53, is the “heart and soul” of her adaptation.

“People often ask me, ‘What’s it like having your book adapted?’” Dave enthused. “I say, ‘If you’re fortunate enough to have Jennifer Garner portray your protagonist, you can only be thankful in the end.’”

The Last Thing He Told Me season 2 premieres on Fridays on Apple TV.