Last Seen

Adapted from Ryan David Jahn’s novel The Dispatcher, Last Seen centres around former police detective Ian Ridley (a stellar Patrick Brammall). Now working as a police dispatcher and separated from his wife, Debbie (Jessica Wren), he’s still grieving the loss of his daughter, who went missing 11 years ago. The discovery of human remains causes Ian to fear the worst, but when he receives an emergency call from a teenager he believes is his daughter, he becomes determined to find her. After a slow and steady start, Apple TV+’s latest series quickly picks up momentum as it takes events in gripping and unexpected directions.

Although the trailer leads viewers to believe the pivotal call is the catalyst that kick-starts the series, this moment doesn’t happen until much later. The opening episodes instead take their time to establish the key players. Ian, for instance, is a recovering alcoholic on the razor’s edge of sobriety who’s become consumed by guilt. Meanwhile, his ex-wife is trying to move on with her new life. Then there’s Henry (Brendan Cowell) and Jenna (Maxine Peake), a devoutly religious couple living on a farm in almost complete isolation with their daughter (Chloe Jean Lourdes), where it’s made clear that something isn’t right. The plot thickens, and tensions rise as more information is gradually unveiled throughout Kris Mrksa’s taut script, with the fourth episode ending on a bombshell that will leave viewers stunned.

Clues about what really happened are left out in the open from the outset for audiences to put some of the pieces together themselves. The central mystery is less about who did it and more to do with their reasons for doing it. This is also a show about living with grief, a combination which makes for an enthralling character piece that’s elevated by flawless performances from Brammall and Peake. Ian and Jenna are both tragic characters who’re forced to confront difficult realities. Each actor conveys the pain and desperation of their character with a visceral humanity that allows viewers to become fully invested in their plights.

A show that’s best experienced by going in blind, Last Seen is an utterly captivating piece of television made all the better by a dazzling cast. While the plot takes some time to hit its stride, the payoff is more than worth the wait.

Andrew Murray

Last Seen is released on Apple TV+ on 9^th September 2026.

Watch the trailer for Last Seen here: