TV Show review
Review basis: 2 seasons, 15 episodes · through April 9, 2026
April 13, 2023 · TV-MA · Returning Series
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
The show follows a woman and her teenage stepdaughter as they search for her missing husband and uncover secrets from his past tied to crime and hidden identities. Over two seasons the story centers on family bonds, trust, and survival amid mystery and suspense. The TV adaptation added a lesbian couple as supporting characters by changing a male role from the book. It comes from Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine company that focuses on women's stories.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for The Last Thing He Told Me.
Woke representation / casting
Main leads are a conventional white stepfamily. A Black actress plays the journalist best friend. The TV version changed a male book character to female to create a visible lesbian couple as supporting characters. Hello Sunshine marketing centers female-driven stories.
Woke political dialogue
No activist or political dialogue appears. The story stays on family trust, secrets, and crime investigation.
Identity-driven story themes
A lesbian couple appears positively as supporting characters and is accepted by the family. The core premise stays a personal family mystery and protection story without identity politics shaping the main arcs or message.
Western institutional / cultural critique
FBI raids and mob elements function as standard crime thriller devices. No activist framing of institutions, patriarchy, or Western culture.
Woke character or canon changes
Production
The adaptation changed the supporting character Max from male in the book to female to add an explicit lesbian relationship.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
No notable anti-woke complaints or right-leaning criticism about identity messaging or DEI appeared in coverage or public discussion.
Creator track record context
Hello Sunshine and Reese Witherspoon emphasize women-centered stories with a liberal feminist lean. Josh Singer and Laura Dave show no activist patterns. Other key crew maintain low profiles on identity or DEI work.
