Archive · 10 Sep 2026
Maxine Peake Leads Apple TV Thriller Last Seen
Last Seen is a new six-part mystery show on Apple TV.
Patrick Brammall plays Ian, a former police detective whose daughter disappeared 11 years ago.
After human remains are found, Ian gets a phone call that sounds like it may come from his daughter.
His search leads him to Henry and Jenna, a couple living far away from other people.
Their teenage daughter Sarah looks like Ian’s daughter might look today.
Maxine Peake plays Jenna, who is loving but surrounded by troubling secrets.
Many critics liked the show because it focuses on people instead of relying only on surprise twists.
However, one review said the mystery’s answers were not very satisfying.
Maxine Peake stars as Jenna in Apple TV’s six-episode thriller Last Seen, released today.
The series follows former detective Ian, whose missing daughter may still be alive 11 years after disappearing.
Ian’s investigation leads to Henry and Jenna, an isolated couple whose teenage daughter resembles his missing child.
Critics have largely praised the show for emphasizing character over predictable twists, though one review found its mystery anticlimactic.
The series marks a notable lead role for Peake, continuing her interest in morally complicated women.
- Who
- Maxine Peake, Patrick Brammall, Brendan Cowell, Chloe Jean Lourdes and the ensemble cast of Last Seen.
- What
- Apple TV released Last Seen, a six-episode thriller about a former detective investigating his missing daughter’s possible survival.
- When
- The series was released today; the story is set 11 years after Maggie’s disappearance.
- Where
- The series was filmed in Victoria, Australia, and follows a family living in rural Australia.
- Why
- Ian investigates after human remains are found and he receives a call he believes may be from his missing daughter.
Supportive Reviews
Critical Review
Storytelling approach
Supportive Reviews
RogerEbert.com and Collider praised the series for prioritizing character and avoiding the genre’s usual reliance on predictable twists.
Critical Review
One syndicated review argued that the central mystery became lost and that its revelations felt anticlimactic rather than satisfying.
Overall reception
Supportive Reviews
Most reviews were favorable, and critics particularly praised the performances, including Maxine Peake’s portrayal of Jenna and Chloe Jean Lourdes’s screen debut.
Critical Review
The mixed response indicates that the show’s character work was stronger for some critics than the payoff to its mystery.
- Platform
- Apple TV
- Episodes
- Six
- Director
- Christian Schwochow directed every episode.
- Source material
- The series is based on The Dispatcher by Ryan David Jahn.
- Maxine Peake’s role
- Jenna, the wife of Henry Reid.
- Filming location
- Victoria, Australia
- Critical response
- Reviews were largely strong, with some criticism of the mystery’s revelations.