Diksha Sundriyal
Apple TV’s ‘Last Seen’ begins with Ian Ridley’s search for his daughter, who was kidnapped when she was three years old. Eleven years have gone by, and there is no clue as to where she went. Just when Ian is about to give up like the rest of the people, he receives a distress call from a girl who claims to be his lost daughter, Mags. Over the course of six episodes, he uncovers new information about where his daughter has been all these years. He gives everything to get her back, but the reunion is not as he expected. The series leaves a lot unsaid, and the ending is not particularly happy. This, however, does not mean there will be another season of the show. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Last Seen Adapts a Standalone Book With a Completely Resolved Storyline
The first season of ‘Last Seen’ adapts David Jahn’s novel, ‘The Dispatcher.’ While some changes have been made to the story’s setting and storyline, the overall plot remains the same. This means the six-episode series fully adapts the source material, leaving almost nothing to carry over into a second season. Since the show has been tagged as a miniseries, it is clear that its creators don’t intend to bring it back. While there have been cases where this situation has changed (the most recent example being another Apple TV series, ‘Imperfect Women’), there are greater chances of ‘Last Seen’ not meeting that fate. This is primarily because the major arcs of all mysteries and characters are resolved by the end, and the loose threads that hang leave room for the viewers to make up their own minds about the characters.
The story ends with Ian finally finding Mags, only to realize that she has grown into a completely different person, brought up by the people who will remain her parents, no matter the fact that they kidnapped and tore her away from her birth parents. It’s not that he hadn’t known that Saah would never go back to being Mags, but he didn’t expect it to hit him the way it did when she chose Henry over him, even after discovering that he is her kidnapper. Even though she leaves with the man whom she loves as her father, things don’t turn out so well for Henry since the cops have also found him. Instead of getting arrested, he walks towards certain death. From here, Sarah goes into the state’s care until she is ready to be given back to her biological mother, Deb.
Since she and Ian are separated and he has made a series of questionable decisions in the recent past, it makes sense that he is not chosen as Sarah’s guardian. At the same time, she also sees him as the person who led to Henry and Jenna’s death, and everything that happened is a lot for her to process. So, she decides to keep a distance from Ian, for now. A second season could delve into Ian trying to get back in the good graces of Sarah as well as Deb, who has also lost a lot because of him. Alternatively, a second season could have a new case of its own, with an entirely new setting and slate of characters. Some characters, like Detective Pena, could return if the town’s location remains the same. Or, we could be transported to a whole new place with an entirely new mystery.
Last Seen Season 2 Would Introduce Major New Characters
If Apple TV decides to go forth with a second season of ‘Last Seen,’ the cast would depend entirely on the route the new season takes. The first season features Patrick Brammall as Ian Ridley, Jessica Wren as Debbie, Tobias Muhafidin as Dean, and Chloe Jean Lourdes as Sarah, all of whom would return if the sophomore season continues the story of the first. The return of characters like Brendan Cowell’s Henry Reid, Maxine Peake’s Jenna, Daniel Henshall’s Donald, and Colin Friels’ Gareth would depend on the plot’s timeline. If it moves forward and focuses on Ian trying to rebuild a relationship with his family, we would most likely not see the Reids, except perhaps Donald.
However, if it’s a prequel or includes flashbacks, the Reids will definitely be in the picture. The second case could also bring back Bert La Bonté as Bill McCracken, whose tragic death is a major blot on Ian’s conscience as well as a reminder of the price that others have to pay because of his actions. However, if the second season turns the show into an anthology with no connection to the first season, none of these characters will likely appear again. If the story happens to be another mystery in the town of Port McKenna, then Zahra Newman’s Isabel Pena may be one of the only few actors from Season 1 to reprise their role, along with an entirely new set of cast and characters.
Read More: Last Seen: Is Port McKenna a Real Town in Australia?
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