Netflix recently dropped another Harlan Coben adaptation, Missing You, and while it might not be the best show out there, it’s certainly a fun, guilty pleasure worth getting lost in. The show is a mystery thriller that follows Kat Donovan (Rosalind Eleazar), a detective inspector whose specialty is finding missing people. However, regardless of her talents, she never found the most important person who suddenly vanished from her life 11 years prior. Following the tragic death of her father, Clint (Lenny Henry), over a decade ago, Kat’s world only became more fraught when her fiancé, Josh (Ashley Walters), abruptly disappeared. Although, unlike her cases, Josh didn’t simply go missing, he left and completely ghosted her without any sort of explanation, despite having just proposed.
However, while scrolling through a dating app one evening, Kat comes across Josh’s profile, which turns her world inside out once more. Believing she has finally moved on from her traumatic past, she’s forced to face the pain all over again. To make matters worse, Josh’s apparent return coincidentally coincides with new information about her father’s death. Unfortunately for Kat, it appears Josh is somehow connected to the events from 11 years ago. After initially confessing to Clint’s murder, the man serving life in prison, Monte Leburne (Marc Warren), admits to Kat that he actually never committed the crime. Without offering Kat any real details, he explains he was simply paid to take the fall. As Kat begins to dig deeper, she realizes there might be more to Josh’s disappearance than she initially thought. Regardless, it’s clear that nothing is what it seems to be in Missing You, including Josh’s dating profile.
‘Missing You’ Is Like Many Harlan Coben Adaptations
Missing You
- Release Date
-
January 1, 2025
- Cast
-
Rosalind Eleazar
- Seasons
-
1
For fans of other Harlan Coben adaptations, Missing You is another series they’re destined to love. Because it has all the same trappings as shows like Fool Me Once, Hold Tight, and The Innocent, just to name a few, fans of the author will absolutely devour the latest Netflix addition. Similar to the various other Coben series, Missing You is rife with twists and turns until the very last moment, which is a popular bedrock of his stories. While it’s certainly not the kind of show all viewers will enjoy, there’s no denying the show delivers exactly as advertised.
Related
Fool Me Once: The Problem With Netflix’s Latest Harlan Coben Adaptation
The Netflix hit Fool Me Once might seem appealing on its surface, but its excessive subplots and glaring plot holes aren’t easy to overlook.
While many have been overly critical of Missing You, it should be noted that the limited five-episode series does not overstay its welcome and promptly leaves once the mystery has been revealed. Sure, the plot is completely convoluted, there are plenty of different plot holes, and Kat is able to get away with quite a number of illegal procedures despite her role as a detective inspector, but the show doesn’t claim to be anything groundbreaking. Missing You is exactly what it purports to be and nothing more. It’s not looking to win awards; it’s strictly aiming to entertain its audiences with a heavily layered mystery, as is the case with every other Coben adaptation on Netflix.
‘Missing You’ Is Casual Viewing and Not Much More
But That’s Not a Bad Thing
If Netflix subscribers are looking to watch a jarring thriller rife with tense drama, Missing You is not the show for them. Nothing about the series is necessarily thought-provoking or beguiling. Instead, it’s simple entertainment, but sometimes, that’s all viewers need. The show is meant to be a fun and casual viewing experience. It’s a guilty pleasure for sure, and that’s okay. While it might not have been designed that way, it certainly manifested as such. However, classifying it as a guilty pleasure isn’t meant to be a negative critique. Not every series needs to challenge viewers. Sometimes the audience just wants to be entertained, and Missing You delivers on that front.
Related
Netflix Greenlights Two More Harlan Coben Series After Success of Fool Me Once
Netflix will adapt the Harlan Coben stories Missing You and Run Away following the huge success of Fool Me Once.
Make no mistake, there are certainly problems with the series, but that doesn’t mean it should be counted out. Instead, it should be taken for exactly what it is: a guilty pleasure to enjoy from the comfort of home. The series isn’t littered with bad acting, and the show’s production quality is also good, which makes it an easy series to enjoy if viewers take it for what it’s meant to be.
As is the case with Coben’s other adaptations, it’s the twists and turns of the story itself that usually draw criticism. It’s never the talents of the actors involved that’s bad. In fact, they help to elevate the series overall and make the viewing experience worth the time. Whether viewers love similar series or not, there’s no denying Missing You is a fun guilty pleasure, and everyone should be okay with that. All episodes of Missing You are currently streaming on Netflix.