HIS & HERS is an addictive mystery that showcases how much of a powerhouse Tessa Thompson and Jon Bernthal are. It’s haunting, dangerous, and definitely a little sexy. But more than anything, it differs from any other mystery I’ve seen in the last decade because I wanted the best for Anna and Jack.
Often when I’m watching mysteries, it’s easy for me to say who is right or wrong. But this show made you sympathize and understand both of its core characters. So much so that I would rather watch them commit to each other even if one of them committed the murder at the heart of this show.
But that doesn’t mean that HIS & HERS is perfect. The mystery felt lacking in some spots and the big reveal, there’s a huge problem that stopped me in my tracks after I binged this mini-series.
MORE: Is HIS & HERS based on a book?
The Good — The Actingggg
If you’ve been sleeping on Tessa Thompson, HIS & HERS is your wakeup call. Because everyone’s talking about her performance in Hedda. But we get to spend more time with Thompson in this mystery series. And what we see is an actor who doesn’t disappear into her character. She becomes her character. Her Anna was driven, charismatic, and intuitive. She also adapted to every situation presented to her in a way that felt in character. And even better, she didn’t feel like she was playing the stoic character that could’ve easily been played by a man. This role was tailored for a woman and allowed a woman to be more than just what the world expects us to be.
Then there’s Jon Bernthal. Like Thompson, he doesn’t disappear into his character. If anything, the quiet nature and firey frustration of Jack fits perfectly with Anna’s ambition and stubbornness. And sure, I think he wasn’t as stealthy as Anna, but he was persistent, fearless, and provided the emotional heart needed. He stayed in Dahlonega, cared for his sister and her child, and made sure that Anna’s mother Alice wasn’t forgotten. If anything, it felt like Jack was the viewer, slowly piecing this mystery together in real time while also going, “Nah, the murderer can’t be Anna.”
When Thompson and Bernthal come together, they complement each other. They are partners in HIS & HERS. And the strength of Anna’s character is reflected in Jack’s character. Together we get to see their pain and heartache. But dear Lord, do we also get to see how in love they are with each other. And it’s not expressed in passionate moments of them together, even though we got one. The strength of Anna and Jack’s love for each other is how they protect each other in the middle of a murder mystery.
If HIS & HERS is about his perspective and her perspective, then it’s also about choice despite the differences. And Anna and Jack choose each other, fight together, and show that you can have an intriguing mystery that sees a couple end up together.
MORE: Hedda Review: Tessa Thompson Shines in A Somewhat Uneven Adaptation
The Bad — The Mystery
Watching HIS & HERS you can tell that this is based on a book. There’s the small town where a crime brings back two people who were torn apart by their mysterious past. You’ve got the rookie investigator, B-plot villains, and a bunch of foreshadowing that is tied to a trail of clues. All of this works for HIS & HERS, especially when it comes to the cinematography of it all. But my reason for labeling the mystery as “the bad” in this review is because I needed a little more.
Because this is an adaptation, I can’t just read what Anna or Jack are feeling all the time. I need conversations. And though I loved the conversations we had, the frustrating and quiet ones, I wanted more of why Anna and John fell apart. And maybe that’s on me as a viewer. The book is there and there’s only so much that can be done in 6 episodes. But I wish HIS & HERS would’ve spent less time with Anna flirting with Richard and more time interacting with Jack. Or even just giving us a clearer picture as to what happened in the time Anna disappeared.
Keeping all of this in mind, I’m glad that HIS & HERS trusted itself and its audience enough not to serve up this mystery on a silver platter. I had to pay attention and put my phone down. And I had to engage in the material of this show to get that it’s a story about loss and secrets. Trusting it’s audience is something that Netflix needs to do more of. Because engaging an audience is being confused with explaining everything 3 times in the first ten minutes because people’s attentions are divided. That’s not this show. And it should never be any mystery.
MORE: 7 Procedural TV Shows Led by Women You Need to Watch
The Ugly — The Missing Piece
As masterful as Alice’s plan was in HIS & HERS, there’s one glaring issue. If she went after the women who sold her daughter at 16 years old, what about the men? Because yes, Rachel, Zoe, and Helen were trash. And they got what was coming to them. Lexy too. I said, what I said. But as the show was winding down, and Alice was revealing how she had killed and plotted everything, the glaring exclusion of the men who raped Anna felt like poor planning and like they weren’t as guilty. They were.
It’s not like a part of me doesn’t understand why HIS & HERS focused on the women who hurt her daughter. They were still in town, easier to find, and lured Anna into a fall sense of security with their friendship before striking. There’s also the train of thought that Alice felt partially responsible because she left the care of her daughter in these young women’s hands. That betrayal from someone close, it stings and tears you apart with what-ifs because “Shouldn’t I have known?”
I also understand that HIS & HERS might’ve not included the men who raped Anna getting what was coming to them because it would’ve changed the direction of the show. They wanted to keep it centered in Dahlonega and the hurt coming from someone you let into your home or circle. Nevertheless, I wish there was a further acknowledgment of the atrocities that the men inflicted instead of painting it as Rachel being this evil bisexual who came for Anna because she didn’t fall in line with Rachel’s desires.
HIS & HERS is now available on Netflix.
