The new Netflix thriller series, Missing You, certainly has a juicy premise. A detective’s fiancé left her without explanation, and 11 years later she finds a profile of him on a dating app.
Based on Harlan Coben’s 2014 novel, the five-episode series is a twisty journey in a quest for truth. Packed full of mysteries, surprises and secrets, it’s a whirlwind of a crime series, with a little cameo from TikTok star GK Barry.
Missing You release date: Jan. 1 on Netflix
Cast: Rosalind Eleazar, Jessica Plummer, Richard Armitage, Ashley Walters, Sir Lenny Henry, Steve Pemberton, James Nesbitt, Samantha Spiro, Lisa Faulkner, Mary Malone
Number of episodes: 5
Directors: Nimer Rashed and Isher Sahota
Detective Kat Donovan (Rosalind Eleazar), who works in the missing persons unit, is struggling with her dating life. When we first meet her in Missing You she’s on a date with a man who’s obsessed with working out and counting calories. It’s understandable that dating would be tough for her, after her fiancé Josh (Ashley Walters) left her 11 years ago without a word of explanation.
But there’s more to Kat’s story. Her father, who was a police officer, was murdered and the man that confessed to killing him, Monte Leburne (Marc Warren), has terminal cancer and not long to live. That means Kat urgently wants to talk to him, hoping to get some answers about her dad’s death, including why he killed her father.
Processing that trauma, Kat’s friends are still pushing her to get out there and date, urging her to join a dating app that matches people based on their taste in music. That’s when Kat gets startled, matching with a profile of her ex-fiancé.
Missing You has a lot to investigate. Who really killed Kat’s father? Why did Josh disappear? And on top of that Kat is investigating other cases, missing individuals Rishi Magari (Rudi Dharmalingam) and Dana Fells (Lisa Faulkner).
It’s a lot of missing people with cases that may all be related to each other.
While Missing You has the components of a great mystery series, it’s just too overstuffed. It’s one thing to keep the pace up, particularly in a thriller, but this show feels rushed, trying to shove too much into five episodes.
There are several relationships Kat really cares about and I just wish we were given the time to care about them too.
The flashbacks that show Kat’s relationship with Josh were effective, but we still don’t get enough time to really feel invested in their relationship, particularly when she matches with him so quickly after signing up for the dating app.
What really saves Missing You is Rosalind Eleazar. The actor gives a moving performance with the structure of the show she’s working within. It’s emotive and you can really sense Kat’s anger, sadness, vulnerability in such a layered portrayal of this character.
Additionally, Kat’s relationship with her mother Odette (Bridget Zengeni) is a highlight, as the story tries to build that richness in Kat’s life, as rushed as it may feel.
As the ending tries to tie up these loose ends in the story, it’s not particularly satisfying. But a setup where every single person in Kat’s life is keeping a secret from her makes it a particularly difficult feat to have a rewarding ending.
That being said, if you want a new, quick mystery to binge as you ease into the new year, maybe something to put on while you start creeping back into your post-holidays emails, this may be a good place to start.
