How The First Time I Saw Him Book Has Subtle Nod to Jennifer Garner

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Before Jennifer Garner brought Hannah Hall to life, the character in Laura Dave’s novel The Last Thing He Told Me was just an idea, not fully formed in the author’s mind.

The novelist explained in a recent interview with TopMob News that writing, for them, feels like a comfortable conversation with people they enjoy and who are revealing themselves along the way – especially since they don’t plan out their stories with outlines.

After appearing in a popular Apple TV series, the author found that her own personality began to merge with that of the character she played. This was especially true when she wrote the sequel to her book, The First Time I Saw Him, recently released. She naturally incorporated traits not only from Jennifer Garner, who inspired the character, but also from her fellow actors Angourie Rice, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, and David Morse, into the people she created on the page.

She explained that the character Bailey was originally described as having long brown hair. However, the actress playing Bailey now, Angourie Rice, has long blonde hair. She intentionally avoids mentioning Bailey’s hair color to avoid confusing the story, noting it was a different experience filming with the new actress.

The author explained that Hannah’s impulsive run at the start of the second book was inspired by her friend Jen’s running ability. She simply envisioned Hannah reacting naturally to Jen being a strong runner.

It makes sense that Dave added subtle references to the actors from The Last Thing He Told Me in The First Time I Saw Him, since they’re now adapting that book into the show’s second season. However, it wasn’t certain that Jennifer Garner and the rest of the cast would return, as the show was originally planned to be a one-time story.

After the first season launched in 2023, the demand for more was incredible! I actually started thinking about a follow-up pretty quickly, but I knew I had a responsibility to the audience. Before I even considered writing a second book, I needed to be absolutely certain it would live up to their expectations and truly deliver a worthy continuation of the story. It had to be good – really good – for the people who loved the first one.

Looking back, it’s clear that Hannah and Bailey’s story – which draws inspiration from The Odyssey – was planned to be told over several books.

Dave shared that reaching the conclusion of The Last Thing He Told Me solidified the core of the story for him – a story about becoming a mother. He realized once the narrative focused on ‘mom,’ the story was complete. However, he’d been working on the book, on and off, for a decade, and the ending he originally wrote actually belongs to a second book. He now believes he was unknowingly writing two books simultaneously, and finally caught up to his initial vision.

Dave and her husband, Josh Singer, who won an Oscar for his writing, created the show The Last Thing He Told Me together. However, because Dave was busy finishing The First Time I Saw Him while the second season of The Last Thing He Told Me was being made, she had to leave the writing team for that season.

Dave shared with TopMob that he gave the showrunners 100 pages of material before the season’s writing process began. He usually prefers to keep his work under wraps until it’s finished, but in this case, he wanted to give them a clear roadmap of where the story was headed and how it would unfold.

She explained that she’d already written a full draft but wasn’t prepared to reveal it yet. The major plot points were already established, with only small changes made later on. This led to the central question explored in both the book and the second season: What lengths will people go to in order to be forgiven, and how do they earn a second chance?

However, the show’s recently released second season—featuring new cast member Judy Greer—isn’t a direct adaptation of the original book.

Dave commented on how well the two approaches fit together. While they tackle the questions differently, he believes it will be engaging for the audience to see their conversation and how they build on each other’s ideas.

As a huge fan, I was so relieved to hear the showrunner say that Owen won’t be killed off! She explained it makes no sense to eliminate him because his story is central to everything. It really resonated with me – she’s not interested in stories driven by simple revenge, and neither am I. She approaches thrillers by focusing on something deeper, and that’s what I love about this show.

She explained that she focuses on the common threads that connect people, even when they seem very different – like the characters in her book, including the villain, Quinn – and how circumstances can lead anyone down a difficult path.

Okay, so Dave just confirmed everything Hannah Hall said about the book ending with ‘The First Time I Saw Him’! I’m still reeling! Honestly, I’m trying not to panic about what this means for the TV show, but… ugh. Anyway, Hannah was saying how bringing this character to life was so special, and she specifically mentioned how amazing it was to work with both Garner and Reese Witherspoon – she said they were incredible collaborators on ‘The Night We Lost Him’, and it clearly meant the world to her. It’s just… everything about this story is perfect, and they get it, you know?

You know, what really struck me about working with Dave and Jen on this project was how much we all believed in empowering women. Dave really highlighted that we were all on the same page about Hannah’s journey – we all saw her as someone who wouldn’t let past hardships define her. Instead, we were all focused on helping her become the strong, independent woman she was meant to be, the hero of her own story. It was truly special to share that vision with everyone involved.

You can now find the novel The First Time I Saw Him in bookstores. The second season of The Last Time I Saw Him premiered on February 20th and new episodes are released every Friday on Apple TV. Stay tuned for more information about books being adapted for the screen!

The upcoming Apple TV+ series is based on Laura Dave’s novel, The First Time I Saw Him, which will be available for purchase on January 6, 2026. The series stars Jennifer Garner, Angourie Rice, David Morse, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Judy Greer, and Rita Wilson, and will premiere on February 20, 2026.

Season two of the popular Apple series picks up with Hannah Hall (Jennifer Garner) and her stepdaughter Bailey (Angourie Rice) five years after the disappearance of Owen (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau). They’ve built a new life, but their past comes back to haunt them when Owen unexpectedly reappears just before a devastating family event. This sets off a dangerous chain of events, forcing Hannah and Bailey to fight for their survival.

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Starring: TBD

Premieres: TBD on Netflix

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2026-02-27 18:51