Since the publication of Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl over ten years ago, the novel has established itself as the benchmark for suspenseful thrillers that thrive on unexpected twists. Flynn’s masterpiece popularized the use of unreliable narrators, a storytelling device that has since become a staple in the genre, inspiring countless adaptations across film and television. Its success encouraged other authors to craft similarly layered narratives featuring protagonists whose truth is constantly in question. Among these is Alice Feeney’s bestseller His & Hers, published in 2020, which also centers on complex characters with questionable motives. This novel’s gripping plot, filled with dark secrets, shocking murders, and intricate relationships, made it an obvious candidate for a Netflix limited series, leading to a six-part adaptation starring Jon Bernthal and Tessa Thompson as Jack and Anna, respectively.
The series retains the core elements that made the book a page-turner but introduces notable changes in setting, character backgrounds, and plot details that give the story new layers and dynamics. While the novel’s fast-paced narrative revolves around gruesome murders, personal betrayals, and intense emotional conflicts, the adaptation offers a fresh perspective that enhances the story’s emotional stakes and amplifies its suspense.
The Core Plot and Its Twists
His & Hers fundamentally follows the intertwined lives of Jack Harper and Anna Andrews, both of whom are entangled in a mysterious murder investigation that exposes their troubled pasts. The original novel is narrated from alternating viewpoints of Jack and Anna, with an additional unnamed narrator representing the killer. This third voice intermittently reveals pieces of the puzzle, keeping readers guessing until the final revelation— that Anna’s own mother, Alice, is the murderer.
The Netflix adaptation preserves this pivotal twist but alters many elements along the way. The story shifts from the Books’ setting of London and the fictional Surrey village of Blackdown to the southwestern town of Dahlonega, Georgia. Here, Anna, a seasoned television journalist, returns to her hometown to report on a homicide, with Jack Harper—now a seasoned detective—leading the investigation. Their past relationship is troubled; they are estranged but still married, adding personal tension to the case and complicating their potential reunion.
This change in location and relationship status enriches the narrative, allowing for a deeper exploration of characters’ histories and motivations. It also aligns the story more closely with American crime thriller conventions, making it more accessible to a diversified audience.
Character Arcs and Backgrounds
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Anna’s Return to Reporting and Past Trauma
In the book, Anna is a BBC newsreader who temporarily left her career after the tragic death of her baby. Her return to the news scene comes after her colleague Cat Jones goes on maternity leave, a position she secretly covets. When Cat returns, Anna is pushed back into the role, but her story begins with reluctance and reluctance rooted in painful memories. She’s hesitant to revisit her hometown, filled with unresolved pain from her adolescence and recent personal losses.
The series expands on Anna’s motivation, portraying her as someone who actively seeks the coverage of the murder in Dahlonega, suggesting that she has a more conscious desire to reconnect with her past and perhaps seek closure. It also depicts her having taken a year-long unofficial hiatus from her work, positioning her as someone eager yet uncertain about re-integrating into her professional life. This shift gives Anna a sharper sense of agency in pushing her return and adds a layer of personal urgency to her actions.
Moreover, the adaptation changes the character of Cat Jones into Lexy Jones, played by Rebecca Rittenhouse. This decision obscures the fact that Lexy is actually Anna’s childhood friend Catherine Kelly, hiding their shared past for narrative purposes. Both the book and series reveal that Anna and Lexy knew each other from childhood, with a dark secret linking them—on Anna’s 16th birthday, both girls were present during a traumatic and violent event in the woods.
In both versions of the story, Anna’s discovery of the murdered Rachel Hopkins catalyzes her career resurgence, but the series explores more explicitly how her personal history and her rekindling relationship with Jack influence her reactions and decisions throughout the investigation. Unlike the novel, where Anna and Jack are divorced, the series shows them as estranged yet still married, which intensifies their emotional dynamics and creates more dramatic opportunities for reconciliation.
Anna’s Struggles with Alcohol and Memories
A significant departure from the book involves the depiction of Anna’s relationship with alcohol. In Feeney’s novel, Anna is a heavy drinker, often carrying bottles of wine—particularly white wine—hidden in her purse. Her intoxication contributes to her unreliable narration, reminiscent of literary thrillers like The Girl on the Train. She frequently wakes up confused, unsure of what transpired overnight, and even believes she cleaned a room while drunk, only to discover her mother, Alice, had done it.
The television version takes a different approach, downplaying her alcohol problems and establishing that her drinking is not excessive or frequent enough to cause significant memory lapses. Instead, it hints at a misdirection, leading viewers to believe her apparent unreliability might stem from something more sinister. By the series finale, it is revealed that Anna’s mother confesses to all the murders in a letter, absolving Anna of guilt and clarifying her innocence.
This change helps sharpen Anna’s character as someone with a clearer mental state, enhancing her credibility as an investigator and protagonist. It also allows the series to focus more on psychological trauma and familial evil rather than unreliable memory as a narrative device.
The Role of the Killer and Key Suspects
Who is the Murderer?
In the novel, the killer is Anna’s mother, Alice, who confesses her guilt for the murders committed years earlier. Her motive is rooted in a horrifying revelation from Anna’s teenage years: Catherine, Anna’s childhood friend, was gang-raped in the woods by a group of peers, an incident Anna blamed herself for not preventing. Alice blames Rachel, Zoe, and Helen for their role in the assault and for causing her daughter’s disappearance. Her killing spree was an act of revenge to punish those responsible and to protect Anna’s secret.
The Netflix adaptation makes Alice’s involvement beyond doubt, revealing her as the true murderer from the start. The story culminates with Anna discovering a tape that captures her own rape at age 16, which motivates Alice’s violent revenge. The show’s ending shows mother and daughter united in knowing the terrible truth but leaves room for ambiguity about what Anna might decide to do about her mother’s confession.
In the book, Anna remains uncertain about her guilt, pondering whether she herself is the killer, blacked out during her drunken blackouts. The open-ended conclusion presents a layered moral dilemma, leaving it up to the reader’s interpretation.
The Suspects and Their Motives
The adaptation also revises the suspect pool, particularly concerning Rachel’s husband Clyde. In the novel, Detective Priya Patel suggests that Rachel’s wealthy, middle-aged husband was not a suspect because he was old and bedridden. Conversely, the series introduces Clyde, played by Chris Bauer, as an active, charismatic figure and potential suspect. Clyde is portrayed as arrogant and aggressive, with a clearly visible motive—he is shown to be involved in blackmail and extorting Rachel and her friends, with a incriminating video of him on Rachel’s phone.
This shift from an off-screen suspect to a more active, physical presence elevates the tension and makes the narrative more dynamic. Clyde’s confrontations with Jack are charged with hostility, and his association with Rachel’s secrets adds complexity to the plot. This change enables the series to explore themes of toxic masculinity and greed more vividly, making Clyde a compelling adversary.
The adaptation refrains from showing Priya shooting Jack in the final scene—her decisive move is killing Lexy/Catherine, who is revealed as the true culprit. Meanwhile, Richard, Rachel’s husband, survives the series but is arrested for aiding Lexy, maintaining the complexity of the case.
Romantic and Sexual Tensions
The series amplifies the emotional and physical chemistry between Jack and Anna, turning their professional rapport into a passionate, and sometimes tumultuous, romance. In the open-ended conclusion, they rekindle their relationship, with Anna pregnant and both of them understanding the pain and love that have shaped them.
The novel hints at their romantic tension but keeps it more subdued, with Anna already divorced from Jack when the murders unfold. The adaptation cranks up the romantic stakes, showing their conflicts escalating into kisses and intimate moments during episodes of high stress. The show emphasizes their unresolved feelings, making their reunion a central emotional payoff.
Additionally, the series simplifies secondary romantic subplots, such as Priya’s possible feelings for Jack. In the book, Priya’s attentiveness to Jack hints at attraction, but the show portrays her as a focused, professional investigator. This adjustment streamlines the narrative and avoids unnecessary red herrings, ensuring viewers interpret Priya’s role more straightforwardly.
Climactic Confrontations and Final Revelations
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The finale of His & Hers moves swiftly compared to the novel, focusing on a tense, streamlined showdown at a secluded location. In the book, Anna’s confrontation with Richard and Cat is protracted, culminating in violent fight scenes, including Cat’s death and Anna’s escapes. The series condenses these moments, centering the climax on Anna’s discovery of her mother’s guilt and her decision to confront her.
In the novel, Meg, Jack’s sister, is present during a murder scene, and her death is depicted in detail, amplifying the horror. The series alters this, leaving Meg alive but emphasizing the threat level of the killer. Jack’s injuries and subsequent arrests are handled differently, with the show omitting Jack being shot and focusing instead on justice for Alice’s murders.
While in the book, Anna runs over Cat in her car and deduces her motive was revenge tying back to her childhood trauma, the series simplifies this into a more straightforward investigation. The show’s climax emphasizes Anna and Alice’s emotional bond and the devastating consequences of long-bast familial secrets.
The Final Reveal and Themes of Family and Revenge
The novel concludes ambiguously, with Alice confessing her deeds but leaving Anna uncertain about her own guilt. This ending invites reflection on guilt, memory, and morality, providing a provocative, open-ended finale.
In contrast, the adaptation clears Anna’s name definitively, portraying Alice’s confession as the final truth. The closing scene shows mother and daughter united in shared knowledge, suggesting that understanding the past can be a path to healing. While the novel’s ending is more unsettling and open to interpretation, the series opts for closure, emphasizing the power of truth and maternal love in overcoming darkness.
Throughout His & Hers, whether as a book or TV series, the core themes revolve around the impact of secrets, family bonds, and the destructive nature of revenge. The changes made in the adaptation serve to heighten emotional intensity and streamline the plot, aiming for a more satisfying resolution that resonates with contemporary audiences while preserving the chilling core of Feeney’s storytelling.
