Apple TV's new six-episode thriller "Last Seen" puts a fresh spin on the missing-child mystery genre by favouring emotional depth over withheld twists, according to a review from Collider. Written by Kris Mrksa and directed by Christian Schwochow, the series is praised for shifting away from a traditional "whodunit" towards a "whydunit" that explores the lasting impact of a single act on two families, rather than saving its revelations purely for shock value.

The story, loosely adapted from Ryan David Jahn's novel "The Dispatcher" and relocated to the fictional Australian town of Port McKenna, follows former detective Ian Ridley (Patrick Brammall), whose daughter Maggie vanished 11 years earlier. When a distressed teenage caller suggests she may be his missing daughter, Ian reopens the case against the wishes of his ex-wife, a sceptical new detective and his sponsor, while a separate family unknowingly harbours a teenager who closely resembles Maggie. The review highlights Brammall's performance as central to the show's success, noting his 2026 has also included a role in "Devil Wears Prada 2" and the final season of "Colin from Accounts".