Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘His & Hers‘ is a murder mystery thriller series that follows the story of a couple who are trying to solve a mystery that hits a little too close to home for them. The story begins with Detective Jack Harper being called to a crime scene to look into the murder of a woman named Rachel. Soon, his estranged wife, Anna, shows up to report the crime. As the investigation unfolds, a web of secrets and lies comes to light, one that relates to the victim’s past and creates unexpected connections between her and the couple investigating her death. Developed by William Oldroyd, with Dee Johnson serving as showrunner, the series presents a twisted tale that explores the depths of grief and trauma, as well as the strength of familial bonds. SPOILERS AHEAD.
His & Hers is a Fictional Story Presented Through a Lens of Realism
‘His & Hers’ is a fictional story adapted from the 2020 novel of the same name by Alice Feeney. The tale of Jack and Anna was pulled from the figment of the author’s imagination. However, she drew upon her own experience as a journalist to lend more depth to Anna’s arc and present a realistic portrayal of how a police investigation unfolds. The author revealed that the story first came to her from Anna’s point of view, and it wasn’t until much later that Jack’s voice emerged and presented his perspective on the same story. The idea of two people experiencing the same thing, despite it being a deeply personal and intimate thing like grief, in completely different manners excited her.
This paved the way for the dual narrative with both Anna and Jack getting to tell their stories in their own ways, giving the book its title and the story its hook. Before becoming an author, Feeney had worked at the BBC as a reporter and a producer for fifteen years. This allowed her a unique insight into the behind-the-scenes workings of such workplaces. She fed this knowledge into Anna’s narrative, giving a more realistic touch to an otherwise fictional world. She put the same detail into creating the fictional town of Blackdown, which serves as the novel’s primary setting. She drew from real places she had visited to give a more intimate and detailed touch to the town, which she said hadn’t changed with time.
It is a place where everyone knows everyone, and that informs much of the drama and conflict that takes place in the story. When bringing the novel to the screen, the show’s creators decided to move the setting from Blackdown, an idyllic town somewhere outside London, to Dahlonega, the real town close to Atlanta, Georgia. The change in setting from British to American was one of the many details altered in the screen adaptation. However, the core of the story remained the same. For William Oldroyd, the main thing that drew him into the book and its world was the entirely unexpected twist, which he confesses he did not see coming. But more than that, he liked the deep connections between characters, particularly the love between Anna and Alice.
Anna’s Story Sheds Light on the Impact of Grief and Trauma
Despite being a twisty and compelling thriller and murder mystery, ‘His & Hers’ is, at its core, about love. For William Oldroyd, the adaptation was a sort of “love letter” for his own mother. “This idea of a mother’s love — everyone will understand, and hopefully everyone will support her,” he told Netflix Tudum. Tessa Thompson, who plays Anna, also found the groundedness of the story in a mother’s love to be a major pull of the story. While Thompson’s character goes through a lot of ups and downs in the story, it is the trauma of her sexual assault that plays a major role in how her story is shaped.
The actress said that having known such stories and having been close to people who are survivors, she has “seen the ways in which it can animate someone and energize them and also completely leave them stilted and incapable of moving forward.” She saw Anna’s dedication to her career and ambition as a form of running, which initially helps her, but then also leaves her very isolated. She wishes that the show helps survivors like Anna, hoping that “there will be people who will think about having a conversation that they couldn’t imagine having before.”
The Actors Leaned Into the Dissonance Between Their Characters
Jon Bernthal, who plays Jack, also found the humanity of the characters one of the more compelling aspects of the story. For ‘The Punisher’ actor, the grief shared by Jack and Anna is what gives gravity and heart to their story, allowing the audience to root for them even when they are both suspects in the case. To present Jack in a more realistic light, the actor, much like Thompson, spent a lot of time in Dahlonega. He also spoke with local law enforcement officers to gain insight into what a typical day in Jack’s life would be like. Bernthal and Thompson also immediately clicked with each other during the filming process, and their genuine chemistry translated well on screen.
While discussing various aspects of the storyline, they presented their own versions of what may or may not have happened and how their characters would have perceived things from a certain perspective. Their differing views allowed them to get into the minds of their characters and play against each other, such that the deep conflict between Anna and Jack truly bubbles to the surface. At the end of the day, however, they felt that the story is about flawed people who are trying to survive, even if they end up making really bad decisions. For the author, Alice Feeney, it’s all about “the things that we are ready to do to protect the people we love the most.” All these emotions, presented through grounded characters, give a relatable edge to the show despite its fictional nature.
