The cast of Missing You in a poster for the series.Image via Netflix
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Michael Block
Published 1 hour ago
Michael Block is a 14 time GLAM Award nominated writer, producer, and host of the podcast Block Talk. Throughout his time in the entertainment industry, he has worked on and off Broadway as a stage manager, written several produced plays, critiqued hundreds of theatrical performances, drag and cabaret shows, and has produced events randing from drag competitoons to variety concerts!
On Block Talk, he interviews nightlife personalities, covers the wide world of entertainment through features, ranking episodes, and recaps ALL of Drag Race, as well as Dragula and Survivor. He has interviewed hundreds of RuGirls that span the globe at DragCon NYC, DragCon LA, and DragCon UK.
In his free time, he makes one-of-a-kind jewelry and gift baskets with his mom. He is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community.
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If you're anything like me, the second that a new Harlan Coben series is released, you drop everything to tune in. As the king of mystery thrillers, Coben's novels have proven exceptionally well-suited for TV adaptation. Almost every year, one of his novels becomes part of a streamer's library of titles, with Netflix releasing Missing You on the very first day of 2025.
The small-screen adaptation of Missing You follows Detective Kat Donovan, played by Slow Horses’ Rosalind Eleazar, as she discovers her missing fiancé on a dating app over a decade after his disappearance. With the realization that she has been lied, Kat decides to head down the rabbit hole, reopening a cold case about her own father in the process. Missing You became an instant hit for Netflix, earning over 218 million streaming hours in its first six months on the platform. Audiences were drawn in by the twisted web established between intricate and engaging characters, and as an example of the tried-and-true Coben playbook, Missing You deserved all the attention it quietly earned.How 'Missing You' Captivated Audiences
Rosalind Eleazar, Charlie Hamblett, and Catherine Ayers looking down at something in Missing You.Image via Netflix
Missing You's gripping narrative plunges Eleazar's Kat into a spiral of mystery as she uncovers the truth about both her former fiancé, Josh Buchanan (Ashley Walters) and her father, Clint Donovan (Lenny Henry), and how their mysteries are actually interwoven. When Kat learns that Josh, who disappeared 11 years earlier without a trace, is connected to a string of missing person cases, she learns that he was also involved with her father's death. After years of believing one version of the truth, everything comes to a head through a flurry of revelations, in which Kat ultimately discovers a multi-level cover-up that explains what happened to her father and why her lover became involved.
Eleazar’s performance, which allows her to step into a leading role rather than supporting an ensemble like in Slow Horses, is one of her best. Her character, Kat, has buried her past and is satisfied to move on, only for her trauma to resurface at the most inconvenient time, forcing her to face it head-on. Eleazar's gripping turn is also supported by several strong players in the cast, including Walters and Mary Malone as Aqua, as well as Coben mainstays James Nesbitt as Calligan and Richard Armitage as Detective Chief Inspector Ellis Stagger, who lift the material into a bingeworthy watch. With a major ensemble helping to bring Coben's story to life, the show's five episodes make for a quick binge that isn't lacking in thrills.
Why 'Missing You' Went Overlooked Compared to Other Harlan Coben Projects
Harlan Coben's streaming adaptations haven't solely been confined to Netflix — he's also released shows like Shelter and Lazarus on Prime Video — but the streamer even has a page devoted to their Harlan Coben Collection. From intense mysteries involving strange disappearances to characters with increasingly dark secrets, this eclectic catalogue of crime thrillers has been a constant success on the streamer. Each miniseries provides a similar emotional thrill that can be consumed in a single sitting. But as high as Missing You's streaming hours were, the show didn't quite garner the same excitement as 2024’s Fool Me Once.
Another series that reached blockbuster streaming ratings, Fool Me Once follows a former special ops pilot named Maya Stern (Michelle Keegan) who, after her husband Joe (Armitage) is murdered, sees him on a nanny cam playing with their daughter. She then uncovers a large conspiracy that links her husband's death to the murder of her sister, Claire (Natalie Anderson), to Joe's powerful, wealthy family and their pharmaceutical company, Burkett Global. Perhaps Fool Me Once's release a mere year prior to Missing You is the reason why it was favored, but you also can't overlook the similarities between stories. Both feature familiar deaths, missing partners, and cover-ups that destroy a character's perception of trust and truth. But if you've binged the Coben collection like I have, this formulaic approach serves as a comfort watch for viewers — and Netflix's multi-year deal with the author ensures that they'll continue to dish out these shows.
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Lenny Henry as Clint hugging Rosalind Eleazar as Kat in 'Missing You'Image via Netflix
Coben's collaboration with Netflix is likely to continue into the New Year and beyond. With 2026 just around the corner, there are two new Coben miniseries for fans look forward to. First, following in the footsteps of Missing You and Fool Me Once will be Run Away, starring Ruth Jones and Minnie Driver, which drops on New Year's Day and follows a man whose perfect life starts to crumble when his daughter Paige (Ellie de Lange) runs away. Then, later that year, Netflix will premiere I Will Find You, starring Sam Worthington and Britt Lower, about a man who is serving a life sentence for murder before he learns his victim might actually be alive.
Coben is a prolific bestselling author whose work has become ripe for adaptation, and the viewing data only supports why his stories have remained so addictive. As we close out 2025, we can't forget Missing You among the author's other streaming offerings. If you didn't have a chance to check it out at the beginning of the year, there's no better time than now to watch — especially since the odds that Run Away will earn a similar top spot for Netflix in 2026 are high.
Missing You is available to stream on Netflix.
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Like TV-MA Crime Drama Release Date 2025 - 2025-00-00 Network Netflix Directors Sean Spencer Writers Victoria Asare=ArcherCast
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