Based on the 2018 novel of the same name, Pieces Of Her is the latest Netflix thriller series propelled by a top-tier cast and compelling mystery.
The eight-episode series follows Andy Oliver (Bella Heathcote) as she tries to unravel the past of her mother Laura (Toni Collette), who is thrown into the public eye after violently eliminating a threat during a deadly mass shooting at a local diner.
At the outset, Laura is a speech therapist and breast cancer survivor, but as Andy discovers in the finale, her mother is hiding a whole other life.
Who is Laura?
Laura Oliver is actually Jane Queller, the daughter of a pharmaceutical mogul Martin Queller who has been in witness protection with Andy for over 30 years.
Laura/Jane’s father was shot dead onstage at the 1988 International Economic Forum in Oslo, Norway, following an attack by extremist group Army For The Changing World, led by Nick Harly (young version played by Joe Dempsie) aka Andy’s father.
After giving evidence against Nick, Laura/Jane was placed into witness protection and given a new identity (aka Laura Oliver) before her daughter was born.
Laura/Jane, however, is fearful of Nick tracking her down because he knows her secret – that she secretly helped to orchestrate the attack against her father, along with her brother Andy, with the Army For The Changing World.
For the attack, the group kidnapped Alexandra Maplecroft, who was set to debate her father Martin at the Oslo conference. They replaced her with Grace Juno on the panel, who was supposed to throw a pack of red dye at him in a symbolic stunt against the corporation.
Grace, however, pulls out a gun and shoots Martin dead instead before killing herself. It was assumed Nick had switched tactics and given Grace the gun, but it wasn’t him.
The real motive for Martin’s death lied with Jane Queller (played by Jessica Barden in her younger version), who plotted to have him murdered after he disapproved of her pregnancy with Nick Harp. He even tried to spike her drink in a bid to have her miscarry, but it failed.
Jane approached Grace before the attack, explained her predicament, before offering the gun to place in her handbag. Juno agreed and carried out the attack. The only person who knew Jane had coordinated the attack was Nick.
Following the attack, Maplecroft tries to escape and stabs Nick in the hand, who then uses the blade to slice her throat. Jane’s brother Andy is later killed from a gunshot wound by police while they’re running away from the conference.
After Nick is arrested at Clara and Eli’s farmhouse, Jane asks her brother Jasper, who is now running for Vice President, if Nick informed police that Jane gave Grace the gun in Oslo. After saying he had, Jasper remarks: “I’ve never understood you, Jane, but we’re family. I can keep him quiet.”
He rounds off by saying he’ll “be in touch” in regards to a future favour to keep Nick’s revelation quiet, leaving the door open for a possible season two.
Pieces Of Her is available to stream on Netflix.
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