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Did you spend the entirety of your weekend bingeing Netflix’s latest gripping thriller series, Pieces Of Her? Well, I certainly did – thanks to the eternally wet weather and a post-Mardi Gras recovery couch session, I managed to make it through all seven episodes of the Toni Colette-helmed tv show, with that plot twist ending seeing me up until 1am.
Pieces Of Her was, interestingly, actually filmed in Australia – you might recognise some of the scenery if you’re a Sydney local, like the Circular Quay thoroughfare which doubled as San Francisco, or the harbour coastline which became Belle Isle, a real location in Georgia, United States.
What Is ‘Pieces Of Her’ About?
The Netflix series starts strong – within twenty minutes of the first episode, the sleepy town of Belle Isle is rocked by a shooting tragedy in their local diner. Present at the time is Laura Oliver (Colette) and her daughter, Andy (Bella Heathcote). Andy works in a 911 call centre, so she’s wearing a police uniform but is not actually a trained cop. The shooter targets her, but before he pulls the trigger, Andy knocks the gun from his hand. He pulls a knife, and Laura manages to stop a fatal strike with her hand. The knife goes right through her palm, and within seconds she strikes his through with the blade side, killing him.
This incredible feat of courage gets the attention of local detectives, who suspect Laura isn’t all she seems. At the same time, Laura urges Andy to flee Belle Isle for Maine, with little to no information as to why. From there, the action ramps up – who is Laura Oliver? Why was she so quick-thinking in such a high-stakes situation? What is her past?
All these questions are answered as Pieces Of Her slowly unravels the history of Laura and Andy Oliver.
What Happens At The End Of ‘Pieces Of Her’?
Okay, let’s unpack that ending. Obvious warning that content beyond this point will contain spoilers, by the way.
So, we find out towards the end of the series that Laura Oliver is actually Jane Queller, only daughter of pharmaceutical kingpin Martin Queller. Nick Harp, leader of anarchist group Army Of The Changing World and current fugitive was also Jane’s first love – and Andy’s father. He’s the reason Jane changed her name – she turned herself in to the police in exchange for a plea deal after Nick hatched a plan to murder Martin live on stage at a global summit. Jane promised to testify against Nick, ensuring he would spend his life behind bars for the crime. The problem? The cops never caught Nick, so Jane had to go into witness protection with Andy, as Laura Oliver.
There is another complication that needs mentioning – we found out that Laura/Jane’s older brother Jasper actually orchestrated the summit stunt with Nick, offering access in exchange for taking over the company as CEO. Nick swears he didn’t plan for Martin to be murdered. Because there is tape evidence of this conversation, we spend the series wondering if it’s Nick trying to kill Laura, or Jasper. Both have motive.
All of this is fairly resolved halfway through the final episode of Pieces Of Her, when Laura/Jane traps Nick and hands him over to the FBI. She then tells Jasper the tape was destroyed, and every loose end seems tied up. Andy, previously an artist, goes back to illustration while Laura/Jane, previously a genius pianist, starts to play piano again.
The twist lands towards the end of the final episode – Andy is illustrating a photo of Jane, Jasper and their other sibling Andrew. She realises that she recognises the handbag Jane is carrying – it’s the same bag that Grace Juno, the woman who murders Martin Queller, is carrying on stage. We then see a flashback of young Jane speaking with Grace, telling her that her father knew she was pregnant and had tried to abort the baby via poisoning. She’s concerned he will stop at nothing to take the child from her, and plays on Grace’s own loss (her late husband, under the influence of drugs created by Quellcorp, murdered their children).
They swap bags, with Jane’s, we see, containing a gun. We now know that it was Jane Queller who murdered her father, Martin Queller, via Grace Juno. Nick, it seems, had no idea the murder was going to take place – his original stunt wouldn’t see anyone die. Jasper also is cleared of the crime.
The series ends with the assumption that Jane/Laura will get away with the murder, while Nick pays for the crime.
Where Have We Seen The ‘Pieces Of Her’ Actors Before?
If you’re Australian, you might have seen some very recognisable faces among the Pieces Of Her cast. Obviously, Toni Colette is a global name, having led stellar casts in films like Hereditary and recently, fellow Netflix series Unbelievable. Bella Heathcote, who plays Andy, is an Australian actress known for roles in Fifty Shades Darker and Neon Demon.
Beyond the leads, some notable Australian talent includes Catherine McClements, who plays Grace Juno. You may have seen her in Secret Life Of Us or Water Rats. McLeod’s Daughters star Aaron Jeffery is almost unrecognisable as the adult Nick Harp, and Lord Of The Rings alum David Wenham plays adult Jasper Queller.
There are also a lot of famous British actors you may have recognised. Young Nick Harp is played by Skins favourite Joe Dempsie, while young Jane is Jessica Barden, best known for her role as Alyssa in The End Of The F***ing World. American actor and star of Lost Terry O’Quinn plays Martin Queller, and any Twilight fan would have recognised Gil Birmingham, who played Billy Black in the vampire trilogy and stars as Charlie in Pieces Of Her.
Is ‘Pieces Of Her’ Based On A True Story?
You’d be forgiven for thinking Pieces Of Her is based on a true story – many thrillers these days are. However, this is one Netflix show that’s not based on a true crime. It is instead based on a popular book by Karin Slaughter, a well-loved crime fiction writer. Released in 2018, it reached number 2 on the New York Times Bestseller list, which is pretty impressive.
Our next recommendation? Read Slaughter’s novel Pretty Girls, which has strong reviews on Goodreads, if you want more crime fiction in a similar vein to Pieces Of Her.
