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With series like “Run Away,” “Fool Me Once” and “Missing You,” it’s clear Netflix has hit its stride when it comes to adapting prolific novelist Harlan Coben’s novels. “I Will Find You,” from Coben’s 2023 novel of the
same name, and adapted for television by Robert Hull, knocks it out of the park yet again. The eight-episode mystery thriller is a gripping and immersive tale about the depths of parental love, the anguish of loss and the lengths people will go to in order to get the lives they believe they are owed. Though the majority of Coben’s adaptations have been set in the U.K., “I Will Find You” opens at a penitentiary in Briggs, Maine. The audience is introduced to David Burroughs (an intense Sam Worthington), who is in the fifth year of a life sentence for murdering his 3-year-old son in cold blood. David has always maintained his innocence, but the evidence against him, including substantial DNA and an eyewitness, sealed his fate and earned him the label baby killer. Tortured by the loss of his son and the wreckage of his life, David has refused visitors since the beginning of his sentence. Instead, he spends his days in prison keeping his head down and going through the motions. Withdrawn and sullen, David is shocked back to life when his former sister-in-law, Rachel Mills (“Severance” Emmy-winner Britt Lower), unexpectedly pays him a visit. The pair initially makes awkward small talk, but when David asks about Cheryl (Erin Richards), his ex-wife, Rachel eventually reveals the reason for her visit. While perusing an old friend’s social media account, she was shocked to see a little boy in the background of one of the photos. The boy looks just like an older version of David’s son, Matthew (Ashton Cressman), had he lived. The boy even has the distinct birthmark the toddler had on his cheek. The revelation shocks both Rachel and David into action. However, before Rachel can truly start pooling her resources to investigate, David finds himself in the crosshairs of a rogue corrections officer, Ted Wesson (Christopher Redman). The man seems intent on silencing David forever. With his life in danger, and galvanized by this new piece of evidence, David breaks out of prison. (Harlan Coben’s narratives tend to lean toward the absurd.) Aided by Rachel, David begins digging through the past to figure out what happened to Matthew. Unfortunately, jailbreaks don’t really fly under the radar, and the duo find themselves being hunted by the FBI. Special Agents Sarah Greer (Logan Browning) and Max Williams (Chi McBride), along with the rest of the FBI’s Fugitive Task Force, are determined to bring them in. Yet, with help from Rachel’s former editor at the Boston Globe, Jim Doherty (Darrin Baker) and her ex-boyfriend, wealthy playboy Hayden Payne (Milo Ventimiglia), David and Rachel unravel a massive decade-long conspiracy that spans Revere, Massachusetts and Geneva, Switzerland. The things the duo discovers bring twists, turns and revelations no one could have anticipated. Like the rest of Coben’s most recent works, “I Will Find You” leads its audience down one path before sharply veering in a completely different direction. It’s a dizzying, captivating experience that forces viewers to focus on the obvious even as something far more intricate unfolds in the background. A highly bingeable show, bursting with ludicrous yet eye-opening moments, it reminds viewers once again why they can’t stop watching shows with Coben’s stamp. Though the series boasts a massive web of characters and circumstances, each one is there for a purpose. After all, when the wild and riveting puzzle pieces finally snap together in the final two episodes, the most perceptive viewer won’t be able to say they knew what was coming next. “I Will Find You” is a reminder that love and obsession are often two sides of the same coin. However, when they are merged, there is almost nothing anyone can do to stop those fixated on getting exactly what they want.
“I Will Find You” is now streaming on Netflix.
