Why Missing You's Rotten Tomatoes Score Is So Much Lower Than Fool Me Once's

The Rotten Tomatoes score of Netflix's new TV show Missing You is significantly lower than Fool Me Once. Missing You and Fool Me Once are adaptations of Harlan Coben's books. Netflix adapted both novels.Missing You revolves around Detective Inspector Kat Donovan, who discovers her missing fiancé on a dating site over ten years after he disappeared. Despite the excitement leading up to the premiere, including first-look images of Harlan Coben's adaptation of Missing You, the show has a 44% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, Fool Me Once garnered 71% on Rotten Tomatoes—almost a 30% difference.

Despite the low ratings, Missing You has a talented cast of characters, from Rosalind Eleazar to Jessica Plummer to Ashley Walters. Missing You's ending also contains many explosive twists. While Missing You may not be the best of Netflix's Harlan Coben TV shows, the difference between Missing You and Fool Me Once is still staggering. It begs several questions, including where Missing You went wrong and how Netflix can improve their renditions of Harlan Coben's books, especially since there will be more adaptations in the future.

What Critics Are Saying About Missing You In Reviews

Most of Missing You's Reviews Have Average Ratings

Missing You was only released on Netflix on January 1, 2025, so the reviews are still pouring in. However, the ratings thus far are not the greatest, especially compared to previous Harlan Coben adaptations. The Independentgives the show only two stars, claiming "[the delivery of the thrills in Missing You] is too stupid and too manipulative to be encouraged." London Evening Standardgives Missing You a generous three stars, insisting that while the show is fun, there is nothing particularly exciting or unique about this adaptation.

However, there are still some positive reviews for Missing You. Colliderprovides a score of 80, asserting that the show should be "your first binge of the year." Decider says Missing You is worth streaming. Varietygives the show an impressive glowing review. Regardless, a few positive reviews do not negate the fact that the majority of critics seem to think that Missing You is underwhelming and not special despite the shocking plot twists. It is clear that Netflix will likely have to shake things up for future Harlan Coben adaptations.

Why Missing You's Reviews Are So Much Worse Than Fool Me Once's

Missing You Does Not Stand Out On Its Own

On the other hand, the reviews of Netflix's Fool Me Once are notably higher. However, they are quite similar to the few positive reviews of Missing You. Surprisingly, the London Evening Standard's review of Fool Me Once echoes some of the positive things said about Missing You. The newspaper gives Fool Me Once four stars, stating that the show "pushes all the usual buttons to great effect." The Telegraphalso delegates the show four stars, saying that the plot "moves like a slinky on steroids," making it an excellent thriller to watch post-Christmas.

Missing You received largely average or negative reviews on the same aspects that Fool Me Once was acclaimed for. That means Netflix uses the same recipe for each Harlan Coben novel adaptation. While it worked in earlier adaptations, critics seemed to have tired of the routine with Missing You. The audience scores are lower than the critics' for Netflix's adaptations of Coben's books, but it is due to readers being dissatisfied with significant changes. Fool Me Once's audience scores are significantly lower because of the big changes Netflix made to Harlan Coben's book.

What Missing You's Rotten Tomatoes Score Means For Netflix's Harlan Coben Shows

Netflix Must Reinvent The Wheel

The next Netflix adaptation of a Harlan Coben book is Caught, coming out sometime later in 2025. There is also another adaptation in the works for Coben's book Run Away. However, each new Netflix adaptation of Harlan Coben's books seems to resonate less and less with critics and audiences. Furthermore, the pressure is significantly higher for the next two Coben TV shows because of Missing You's average and negative reviews. Therefore, if Netflix wants to continue successful adaptations of Coben's works, the streaming service must use different tactics when creating the shows.

To be fair, creating a TV show based on existing source material leaves little room for the imagination. However, it would certainly help if Netflix followed Harlan Coben's books more closely and produced faithful adaptations. It also helps to look for negative reviews of Coben's books. If there is a consensus on an aspect that could have been improved, then Netflix should capitalize on the opportunity to ensure that change happens in their adaptation. Otherwise, there is little Netflix can do to improve critics' reviews of their Harlan Coben TV shows. Missing Youis the turning point for Netflix's adaptations of Coben's books.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes, Rotten Tomatoes, The Independent, London Evening Standard, Collider, Decider, Variety, London Evening Standard, The Telegraph