Surviving the gunfight would be traumatic enough, but for Andy Oliver, this is just the beginning of a harrowing journey that will soon turn her life upside down.
Based on Karin Slaughter’s 2018 novel of the same name, Parts of Her (all eight episodes available now on Netflix) tells the story of Andy Oliver (The Man in the High Castle, Bella Heathcote), a police dispatcher in little Georgia. city, and her mom, Laura (Tony Collette of Unbelievable), is a speech therapist at a veterans’ rehab center. Andy is stuck in her dead-end job and when her father disappeared from view, she sacrificed her life to move home after her mom got sick.
The mother-daughter duo stopped by the diner to celebrate Andy’s 30th birthday and discuss her future, but another couple of women stop by their table for a quick hello, Andy apologizes. Moments later, an alarmed man rises from his seat, shooting and killing the patrons at Laura’s table. Laura rushes to Andy and throws her to the ground as another visitor is killed trying to call for help.
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The shooter notices the “pig” on the floor (Andy, who is still in work uniform), but Laura gets up and diverts his attention. He tries to shoot again, but Laura knocks his hand away, causing the shot to miss. From under the bullets, he pulls a large blade and pierces her arm (disgusting!), and after a few shocked seconds, she slits the man’s throat with a knife that still pierces her arm. As they wait for the authorities, Laura mutters to Andy not to talk to the police and oddly asks if it’s snowing.
Laura’s ex-husband Gordon (Omari Hardwick of Power) arrives at the hospital. While Laura is waiting for the surgeon, she receives a call from a man named Charlie. The officers ask Andy if Laura has ever served in the military. Andy shakes his head. Laura refuses to talk to the cops, and as they are about to go home, the throat-slitting video is all over the news and quickly goes viral.
Laura refuses Andy’s help, telling her daughter that she needs to start her own life and move. Laura is clearly pushing her away, but why?
Meanwhile in San Francisco, an elderly gentleman sees Laura’s face on TV. He makes a phone call. “We have a problem,” he says to someone mysterious. “That’s her.”
Although it was planned that Andy would spend the night at Gordon’s, she writes to him and refuses. She dresses and heads to the garage. She leans down to reach for the dropped phone, and immediately notices a man in a hoodie staring out the window above her. She slowly returns to the house and hears her mother talking to a man. Laura is tied to a chair, a man strangles her with plastic. Andy texts 911 from her mom’s phone, then grabs a paper towel holder and hits the guy in the head. She reaches for the man’s gun, but he overpowers her. As Laura is released from her restraints, Andy delivers another hard blow to the man’s head, which ends up knocking him out.
Laura seems disappointed when she learns that Andy has contacted the cops. She orders her daughter to rummage through the man’s pockets, take his things and get into his car. She gives her specific instructions to go to the warehouse, switch cars, and drive to a motel in Maine. Mom promises to call her as soon as it’s safe. Although she is almost in shock, Andy does as she is told. As the cops rush past her, she sets off crying and confused.
What deep, dark secrets is Laura hiding? Rate the premiere below, then share your thoughts in the comments.