The hit Netflix series Pieces of Her, based on the Karin Slaughter novel by the same name, is continuously trending in the streaming service's top 10. This dramatic thriller stars Toni Collette (The Sixth Sense, Hereditary) as Laura Oliver and Bella Heathcote (The Man in the High Castle, In Time) as her daughter, Andy.
The story springs forward quickly when Laura and her daughter go out for lunch to celebrate Andy's birthday but are shocked by a shooting. Laura kills the shooter to protect her daughter, knowing that she's made a grave mistake. The incident appears on national news, so now Laura's secret life is no longer so secret. As the story progresses, there are numerous tense moments and surprises.
Laura Goes Into Shock
"I'm cold. Is it snowing?"
The shooting happens quickly and Laura seems in awe of her own reaction. Then the shock sets in, Laura stands there, letting the entire situation sink in. There is much more going on in her head than Andy can imagine. When her mom says that quote, memories flood back to her.
It appears as though Laura is rambling but she is realizing the truth -- that he is coming for her and others will become aware that she's been hiding. TV moms often get the best quotes, but Laura is a very secretive and reserved person. So when Laura tells Andy not to talk to the police, she's serious.
Detectives Doubt Laura's Story
"I would call it an unusual reaction -- there was a knife lodged in your hand."
The day after the incident, detectives stop by Laura's house to interview her. Laura seems a little too good at telling the story and lying about where Andy is. As she's explaining her side of the events, Laura notices a spot of blood on her rug and doesn't even flinch. It's obvious that there's much more to this woman than she's letting on.
Laura tells the detectives that she had to protect Andy and just reacted. This quote is one of the detectives pushing Laura a bit. There's something off about Laura and the detective can tell. However, when the detectives start to leave, Laura smoothly steps on the bloodstain to hide it.
A Mysterious Man Appears In Laura's Backyard
"My employer is happy to see you're alive and well."
After Laura and Gordon have taken care of the hitman who broke in the night before, Laura cleans the bloodstain from the rug and rearranges the furniture to cover it, just in case. Suddenly, a man in a suit appears in her backyard and Laura assumes he's a reporter. But the man says he's not and isn't there to hurt her.
The look on Laura's face is great here: is she ready to take care of this guy too? Does she recognize him? Is this man telling the truth? It's when he says this quote that Laura understands who he is and asks how everyone in San Francisco is. The brief dialogue that follows actually lays out the plot, but only the two of them understand. For now.
Marshall Mike Flirts With Andy
"You want me to get you a meeting with Jeff Bezos while I'm at it?"
When Laura realized how dangerous things were going to get, she sent Andy off to find a getaway car and drive to Maine. She tells her daughter little more than that, which sends poor Andy reeling. She has so many questions, especially after everything she finds in the getaway car.
So when Andy realizes she's being followed by a man she'd flirted with in a bar, she gets aggressive. A game of cat and mouse ensues, ending with Andy holding US Marshal Michael Vargas at gunpoint and demanding some answers. It's great to see Andy show she's got her mom's strength and wits. Finally, Andy's getting some answers -- that her whole life has been a lie.
Laura Fights With Charlie About Her Freedom
"You know my mother lived in a really beautiful place and all she wanted ... was out."
The relationship between Charlie and Laura is a wonderfully complete connection. Charlie feels like an old boyfriend or best friend but, in fact, has been Laura's handler in witness protection for decades. He was the second person to hold Andy after she was born. So when Laura demands to be released from the program, Charlie is hurt and angry.
Being in the program was to protect her and her daughter from Nick Harp but Laura doesn't feel like Charlie can do that anymore. Laura compares her mom stuck in a mansion and an unbearable life to what she's feeling, trapped in hiding. Charlie is a great character and goes to great lengths to protect them.
Laura Explains Her Past To Gordon
"Nice to meet you, Jane."
Gordon, Laura's ex-husband and the man Andy considers her real father, is pulled back into their lives when all of the trouble surfaces. He too is willing to go to great lengths for both women, but it's not as simple as doing them a favor. Eventually, he's forced to get rid of the hitman's body in order to protect them. It's obvious that he loves both of them very much.
So once Laura's past has caught up with her, she has no other option but to reach out to Gordon and help her with her will, in case Nick Harp does catch her and kill her. She tells Gordon much of the story about why she and Andy have been hiding this entire time. Gordon realizes why their relationship didn't work -- Laura kept too many secrets, including her real name and Gordon feels like he's meeting her for the first time.
Laura Threatens Her Brother
"I could ruin your political career with one phone call."
Now that Laura is out of witness protection, she's on a mission to sort out her life and save her daughter's, as well. It seems that Laura has always had a contentious relationship with her brother, Jasper. He knew that she was their father's favorite child and she understood that Jasper would take over their father's company.
But there's much more to the story and when Andy meets Jasper and discovers even more of the family's dark secrets, Laura is forced to confront Jasper. She goes to his office to find out where Andy is. Neither seems to be able or willing to reconcile at all. In fact, the real Laura/Jane show's her face and reminds him that she's still just as dangerous as she has been.
Nick Threatens Laura Before Hitting Her
"If you ever leave me, I would scorch the Earth to find you."
It's not surprising this thriller has been trending in Netflix's top 10 with all its twists and turns. This quote actually is heard toward the beginning of the series. Not until nearly the end is the real terrifying Nick Harp seen. When the actual moment rolls out as a flashback, Laura knows that she's pregnant with Andy but hasn't told Nick yet.
Nick is willing to let Laura's brother die to keep them in hiding. So when Laura decides to take her brother to the hospital, risking their getting caught, Nick threatens her and beats her for the first and last time, speaking this horrifying quote.
Andy Talks Her Mother Down
"Jane, you don't have to do this."
In the final conflict, Nick Harp confronts Laura in front of Andy up at the cabin in the woods where so much happened so many years earlier. Nick is just as terrifying and manipulative. So when Andy gets the chance she lights the place on fire.
Eventually, Laura finds Nick in the forest and pulls his own gun on him. She wants to kill him to protect Andy. And who could blame her? Suddenly, Andy appears and tries to tell her mom it's not worth it. Laura is so transfixed on Nick that she can't hear Andy until she uses her real name.
Andy Explains Her Childhood To Her Mom
"I always thought I'd done something wrong."
With their lives seemingly settling back to normal -- Nick in prison and Jasper at bay -- Mother and daughter finally get to process through what they've been through and how they feel. It's a lot of emotional lifting and honesty that's long overdue.
The most chilling moment comes when Andy its to her mom that way Laura behaved when Andy was little made her feel like she'd done something wrong is such a powerful statement. Most importantly, it is the beginning of the two truly starting to heal.