Harlan Coben addresses Shane Tessier confusion in Fool Me Once

Viewers are all asking the same question about Maya's friend

Author: Alex RossPublished 12th Jan 2024

Following its release on New Year's Day, Harlan Coben's latest Netflix series Fool Me Once, starring Michelle Keegan and Richard Armitage, has taken the world by storm, with the eight-part thriller hitting the Top 10 spot in over 90 countries!

Whilst most people have now binged the full series and know exactly what happened following the ample twists and turns throughout, it appears viewers have all been left with one question....

⚠️WARNING: The below contains some Fool Me Once spoilers⚠️

As viewers will know, actor Emmett J. Scanlan plays the role of Maya Stern's (Michelle Keegan) best friend Shane Tessier from her time in the military, and whilst the first few episodes show Shane being the doting friend, things quickly take a turn.

Throughout the series, Shane plants a number of trackers on Maya's car, and is also seen standing suspiciously outside of her home in one thrilling scene.

After Shane's suspicious behaviour didn't materialise into anything sinister or crucial to the plot, viewers were all left asking the same question.

One fan of the series wrote on Reddit: "What was Shane’s character for? I get that he was her friend from the military but was it him that was stalking her at her house and tracking her car etc?

"Was he obsessed with her? In love with her? He was under developed and I was convinced he was dodgy as soon as he came on the screen but he turned out to be a nice guy and a loyal friend to Maya."

After seeing the comments, show creator Harlan Coben, who released the novel of the same name back in 2016, has now responded.

He wrote on X: 'Spoiler. You’re military police. Your best friend suffers PTSD. She is taking medication, lying to you, lost two close family members to murders, has you test a bullet — and says she’s seeing her dead husband. You might want to (track) keep an eye on her and her little girl…

Actor Emmett J. Scanlan, who plays the role of Shane, also got in on the conversation, saying: 'Spoiler. The guy who plays that guy is starring in a future Coben masterpiece. This is so top secret even Harlan doesn’t know about it. So please, keep it to yourself.'

Check out which other Harlan Coben series you need to watch on Netflix:

The Stranger

Release date: 2020
Series: 1


Cast: Richard Armitage, Siobhan Finneran and Jennifer Saunders.


Synopsis: When a stranger makes a shocking claim about his wife, family man Adam Price becomes entangled in a mystery as he desperately searches for answers.

Safe

Release date: 2018
Series: 1


Cast: Michael C. Hall, Amanda Abbington and Marc Warren.


Synopsis: After his teenage daughter goes missing, a widowed surgeon in an affluent neighbourhood begins unearthing dark secrets about the people closest to him.

Stay Close

Release date: 2021
Series: 1


Cast: Cush Jumbo, James Nesbitt and Richard Armitage.


Synopsis: When Carlton Flynn vanishes 17 years to the night after Stewart Green did, it sets off a chain reaction in the lives of people connected to both men.

Gone For Good

Release date: 2021
Series: 1


Cast: Finnegan Oldfield, Nicolas Duvauchelle and Guillaume Gouix.


Synopsis: Ten years after losing two loved ones, a man is plunged into another dizzying mystery when his girlfriend vanishes.

The Innocent

Release date: 2021
Series: 1


Cast: Mario Casas, Alexandra Jiménez and Aura Garrido.


Synopsis: An accidental killing leads a man down a dark hole of intrigue and murder. Just as he finds love and freedom, one phone call brings back the nightmare.

The Woods

Release date: 2020
Series: 1


Cast: Grzegorz Damięcki, Agnieszka Grochowska and Hubert Miłkowski.


Synopsis: Evidence found on the body of a homicide victim sparks hope in a prosecutor that his sister who disappeared 25 years earlier could still be alive.

Fool Me Once

Release date: 1st January 2024
Series: 1


Cast: Michelle Keegan, Adeel Akhtar, Richard Armitage, Joanna Lumley and Emmett J. Scanlan


Synopsis: The series follows Maya Stern who is trying to come to terms with the brutal murder of her husband.

Since it's release on New Year's Day, Fool Me Once, which also stars the likes of Joanna Lumley, Adeel Akhtar, Dino Fetscher and Marcus Garvey, has become a major hit not only in the UK, but around the world.

As well as being the most watched show on Netflix in the UK, the drama has hit the Top 10 in 91 other countries.

Thanking fans for their overwhelming support, Michelle Keegan said: 'What a week!! 🙌🏽🤯 Thank you to everyone who’s watched Fool Me Once'. (sic)

Fool Me Once is available now on Netflix.

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