Harlan Coben says answer to Fool Me Once character 'plot hole' is 'so obvious'

Warning: Spoilers for Fool Me Once ahead

Fool Me Once creator Harlan Coben has addressed a supposed 'plot hole' in the series, which seemed 'obvious' to him.

The Netflix show Fool Me Once has quickly become one of the platform's most watched and talked about series in 2024.

The crime thriller follows wife and ex-military soldier Maya Stern (Michelle Keegan), who is trying to deal with the murder of her husband Joe Burkett (Richard Armitage).

Following his funeral, Maya sees her husband while watching nanny cam footage from her daughter Lily's room.

Seeing him play with Lily drives Maya into a spiral, as Netflix say that main character Maya 'uncovers a deadly conspiracy that stretches deep into the past'.

Harlan Coben has given an 'obvious' explanation to what a lot of Netflix viewers thought was a 'plot hole'.

Here comes the spoiler: At the end of the series, we find out that Maya was the one behind Joe's death, after she uncovered that he had murdered her sister, and was preparing to murder her as well.

Although following the eight episodes of the limited series, viewers were left confused by one specific plot hole.

People were left wondering why Maya's friend Shane, also a military officer, continued to put trackers on her car throughout the series.

Well, wonder no more, as Harlan Coben has revealed all.

In an interview with LADbible, Coben was asked: "Did you expect so many fans to be asking why Shane kept putting trackers on Maya’s car?"

The crime author replied: "Not really, because I think in the end Shane’s behaviour is so obvious.

"Imagine your best friend, who trusts you with a house key, has PTSD, is taking medication, has been forced out of the military due to a scandal, had two close family murdered, is acting sketchy, is lying to you – and just told you that she saw her dead husband still alive," Coben explained.

Netflix

Coben continued to say: "A good friend, especially one with Shane’s background, would do whatever he could to keep an eye (track) that friend and make sure she’s OK, especially when she’s always watching a little girl. The vast majority of people got that, I think.

"I often find that people think they find plot holes when in truth they just haven’t considered every possibility. But that’s part of the fun, so have it."

So that explains it then. Shane was just trying to keep an eye out on his good friend, making sure that she didn't put herself in any unnecessary danger.

Although, for many people, putting trackers on your friend's vehicle is not the best way to show you care.