Vanished is a four episode mystery drama created by David Hilton and Preston Thompson, starring Kaley Cuoco, Sam Claflin, Matthias Schweighöfer, and Karin Viard. The story begins with what is meant to be a romantic trip to Paris, but it quickly turns into something else when Alice’s boyfriend suddenly disappears. Alice is not a detective or a spy. She has a regular job and an ordinary life, which makes everything that follows feel even more overwhelming. As she starts searching for answers, she discovers dark secrets about the man she has been living with and slowly realizes that her reality may not be what she thought it was.
Kaley Cuoco once again plays a woman pulled into danger, a role she seems comfortable with now. The series tries to mix tension with light humor, though the jokes are few and often lean on familiar stereotypes. While the show moves at a quick pace across its four 45 minute episodes, the mystery itself can feel predictable, and some twists may not fully surprise you.
In this article, I will break down the thriller miniseries. Please note there are major spoilers throughout, so it is best to watch Vanished before if you want to avoid any surprises.
All four episodes of “Vanished” are now streaming on MGM+.
Vanished (TV Mini Series 2026) Episode 1 ‘Rosefinch’ Recap:
What happened to Tom?
Episode 1 of Vanished begins in Marseille, France, with a biker arriving at a hotel to deliver a package. Inside, Alice is washing blood from her hands when he knocks. Instead of answering, she blocks the door with a chair and escapes through the window. The biker chases her. Alice is limping, her cries for help ignored, and he quickly catches up, pulling out a knife.
The story then moves back a week earlier when Alice travels from Albania to France to meet her boyfriend, Tom. Alice works as an archaeologist and travels often for her job. She reunites with Tom at a hotel, and later notices a new bird tattoo on him, which he says reminds him of her. She tells him about her dream job offer at Princeton and asks him to move with her. He hesitates but agrees.
The next morning, she sees Tom speaking to his uncle Brian and finds a diary entry about a jewellery shop known for engagement rings. Tom later surprises her with a hotel booking in Arles arranged by Brian. On the train, Tom steps away after receiving a call and never returns. Alice searches everywhere as they near Avignon, but no one has seen him. She receives a silent call from Tom and hears water and a car door.
In Marseille, Inspector Drax refuses to act immediately. Alice returns to the train stop, finds Tom’s gum wrapper and skid marks near a bridge, and discovers blood near a guarded house. Drax dismisses her suspicions. With help from Helene, a journalist, Alice investigates further and learns that a call linked to Brian connects to SOS Global. She then finds a photo of Tom with a volunteer who has the same bird tattoo.
Vanished (TV Mini Series 2026) Episode 2 ‘Limerence’ Recap:
Who murdered Maurice?
The episode begins with a memory of Alice finding a piece of pottery on a beach and offering it to Tom. He tells her to keep it as a reminder of him. In the present, Alice visits the SOS Global office in Marseille and speaks with Alex, who is surprised to learn that Tom is missing. When she asks about Tom’s last call, Alex says Tom was on holiday and did not need to report in. He tells her about an incident in Jordan nine months earlier. Tom had grown close to a boy named Malik in a refugee camp and promised to support his family if Malik returned to school. Weeks later, bandits raided the camp and killed Malik’s family. Tom took it hard, and the organization considered pulling him from the field because he kept disappearing.
Back at her hotel, Alice finds a note with the name Aurelie and asks Helene for help. Helene already knows Aurelie is a boat and has a photo of Tom speaking to a woman on it. She takes Alice to the port, where they break in and find Tom’s coats. Alice believes Tom was having an affair. Alice later tracks down Maurice, the train conductor, by lying at a bar to get his address. At his apartment, she finds him murdered. A witness accuses her, and she flees, narrowly escaping a group of men who harass her.
She calls Alex, who secretly orders the killer stalking her to eliminate her. The biker arrives at her hotel, but Helene runs him over before he can stab Alice. Helene later reveals she believes Tom runs a human trafficking network. News reports then show Alice is wanted for Maurice’s murder, with Inspector Drax leading the case.
Vanished (TV Mini Series 2026) Episode 3 ‘The Fatted Calf’ Recap:
Where does Helene lead Alice, and what do they discover about Tom?
Another memory from Jordan reveal Alice recalls visiting Tom at the refugee camp and walking in on a tense exchange between him and Mira. Tom dismisses it as work, while Mira curtly greets Alice and reminds Tom that they still need to finalize matters concerning a refugee.
In the present, Alice remains hidden at Helene’s apartment. She studies Helene’s evidence board and searches her name online, discovering that Helene was once fired for publishing a fabricated story. Helene later explains that SOS Global had contracts with a company called Kalco, which she discovered was a ghost company. Alice remembers taking a photo with Tom at Kalco’s headquarters in Jordan and shows it to her. When Helene questions Tom’s role, Alice accuses her of pushing a conspiracy.
They spend the day following Alex. They see him visit the port and suspect that the receipt Alice found may relate to a shipping container. They also witness Alex meeting Inspector Drax, raising doubts about their connection. Matters worsen when they see Alex meet Tom. Alice insists on following Tom’s taxi and eventually confronts him before he attends an event with Mira. Their interaction suggests intimacy, and Alice believes he has been unfaithful. When she mentions Malik, Tom claims not to recognize the name. He tells her to leave and walks inside with Mira.
Police officers notice the confrontation and pursue Alice, but she manages to escape. After arguing with Helene, Alice tries to walk away, then returns. Helene shares her own past betrayal and urges Alice to stay focused. To show the reality of trafficking, she takes Alice to an underground brothel, where a trafficked woman reacts strongly to Tom’s photo. Determined, they locate a container tied to Tom. That night, they break it open and find women and children locked inside.
Vanished (TV Mini Series 2026) Episode 4 ‘Run, Alice, Run’ Recap:
The finale episode of Vanished begins with Alice and Helene opening the container at the port and discovering women and children locked inside. Before they can react, Said and several men arrive. They notice the broken padlock and hear movement as Alice and Helene attempt to flee. The two women try to escape by climbing over containers, but they trip and lose consciousness.As Alice drifts in and out, she recalls moments from her relationship with Tom, remembering the happiness they once shared before everything fell apart.
Vanished (TV Mini Series 2026) Ending Explained:
What truth does Alice learn about Tom?
Alice and Helene wake up to find Tom, Mira, and Alex debating what to do with them. Alex believes Alice is lying about her reasons for searching for Tom and suspects she is working for someone else. Tom persuades them that killing Alice would be a mistake. Helene lashes out at Alex and is knocked unconscious. When a truck arrives to collect the victims, Alex tells Tom to deal with Alice and Helene.
Tom secretly frees Alice and instructs her to injure Said with a needle when he approaches. He reveals there is another exit and urges her to run. Alice follows his plan, blinds Said, takes the keys, and escapes. She sees the victims being sorted and notices a truck before reaching a bar and calling the police.
Inspector Drax responds. Although the port is cleared out by the time they return, Alice gives him the company name from the truck. They track it to a soap company. Ignoring orders to stay in the car, Alice finds Helene tied up but is captured again. Alex orders her killed, but Tom shoots Said and reveals he is working undercover for Interpol. A confrontation follows. Mira is killed, Alex is captured, and Tom explains everything to Alice. The next morning, Alice leaves him a note and departs alone.
