Aisha Tyler Teases New Thriller 'The Last Thing He Told Me' and Why She Loves the Genre (Exclusive)

The new series is based on Laura Dave's book of the same name, about a woman whose life is turned upside down after the mysterious disappearance of her husband. Jennifer Garner stars as the wife searching for answers, aided by Tyler's Jules -- her best friend and reporter -- and stepdaughter Bailey (Angourie Rice).

The show is just the latest foray into thriller territory for Tyler, who -- despite her background as a comedian -- has been drawn to darker projects throughout her career. In addition to her long-running gig on "Criminal Minds: Evolution," she's also recently appeared on "Fear the Walking Dead," and not only directed four episodes across the "Walking Dead" universe, but also episodes of "Evil" and "Roswell, New Mexico."

"I think as an actor, more so as an audience member, I love a puzzle. I love a show that unfolds and doesn’t underestimate the intelligence of the audience and really gives you something to work on as a viewer," Tyler told TooFab when asked what draws her to thrillers like her latest show.

"I really hate when things get tied off perfectly, and what's great about this show is it's a mystery and it's unfolding for the characters on the show at the same time as it's unfolding for the audience," she continued. "You really get to lean in and ask yourself all the tough and interesting questions, including, 'What would I do if I was in the same situation?' It's a really fantastic, beautifully woven mystery that we all get to engage in on picking as an audience and it's a blast to watch."

Tyler said she "was one of the only people" who didn't read the book -- which spent more than a year on the The New York Times Best Seller list -- before reading the script. But once she signed on, she immediately "loved immersing myself in the mystery of the show" and was "reveling in the mystery of it."

"I think it's beautifully, beautifully built. Obviously, Laura Dave wrote the novel and she's the writer on the show and so there was this nice simpatico, with her being able to expand the world she created in the book," Tyler continued. "A lot of the characters are more robust and we spend more time with them on the show than we did in the novel."

Tyler explained that the world of "The Last Thing He Told Me" is totally different, with a "different feel and different tone" from what she was used to on "Criminal Minds" -- saying it was a "nice" and "refreshing" change of pace for her.

Also different: the episode count. While "Criminal Minds" had 20+ episodes a season, before going down to 10 with "Evolution" on Paramount+, her new show consists of just seven episodes.

"Fewer episodes, much more concentrated. Kind of a faster sprint to the finish. But, unlike the book, there might be some second life for these characters after this," she said, teasing a potential second season. "We're really excited to hear, if and when that happens, what springs from the mind of Laura Dave because she knows this world, she created it. To me, it's very rich and there are a lot of places it could go."

For the series, Tyler had to form a bond with Garner ... or at least convince viewers they had one on screen. That, she explained, couldn't have been easier.

"Magically, Jen is just such a delight to be around that it didn't take a lot to get to start pretending to be her best friend," she shared. "I think the very first thing we did together was we had to take these best friend photos that look like we'd known each other for years and we had our arms around each other within minutes of meeting each other. It was a beautiful short hand and a friendly intimacy right off the bat."

Of the "Alias" alum she added, "She's such a lovely person to be around. It was very very easy to fall into that role."

Looking ahead, Tyler can't wait for more time directing projects like this one, calling her time calling the shots "a delight."

"Twelve year-old me never thought I'd be a director, so I am one of those people that's always really jazzed to jump behind the camera," she explained. "Getting to direct some television series that I honestly was a fan of before I got a job directing, including directing in 'The Walking Dead,' the universe was just freaking awesome."

"I love the genre," she concluded. "I love apocalyptic fiction. It has been a blast and I'm definitely gearing up to do more."

"The Last Thing He Told Me" premieres with two episodes on Friday, April 14, followed by one new episode weekly through May 19 on Apple TV+.