‘The Missing’ has finally come to a gripping end, and writers Harry and Jack Williams successfully answered (almost) everything, but left one big question hanging.
Over the course of a creepy, moving and very satisfying final 60 minutes, we learned the fates of Alice Webster, Sophie Giroux and the people who had grieved for their absence. But we might just have to wait for Series 3 for something else.
So, what did we discover?
What was in the basement of Adam Gettrick’s house. Just as Series 1 found Tony Hughes (James Nesbitt) overcome when he found evidence that his son Oliver had been drawing on the wall of his captivity, so Sam and Gemma Webster (an outstanding David Morrissey and Keeley Hawes) were equally dumbfounded by the stars their daughter Alice had left behind on the ceiling of her suburban dungeon.
Open Image Modal
Sophie was lulled into the plan of deception by a forceful Gettrick
BBC
Alice and Sophie formed an intense bond, despite his favouritism for the latter, until Sophie was convinced into Gettrick’s evil plan of impersonating Alice, through her fear of losing Lucy.
That Gettrick was forced into the plan by Sophie’s sickness, hence Sophie’s reappearance as ‘Alice’ and her hospital treatment.
That Gettrick blackmailed a pathetic Brigadier Stone into helping him with Sophie’s reappearance, hence Sophie’s remark “How can you live with yourself?” that confused us all those episodes ago.
That, before Gettrick killed him, Henry Reed had tried to help her, hence the flowers on his grave.
Yes, you all guessed right. It was Lena Garber in the shed, and Brigadier Stone covered up the DNA.
Stone’s dementia was seemingly genuine, but it didn’t stop Eve Stone feeling contempt and disgust for her father’s participation.
And, phew... Baptiste DID have the surgery.
Open Image Modal
Brigadier Stone was regretful, but daughter Eve wasn't impressed
BBC
So that’s it, then. Everyone lived happily ever after, well, apart from Sam Webster who foolishly acceded to Baptiste’s fool of a plan that involved going into the Swiss woods before back-up arrived, and took a bullet for his pains, fatally but fortunately allowing him just enough time to see his daughter, for real.
And, possibly apart from Baptiste who we last saw disappearing into an anaesthetic fog in preparation for life-saving surgery we’d earlier been told was as risky as his tumour.