OK, before we go any further, this entire page is positively littered with spoilers for the last episode of ‘Doctor Foster’. Littered with them.
So if you haven’t seen the series two finale, and spoilers are the sort of thing that upset you, then get yourself on the iPlayer and watch the final instalment immediately (then, obviously, come straight back).
Are we ready? Great, let’s begin.
We thought the first four episodes of ‘Doctor Foster’ had put us through the emotional ringer, but they were practically a walk in the park compared to the dramatic conclusion.
Over the course of the episode, the shock twists were relentless, with bombshells about postnatal depression, suicide and people going missing all crammed into the space of an hour.
While it would be impossible to list them all, we’ve rounded up the 14 moments that made us gasp the hardest as the series reached its climax...
1. The moment we found out why Gemma swerved in her car
The episode ended with last week’s cliffhanger finally being resolved, as it was discovered that, no, Gemma didn’t hit her ex with her car. In hindsight, it was kind of obvious it wasn’t going to happen, but that swerve made us jump all the same.
2. When Gemma grabbed the scissors from her kitchen drawer
For a moment we feared Gemma was going to stab her polite new neighbour just for disturbing her in the middle of a conversation, but fortunately we were spared this horrific scene.
3. Simon appearing at the window in the restaurant
Seriously, how exclusive was this place that he couldn’t just come through the front door?
4. Simon’s suggestion that he and Gemma could put their differences aside and get back together
Especially because there was a brief moment it looked like she was considering it (and we felt a little bit smug because we called it before the episode).
5. Tom branding his dad a “massive failure” as he finally stood up for himself
Kudos to young actor Tom Taylor, who does an amazing job of really showing just how pushed to the limit his character has been over the course of the past four episodes. The scene where he puts his dad in his place was uncomfortable, but showcased top notch acting from all three of its stars.
6. The moment we thought James was going to propose
Fortunately, it turned out to just be a pair of earrings. Phew!
7. When we realised just how far back Simon’s manipulation went
Those flashback scenes were certainly interesting, weren’t they?
The great thing about ‘Doctor Foster’ is just how multi-layered everything is, and even in the moments that were supposed to show Simon and Gemma’s “romantic” past, we couldn’t help notice he was getting under her skin with the champagne cork and parenting feedback even at their supposed happiest.
While we’ve been led to believe it’s Gemma who has always played the long game, these moments made us question how far into the future Simon was looking during their marriage too.
8. When Gemma discovered Tom’s bed was empty during the night
Sadly, we didn’t realise quite how much of a foreshadowing moment this would turn out to be.
9. Simon telling Gemma to “leave us alone” after manipulating Tom to come with him
Particularly as it was accompanied by Tom’s subdued pleas to his dad on the other end of the phone.
10. Gemma’s discovery of Simon at the side of the road
This wasn’t so much of a gasp as a constant state of hyperventilation for that entire scene.
11. Tom’s face when he found out they were going to eat as a family
Yeah, alright, this one may have come out more of a sob than a gasp. And seriously, yet more top-notch acting from Tom Taylor.
12. When we finally, finally got to find out what Simon had told Tom about his mum to turn him against her
Not so much the fact itself, but the way that Simon would use it so casually to turn Tom against Gemma - even there at the breakfast table - without thinking about how his son’s feelings would be affected by it.
The scenes of Simon twisting the knife in by bringing up what Gemma said about their son at the height of her post-natal depression were among the toughest to watch of the episode, with Bertie Carvel doing a great job at proving just how far his character has fallen since returning to Parminster at the beginning of the series.
13. The second Tom’s phone rang in the car and it was revealed he wasn’t there
Gemma’s closing monologue perfectly summed it up, it was obvious from the off that Tom wasn’t bluffing when he said he wasn’t coming back.
The scenes that followed showed Gemma going about her life while her son was missing, pondering everything she did wrong over past few years, which were truly heartbreaking.
14. When the screen faded to black
Despite what our head was telling us, we hoped in our hearts that Tom would turn up in the final seconds of the episode, so when the credits rolled and it became apparent he really was gone, we felt winded for a minute (we’ll be honest, we actually watched till the end of the credits just in case producers had snuck in an easter egg in at the very end, but no such luck).
And so that’s it. Suranne Jones has hinted that a third series could be on the cards at some point, while show creator Mike Bartlett has insisted he’s under no pressure to make one.
The good thing is, if series three does happen, we’ve got a great jumping off point thanks to Tom’s disappearance. And if not, then at the very least we’re expecting Suranne Jones and her co-stars’ trophy cabinets to suddenly become a lot more cluttered come awards season next year...
