After three harrowing episodes, we're now just one week away from the conclusion of Deadwater Fell – and some much-needed answers.

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The show has done an excellent job at keeping us guessing, while edging closer to revealing who is responsible for the crime that shook Kirkdarroch to its core.

Ahead of next week's finale, we've come up with some possible solutions to Deadwater Fell's dark mystery...

Theory #1: Kate committed the murders

Kate Kendrick (Anna Madeley)

From the moment of that shock twist at the end of episode two, Kate suddenly became a prime suspect in the fire that took her life and the lives of her three daughters.

The key question remains unanswered: what was Kate doing in the woods that night chasing after scared little Emily?

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It's quite possible that, after seeing her mother inject her two sisters, the young girl made for the woods in a desperate attempt to flee.

But, it's hard to imagine why Kate would have done something so unspeakable.

There's an argument to be made that Tom is an outright sociopath and thus could be capable of anything, but the same is not true of Kate.

She was an abused and mistreated woman with enough contempt for her husband that she could well have murdered him – but why her innocent daughters as well?

In episode three, she makes reference to how the medication Tom prescribes her makes her confused... could she have had an extreme psychotic episode?

If so, Tom would have to answer for why she was on such medication in the first place.

Theory #2: Tom committed the murders

David Tennant in Deadwater Fell
Channel 4

For the last two episodes, Deadwater Fell has alluded to Tom being the culprit and there's plenty of evidence to suggest that is the case.

As a GP, he has expert knowledge of how to administer an injection. He also knows exactly what dosage of insulin would be harmful (or even deadly) to his wife and children.

In addition, the third episode has painted Tom in a very unsympathetic light, showing several scenes where he was openly cruel to Kate, essentially acting as a psychological tormenter.

This comes to a head in a haunting moment that takes place after Kate's car crash, where she confesses to Steve that she thinks Tom will kill her one day.

It opens up the possibility that Emily may have been running through the woods to escape her abusive father, with Kate catching up intending to take her somewhere safe.

There's also the issue of his inaccurate police statement and reluctance to discuss his late wife's alleged motives.

But while Tom has certainly been a bad man and is seemingly lying about something, this theory is far from set in stone.

For one thing, the solution just seems a little too obvious and Deadwater Fell is a show with a proven track record for last minute twists and surprises.

Theory #3: Steve was involved

Sgt. Steve Campbell (Matthew NcNulty)

Episode three of Deadwater Fell gave us a darker look at Steve's character than we have previously had, raising doubts about his innocence in this tragic case.

We now know that he told Dylan to make a false witness statement to the police, resulting in his own suspension from the force.

His heated exchanges with the troubled teen culminate in a beating at the end of the episode, suggesting that he has more riding on the statement than just keeping Tom behind bars.

Perhaps Steve convinced him to implicate Tom in the crime, because he knows more about the incident than he's letting on.

Theory #4: The girls were not supposed to die

Emily Kendrick (Orla Russell)

If the biggest mystery behind Deadwater Fell's crime is the targeting of three innocent girls, perhaps the truth is that they weren't the intended victims of the murder.

One theory is that Kate, desperate to be free of her toxic husband, planned to frame him for drugging their daughters, something that would get him out of their lives for the foreseeable future at least.

She may have injected the three girls with what she believed to be a non-lethal dose of insulin, only to discover she was tragically mistaken.

The horrifying realisation may have been what escalated the crime beyond what she initially had planned.

Other predictions

Jess Milner (Cush Jumbo)

Will Jess get pregnant? This really could go either way.

Deadwater Fell writer Daisy Coulam said at a launch event for the series that the IVF subplot was inspired by her own experiences with the treatment, which have so far been unsuccessful.

Therefore, she may want to use the series to raise awareness of the relatively low success rate of IVF, something which some viewers may not be aware of.

On the other hand, if Jess were to become pregnant, the dramatic stakes would rise substantially given that her relationship with Steve is on such shaky ground.

Will Steve and Jess get back together? Despite some flirtation between them, DC Gemma Darlington (Laurie Brett) ultimately seems frustrated by how Steve's anger over Jess's infidelity has clouded his judgement on the case.

That could serve as a wake-up call for him to have a proper conversation with Jess and possibly even manipulative Tom, which might allow him to get closure on the incident and move on.

Will Steve leave Kirkdarroch? One way or another, all signs point to Steve finally leaving the tiny village he calls home.

If he is innocent, a fresh start will be sorely needed as the life he once knew lies in tatters. A move to London, where Jess comes from, could be on the cards if their relationship does recover...

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Deadwater Fell concludes on Channel 4 at 9pm on Friday 31st January

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