Gone ending explained: ITV thriller teases Mare of Easttown twist before revealing real killer
Did you see it coming?
**Warning: contains full spoilers for ITV's Gone and Sky's Mare of Easttown.**
Partway through the finale of ITV thriller Gone, it's established that Michael Polly did not kill his wife Sarah.
While the headmaster was swept up in the pressures of running a school that demands everything from those affiliated with it, no matter the cost, the music teacher looked to Stephen Sedgwick, the father of the school's star rugby player Dylan.
Not only was she yearning for comfort, she needed to feel seen given that her husband had withdrawn from her entirely. More than anything, Sarah needed to confirm that she wasn't a ghost in her own life.
"When your mum needed me to admit that things were going wrong, needed change, I wasn't there for her," a repentant Michael admitted to Alana at the police station.
"Then she stopped trying, she stopped talking. I could see my wife and I knew what was happening, and I didn't do anything, just let it happen."
But with Michael firmly out of the frame for Sarah's murder, who would end the series in handcuffs?
For a full breakdown of who killed Sarah and why, read on.
Gone ending explained: Who killed Sarah Polly?
"If it wasn't you, you must have some idea who would be this angry with her, who would do this to do mum?" pressed Alana – a question that flicked a switch in DS Annie Cassidy's mind.
"Dylan," she said, as Gone looked to be replicating Mare of Easttown's shocking twist.
In Brad Ingelsby's HBO crime drama, which stars Kate Winslet as a detective in a small US town investigating the murder of a single teenage mum, a 13-year-old boy is unmasked as the killer.
His dad had been having an affair with the victim, and while he only intended to scare her in an attempt to end their relationship, for the sake of his parents' marriage, a struggle ensued and he shot her dead.
But while Gone appeared to be travelling in that direction – Dylan certainly had reason to hate Sarah, and his behaviour had become increasingly volatile of late – he was not the guilty party.
It was Rory Bowman, the deputy head of St Bartholomew's, who murdered Sarah.
After Annie went to his house to speak with him about Dylan – the changes in his behaviour, his aggression – she clocked that the keys found near the scene of Sarah's murder, which were on her person, were his. So she slipped inside after Rory had left for the school, believing Annie was following behind him in her car.
She then began searching his property for evidence of any kind when he suddenly returned, having forgotten the trophy he had been planning to present at the end of the rugby match.
But just when it looked like the detective was going to have to fight for her life, she skilfully and carefully engaged Rory in conversation – and managed to elicit a confession from him by leaning into his wholehearted belief that it was all just a horrible, tragic accident.
Sarah mattered a great deal to Rory, after all. They had been friends for years – photos of the pair of them as a duo and with Michael and other staff members in younger, happier days had been lovingly chosen for his photo albums.
And Sarah had also advocated that Rory be given another chance at the school after a female member of staff had raised a complaint against him for several unwanted advances. It's hinted that he'd made others feel uncomfortable also.
Of course Rory didn't view his behaviour that way; he was just making a move. "I'm a single man, and if I like someone, why can't I try and, you know, how else does anyone make their feelings known?"
And Sarah, his dear friend Sarah, who he cared for so deeply, was in his corner.
But Rory later found out about her affair with Stephen and everything he thought he knew began to unravel. He demanded that she end it, before forcing her to send a text telling her fancy man that it was over, because Sarah was married, after all, and she must think about the damage her reckless, selfish behaviour would do to the school's reputation.
Think about the children, Sarah!
That, first and foremost, was at the front of Rory's mind, and not the fact he had made a pass at her all those years ago, only for her to reject him.
Had she not been married to Michael, it would have worked out between them, obviously. But she was, so it didn't.
"That's the tragedy."
No, it had nothing to do with the fact that Rory had been right there, he had always been right there, and Sarah chose to look elsewhere instead.
So when he learned that Sarah hadn't cut things off with Stephen – and had lied to him – he confronted her. Once again, he demanded that she stop – for the sake of the school, of course – but "she kept shouting, she kept shouting and shouting".
Was Sarah simply telling him to mind his own business – that it was no concern of his what she did in her personal life? Or was she feeding him some home truths: that he only cared about her affair because she hadn't turned to him as her marriage to Michael disintegrated? That she didn't see him that way – never had, never would.
"I wanted her to stop shouting, it needed to stop," he continued, tears flowing thick and fast, before he collected himself.
"I never... I'm the last person in the world who would ever want to do anything like that, I really am."
Of course, of course.
But regardless of what Rory didn't want to do – or how he views his own motivations, or the type of man he believes himself to be – he did do it. He strangled Sarah to death, and while he'll probably deny it until the end of his days, he did so because his masculinity had collapsed as easily as a house of cards, spawning a jealousy so violent it turned him murderous, while the spotlight was subsequently turned on Michael, Stephen and even Dylan.
Rory Bowman, the man that you are.
The conclusion of that case was seemingly the push Annie needed to shut down her relationship with Craig, who had been slowly worming his way back into her life. The DS always knew revisiting that chapter was a self-destructive act, but saying no is far easier said than done.
Yet she did just that after he handed over a folder on the Tina Bradley case. No new developments have emerged, but that won't stop Annie, who cannot rest until she uncovers what happened to her friend.
Season 2, anyone?
Gone premiered on Sunday 8 March on ITV1 and ITVX. All episodes are available to stream now on ITVX
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Authors
Abby Robinson is the Drama Editor for Radio Times, covering TV drama and comedy titles. She previously worked at Digital Spy as a TV writer, and as a content writer at Mumsnet. She possesses a postgraduate diploma and a degree in English Studies.
