The Teacher season 3 ending explained: One final twist in silly, grim 5 thriller
Let's break it down.
**Warning: This article contains full spoilers for The Teacher season 3, which is available to stream in full on 5.**
**This article also contains discussion of suicide and suicidal ideation that some readers may find distressing.**
Well, that was quite the ride, wasn't it?
The third season of anthology series The Teacher, which showed some promise in its opening episode as it set out to explore the generational divide – particularly on issues such as gender – spiralled into something completely absurd by the time the final credits rolled.
"If you looked at episode 4 immediately after episode 1, you wouldn’t believe it," said Victoria Hamilton, who plays the titular educator Helen Simpson, ahead of its release. And she certainly wasn't exaggerating.
The Teacher’s third instalment reached new, nonsensical heights – even by its own hysterical standards.
So, where did we leave Helen and Cressida at the end of the series? And how about that final scene?
Read on for a full breakdown of how season 3 wrapped up.
The Teacher season 3 ending explained
It quickly became clear that Cressida was punishing Helen because of her own emotional wounds, inflicted by a mother who walked out on her when she was younger and a father who simply had no time for her.
And what better way to hurt the former head of drama – who had been removed from her post following Dee's suicide and due to her escalating conflict with Cressida – than to target her son?
After extending the hand of friendship to Sam – which wasn't difficult considering his social isolation – she managed to seduce him and convince him to run away with her. But not before Cressida had accused Sam's dad, Terry, of attacking her to isolate him further.
In a sudden escalation, she then pushed him, sending him crashing down and smacking his head – which could have spelled the end for him. Fortunately, he survived the ordeal.
Having successfully lured Sam away from his parents, Cressida confided in him about her suicidal ideation – something Helen had already uncovered after finding evidence of self-harm in her dorm room at school. And she also encouraged Sam, who had been worn down by the bullying he was still being subjected to after being falsely accused of sexual assault at his old school, to lean into his own feelings of hopelessness.
The pair then agreed to end their lives together and headed to a property owned by Cressida’s father. There, she unpacked a gun, placed it in Sam's hand and encouraged him to pull the trigger so they could be "free from all the pain".
But thankfully, we were spared that horror when Helen arrived just in time and gently coaxed Sam into lowering the gun. She promised to get him the support he needed and to be there every step of the way.
Yet as Helen held her son in her arms and apologised profusely for not being present for him following the allegation and the breakdown of her marriage, Cressida seized her opportunity and grabbed the gun.
Helen urged her to let Sam go, which she did, and once again it was just the two of them, facing off against one another. Helen then attempted to reach Cressida on an emotional level, as she had with Sam. She even apologised before pleading with her to put an end to this. But just when it looked like she'd broken through, Cressida lashed out and a tussle for the gun ensued.
It was Helen who ended up holding the weapon – but in a horrifying move, and one that illustrated the true extent of her turmoil, Cressida picked up a shard of glass.
"This is going to follow you forever," she said, before slashing her own throat in a move that should have killed her.
But while Cressida miraculously survived (that's putting it mildly), those haunting words she had previously uttered still rang true.
During Helen's visit to the institution where Cressida was being held, she delivered one final act of revenge.
"I made a lot of mistakes, but I'm doing what I can to put things right," said her former teacher when asked if she was visiting out of guilt, her conscience now clear.
"There are people here who can help you. I hope you let them."
But just as Helen announced that this would be the last time they ever see or speak to each other, Cressida leaned back in her chair to reveal she was pregnant, much to Helen's horror.
"I'll let you tell Sam," she added nonchalantly, before slowly walking away, hands resting on her growing stomach as the score swelled to a chilling crescendo.
Cressida's nothing if not inventive...
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The Teacher season 3 is available to stream in full on 5.
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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.
