The Dark Ending Explained: ITVx’s gripping six-part crime thriller is directed by Emma Sullivan and Gilles Bannier. The series stars Laura Donnelly as DCI Monica Kennedy, Mark Rowley as DC Connor Crawford, Helen Baxendale as Bethany Morgan, Emun Elliott as Barclay Adams, Tunji Kasim as Michael Bach, Rona Morison as Philly, Brian Ferguson as Kyle Ward and others.
The Dark Ending Explained
How Did Carol Die?
Following the survival of Scott from the murderer’s next attack, the case starts leading them towards Don Cameron, who is a hunter in the locality and comes from a bad family background. They find out that the phone belonging to Scott had gone missing and was found with Don, giving him a lead in being their main suspect. While Monica suggests that they shouldn’t enter his property because of the violent nature of his family until some more policemen come, things happen fast, and they carry on with the raid.
However, the true threat lies within the house. When the officers search the premises, they take little to no notice of Don’s aged father, as he is in a wheelchair and uses an oxygen tank. Their assumption that he is not any kind of danger turns out to be an incorrect judgment. Without any prior warning, he starts shooting at the officers inside his house.
Dhillon is wounded in the shoulder, while Carol receives a much worse shot. In spite of all efforts made by the officers to save her, she ends up dying before any help could reach her. This is not connected in any way to the modus operandi of the serial killer but is the result of a poorly planned police mission. The event leaves a strong impression on Connor Crawford, making him believe that the reason why Monica moved in without backup was Monica herself.
What Happened to Philly at The End of The Dark?
Philly’s narrative is very much related to Monica’s past and the burning mystery surrounding the Burning Light cult that has tormented her life ever since. In the course of the whole movie, Philly secretly observes the young daughter of Monica, Lucy, convinced that the girl is somehow related to her lost daughter from many years back. She acts strangely due to her deranged state of mind and her search for the truth. However, she does not have anything to do with the murders of the young girls; she is yet another damaged member of the cult left alone because she lost everything.
When Monica finally faces her at the abandoned Burning Light site, Philly reveals her sorrow and confesses that the Burning Light cult has taken everything away from her. Being overwhelmed by sorrow, she covers herself with paraffin and declares that she will burn herself alive. Regrettably, that promise is never given the chance to come true. Philly’s condition deteriorates further, and she manages to escape from the hospital herself. As she wanders about, unknowingly, she picks up a ride from none other than the very serial killer that the police had been trying to catch all along.
In the ending of The Dark, we see the murderer kill Philly in exactly the same way that he had killed his previous victims and then disposes of her body in front of Monica’s apartment building. In this way, he makes sure to leave her body there to send a personal message to Monica, who had embarrassed him at a press conference by referring to him as nothing more than a coward. This murder is what drives Monica to protect her family from any danger.
Who Was the Real Killer in The Dark Series?
In the 2026 series The Dark, the major surprise comes with the revelation that the serial killer is Kyle, Tammy’s father, and he managed to remain completely hidden from everyone because of his portrayal as a caring parent and an outreach worker. In the course of the investigation, the police suspect Don Cameron, James, Barclay, and even Nichol, enabling Kyle to manipulate them all from behind.
Being an employee of the outreach centre, he can easily get access to teenagers who are in trouble, as he gives them burner phones that should help them in some way. Instead, Kyle uses the burner phones to pretend to be their relatives, winning their confidence and organising meetings with them. When the victim arrives, Kyle drugs her, kills her, and prepares the body. To confuse the police, he makes Nichol assist him in this, taking advantage of the teenager’s enmity toward Barclay and making him think that he was helping to expose some criminals.
Kyle’s motivation is caused by the trauma that the man experiences due to the death of his wife. Kyle fails to deal with this grief and develops the notion of a distorted psyche in which death represents a person with a new opportunity to live. Obsessed with the idea that his victims are imprisoned in the cycle of suffering, misery, and grief, Kyle deceives himself into believing that he shows mercy to his victims when he kills them.
This delusional concept justifies why Kyle selects the most vulnerable boys who experience the loss of a relative or someone they loved. The stones that Kyle gives to his victims also reflect his distorted perception of the situation. In Kyle’s opinion, those stones are supposed to bring more luck to the victims in their next life as a way of showing a new beginning that he provides for the victims through death. However, his crimes are not motivated by compassion but by his failure to overcome grief and desire to play God.
How Did DCI Monica Kennedy Finally Catch the Killer?
Yes, at the end of The Dark 2026 series, Monica manages to discover the true identity of the serial killer when a well-thought-out plan to implicate Michael in the murder fails. Towards the end of the episode, Kyle had already killed Philly and was stepping up the psychological terror tactics against Monica, such that she had to be placed in protective custody together with her family members. In the process of getting Monica away from the investigation, Kyle proceeds to the last part of his plot against Michael. This involves getting Michael to come to his house ostensibly to help him sort out the paperwork left by James.
Tammy goes to the house with her father, but in the course of doing this, she notices the investigation board of Michael and starts making inquiries. Fearing exposure, Kyle attacks Michael, abducts Tammy and calls Monica, masquerading as an injured victim from Michael’s house, so as to implicate him. But when Monica shows up, Kyle acts as a man who is innocent of Michael’s crime. However, it is his behaviour that finally betrays him. As Monica treats Kyle’s wounds, Kyle jokingly proposes to have some tea and relax a little.
Recalling how every victim was poisoned before being killed, she instantly understands this pattern. Unnoticed by Kyle, Monica exchanges the teacups and just pretends that she drinks the poisoned tea. After realising that his poisoning took effect, Kyle stops pretending and starts proudly telling about his distorted views of death, reincarnation, and the reasons for choosing particular victims. While preparing to kill Monica, Kyle becomes unconscious under the influence of the drug, which he unknowingly drank.
But at this very moment, Connor comes to the scene, having followed Monica’s call and saves Michael and Tammy from the carbon monoxide-filled car. Kyle finally dies from the poisoned tea intended for Monica, ending his serial killings. Afterwards, Monica tells Kyle that he mistakes her feeling of guilt for weakness, which means that she finally beats a man who could manipulate the investigation and everybody for weeks.
Was Nichol Involved in the Murders?
While there are various characters who look like suspects of committing murder in The Dark, Nichol is found to be complicit in the killings rather than the one who planned them. Given that he returns home after many years of being a runaway, Nichol’s activities raise numerous suspicions. He learns about the existence of wishing stones, follows the progress of the case, and even persuades his mother to leave the place since he thinks that the murderer will commit another crime.
Nevertheless, Nichol seems not to be the guilty one, as the truth is not what it looks like. In the end, Tammy finds out that Nichol had been to her place some weeks before the murders, which helps Monica find him. Faced with facts, Nichol confesses that he helped Kyle, the murderer whom he had been manipulated by because of his hatred towards Barclay. According to Nichol, Kyle won his confidence as he portrayed himself as someone who knew his pain and resentment. Rather than letting Nichol know the true reasons for his actions, Kyle took the teenager along with his plan and made him believe that he was going to punish the wrongdoers.
Obsessed with his hatred towards Barclay and willing to have someone to believe in him, Nichol did not notice that he was helping a serial killer until innocent people started losing their lives. Full of remorse, Nichol decides to tell Monica everything, not trying to make excuses for his deeds. However, before arresting him, Monica comes to see Bethany at her workplace and lets her know what her son has been doing. Heartbroken, Bethany regrets that it was she who chose Barclay over Nichol, thus giving Kyle an opportunity to influence him. Kyle dies before he can be arrested; however, Nichol is taken into custody because of his involvement in crimes.
Will The Dark Return for Season 2?
Although ITVx has not yet made any official announcements regarding The Dark Season 2, the series’ finale has definitely left the doors open for a second season. The main murder mystery ends with the death of Kyle, marking the end of this string of murders. The truth about Nichol’s part in all of these murders is revealed by Monica, and Nichol admits that he was forced to become an accomplice by Kyle.
With the murderer dead, Tammy and Michael saved, and the families knowing the fate of their lost members, the main investigation has been completed. It seems like Monica finally gets some closure on a case she will never forget. However, the end scenes reveal a greater danger, which has been hanging around since the start of the season. Monica finds a letter sent to Lucy. Once she opens it, she realises that it was sent by Lucy’s father – an important member of the Burning Light cult.
Throughout the entire season, there has been an ongoing menace to Monica’s personal life in the form of Philly trying to get in touch with her daughter and the threats by Angela that the Burning Light might come back at some point. The letter reveals that Monica’s greatest nightmare comes true as Lucy’s father learns about the existence of his daughter and knows where to look for them. It is not the end of the murder mystery, but it is the time when the threat moves from serial killers to the Burning Light. If there is to be a Season 2 of The Dark, then the plot will revolve around the struggle between Monica and the Burning Light.
Also Read: The Dark Review: Gripping Crime Thriller That Loses Its Edge in the Final Stretch
