This City Is Ours ending explained - who made it out alive and who died in BBC crime drama?
The new BBC crime drama, This City Is Ours, has been fully released on BBC iPlayer following its airing on BBC One. The series, primarily set in Liverpool, revolves around the criminal empire led by Ronnie Phelan (Sean Bean).
However, this empire teeters on the brink of a violent war for succession. Viewers will recall that following Ronnie Phelan's death, his impulsive son Jamie Phelan (Jack McMullen) and his trusted enforcer Michael Kavanagh (James Nelson-Joyce) vied for control of the family business.
Jamie was hell-bent on taking over, while Michael harboured dreams of a better life and raising a child with his girlfriend, Diana.
Their rivalry escalates into violence as the series heads towards an explosive finale - but who will seize control of the criminal empire, and what might we anticipate from a potential second series?
The Liverpool Echo reports Michael announces to the crime family his intention to leave the business. A proposed peace deal suggests that Elaine's nephew-in-law Bobby Duffy (Kevin Harvey) and Michael's right-hand man Banksey (Mike Noble) should take over as the new co-leaders of the gang.
However, Jamie and his cousin Rachel (Laura Aikman), are left seething at their effective demotion and plot to seize control.
Jamie also hatches a plan to eliminate Michael by abducting his girlfriend, Diana (Hannah Onslow). Jamie's family and gang were shocked, while Michael was furious that his pregnant girlfriend had been endangered.
In retaliation, he decided to give Jamie a taste of his own medicine - by kidnapping his son Alfie.
Cheryl visited Elaine's house under the guise of offering assistance but instead snatched Jamie's baby Alfie and handed him over to Michael. Michael then threatened Jamie, saying he would leap from a tall building with the baby in his arms.
A tense exchange was set up for Diana and Alfie, leading to a fiery confrontation between Michael and Jamie. The situation escalated when Jamie, emotionally charged after Ronnie was mentioned, drew a gun and aimed it threateningly.
Diana pushed Michael to come clean about Ronnie's murder once she realised Jamie wouldn't back down. Michael confessed to killing Ronnie "because it was necessary".
Jamie eventually saw reason and de-escalated, while Elaine was left reeling from the revelation that Michael had murdered Ronnie.
Michael yearns to leave his criminal life behind and start anew with Diana. Despite her suspicions about his involvement in organised crime, Diana hoped that fatherhood might alter his perspective.
The question remains: will Elaine and Jamie let Michael walk free, knowing he's responsible for Ronnie's death?
As of this moment, the BBC has yet to announce whether This City Is Ours will return for a second series.
The series also unveiled that Ronnie Phelan had been a snitch for the police for several years, which could shed light on why he never seemed to face jail time for his crimes. However, DS Barney Styles is eager to recruit Davey's wife Cheryl Crawford (Saoirse-Monica Jackson) as a new police informant.
In the finale, Colombian cocaine dealer Ricardo (Daniel Cerqueira) was offed by Michael's closest confidant, Banksey (Mike Noble). Ricardo met his end after planting a bomb in Banksey's car, which nearly blew up with him and his teenage son still inside.
With Ricardo out of the picture, what repercussions could this have on the underworld?
This City Is Ours is available to watch on BBC iPlayer, with episodes airing every Sunday at 9pm.
Daily Mirror
