The Au Pair ending explained: What happens to Sandrine and Zoe?

Things went from bad to worse for Chris (Kenny Doughty), who took matters regarding Sandrine (Ludmilla Makowski) into his own hands, with viewers being left none the wiser at his course of actions.

The finale reveals major twists as well as past secrets that eventually come to the surface, making for quite the explosive finale. With Sandrine having upended Zoe's life pretty much since she came on the scene and eventually being revealed as her own daughter, what did the fateful final episode hold for them?

Read on for a full breakdown of the finale of The Au Pair on 5.

The Au Pair ending explained: What happens to Sandrine and Zoe?

The episode starts with Zoe confronting her father George about her teenage pregnancy and the fact that George had kept Sandrine's existence a secret all this time. Zoe had been told that her baby had died but actually, George and Lydia knew Sandrine was fine.

Sandrine is still on the run and Zoe is concerned for her wellbeing, asking George if he has the contact information for Marie (Virginie Ledoyen) to help her locate Sandrine. He doesn't and Zoe is trying her hardest to try to find a lead.

Zoe contacts a journalist who wrote about Sandrine and who tells her that he had been investigating a story about the illegal processing of babies in France. He's hesitant to tell Zoe anything but having overheard the conversation, we then see Chris calling a mysterious man – Fred Gastou (Louis Bernard) – to inform him that Zoe and George don't know anything. Fred entrusts Chris with dealing with Sandrine after Chris says that she won't be a problem.

Later that night, Zoe is distraught at the thought of her father being involved in multiple illegal adoptions and Chris only drives the narrative further.

They then hear a car driving away from the house and Zoe realises it's George. We then see that he's taken an impromptu trip to France to visit Marie but has his phone off, which only worries Zoe further. Chris manages to calm her down, while also alleviating any worries she has about Sandrine. We then see that Sandrine is actually tied up to a radiator in another house and is screaming for help.

Later, George meets Marie at a café where she tells George that she is dying and wants to do so with a clear conscience. George is confused at why she wouldn't have one but Marie tells George about Fred, who she had collected Zoe's baby with at the time. Marie explains that she and Chris were ready to hand Zoe's baby over to a loving couple but that Fred had other ideas, threatening them both. Marie explains that the family that Sandrine was sold into were actually just the highest bidders.

George starts to feel sorry for Chris but Marie tells him that while he did feel bad at the time, he began to feel differently and realised he could find young pregnant women that he could profit off of. He would convince them to hand over the baby for a fee and then, Chris and Fred would sell the baby to the highest bidder, taking a cut of the proceeds. It all started with George and the fact he involved Chris in Zoe's own case.

On her way home, Marie is intercepted by two figures, one of them being Fred. She tells Fred that she's ready to die and the next thing we see is the other man pull out a wire, hearing him kill Marie and Fred walking calmly away.

Back in the Cotswolds, Sandrine is trying to break free from being tied up but is interrupted by Chris, who continues to taunt her and asks her what she knows. But it's clear that Marie didn't tell Sandrine anything about the other black market adoptions, only realising in their conversation that her own parents must have bought her.

Chris goes to his car to retrieve a vial of a harmful injection but when he comes back, they get into a struggle and Sandrine manages to escape. It's only a matter of moments later that Zoe goes to the very same house, realising that Sandrine was there and calls Chris. She calls the police who later inform her that they already searched the house the day prior, having told Chris about it then.

Once Zoe knows that, she starts to piece things together and then sees the needle on the floor, which she picks up.

Fred then calls Chris to inform him that he knows Marie and George met with each other, telling Chris that he expects compensation. Chris says that he knows a girl who is expecting her baby any day now so that can act as the compensation. At the same time, Amber (Margot Pue) is trying to call her father for help as Raye (Ebimie Anthony) is in labour.

Once back home, Zoe goes searching and finds the very same needles in Chris's things, realising that he's the one that must have been keeping Sandrine hostage. But at the same time, Zoe must help Amber and Raye who have now come home, with Raye in the throes of giving birth.

The ambulance will take too long to get there but thankfully, George comes home at the same time and offers to help along with Lydia, who of course is a midwife. George quickly leaves the room to get his medical bag and Zoe asks him quickly why he was in France, with George saying there's a lot she doesn't know but that Chris worked with him in France. He tells Zoe that he'll tell her more later and goes to his house to get his things.

Does Chris get arrested?

In his guest house, Chris confronts George. George tells Chris that Zoe needs to know everything but Chris apologises, stabbing him with a needle and rendering him unconscious.

Raye gives birth to a healthy baby boy and admits that even though she told Chris she wanted to initially give the baby up for adoption, she's rethought her options and wants to keep him.

Zoe leaves the room, looking for George who was going to cut the cord but overhears Chris instead, finalising the details of Raye's baby transfer with Fred. Zoe makes out as though she's going to get towels but is really trying to leave the house and find George, something Chris turns back and realises.

Zoe confronts him about Sandrine but Chris says she doesn't understand the decisions he had to make for the sake of his family, trying to place the blame on George for his part in the illegal adoption process.

We then see that Sandrine made it to George's home and has found him unconscious, calling an ambulance while she runs out. Finding Chris and Zoe in the midst of their confrontation, Chris pulls Sandrine into it and holds the needle to her neck but Amber sees what's happening and tells him to let her go. The police arrive and arrest Chris just in time, with Sandrine informing them that George is in the guest house.

Is George alive?

Six months later, Zoe is surrounded by her family and Raye's as they celebrate her birthday.

But there's a knock at the door and it turns out to be George, who is alive and who wants to speak to her.

He tells her that the police contacted him to say that Marie had kept detailed files on every single baby. He apologises, saying that he had no idea that there were others and is willing to face the consequences of his part in it.

Sandrine joins the pair in the hallway and her presence surprises George, who is emotional to see her. They invite him to stay and it seems as though everything is alright within the family, with Chris nowhere to be seen.

The Au Pair is streaming now on 5.

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