Bancroft series two finale recap - ending explained and what might happen next?
After a dramatic series two finale (SPOILERS!) we're left wondering if this is the end of Elizabeth Bancroft – or if the psychopathic police boss could be back for more
Bancroft series two has come to a gripping end, leaving fans asking "Will there be a third series of the show?" – but for now, let's take a step back and look at what just happened in that thrilling finale...
What happened in the Bancroft series 2 finale?
When series one came to an end, many fans were furious that Elizabeth Bancroft had gotten away with murder. Instead of being held to account for killing Laura Fraser (and for shooting DS Katherine Stevens, and for conspiring with a local criminal), she was able to cover it all up – and she even earned herself a promotion!
Sarah Parish told us: "There were a lot of very angry people on Twitter after the first series. With most police things, the baddie gets caught – but she just got away with it. She just got away with it! And she keeps getting away with it."
But in the closing moments of series two, Bancroft's luck finally ran out.
The police boss had been revelling in her victory over psychopathic double-murderer Annabel Connors (Charlotte Hope), having just brought her to justice and exonerated her own son Joe Bancroft (Adam Long) for the killings. She'd also escaped Annabel's scary murder basement and survived a serious stab wound, so it was time for a champagne toast with her team. Bancroft had pulled it off again!
However, just when it looked like she would get away scot-free, there was a twist: armed with evidence from Cliff Walker (Adrian Edmondson), Bancroft's boss Chief Constable Frances Holland (Jacqueline Boatswain) arrested her for conspiracy to murder DS Andy Bevan (Charles Babalola).
"You can kill someone, but there are just ripples, and there are repercussions," creator and writer Kate Brooke told us ahead of series two. "And actually, of course, there’s also Cliff Walker, who is not going to forgive and forget. Bancroft is one of those people who’s moved on from Katherine, and thinks that she’s got that sorted. But it’s not.
"The thing that brings her down, and she does get brought down, isn’t Katherine, but it’s Walker’s motivations to 'get her' because of what happened to Katherine. So he finds other ways – you know, he’s on her tail, and he’s not giving up."
Walker spent the whole series obsessed with Bancroft, determined to bring her down and win justice for both Laura Fraser and Katherine Stevens.
And while he couldn't pin either of those murders on her in the end, he could prove she had been working hand-in-hand with gang boss Daanish Kamara (Ryan McKen). His digging and evidence-gathering also exposed how Bancroft had actually ordered Andy's murder, after he tried to blackmail her and got a bit too big for his boots.
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What will happen next?
Series two ends with Elizabeth Bancroft in a jail cell. But there's no guarantee that she'll stay behind bars...
We can only speculate, but will Bancroft find a way to manipulate the upcoming trial? Have her police pals tamper with evidence? Put on some theatrics and convince the jury she's innocent?
We wouldn't put anything past her.
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