Too Good to Be true ending explained: One final twist

As Channel 5 thriller Too Good to Be True reached its dramatic conclusion, the truth behind the businessman and his backstory was unmasked – with devastating consequences.

Read on for our breakdown of Too Good to Be True's final scenes, but be warned for there are spoilers ahead.

Too Good to Be true ending explained

Elliot's mother had died in a house fire when he was the same age as Liam, the blame for which he had always laid at his father's feet – and, eventually, Fielding senior was found guilty, despite repeated denials.

But in the finale, it emerged that the house was already in flames by the time his father returned home that fateful day, with Elliot responsible for the blaze – although his father's actions had contributed to an environment of toxicity.

Desperate to escape her husband, who was an abusive alcoholic, Elliot's mother had decided to return to Ireland and start over – but without her son.

Understandably, he was devastated by the news, as any child would be – but he then took drastic action to prevent her from leaving.

Following the fire, he began having sessions with psychologist Debra Mallon and in time, he opened up to her and placed a great deal of trust in the mental health professional. But that rapidly morphed into an obsession, his behaviour becoming abusive when she tried to reschedule one of their appointments.

When Debra tried to place Elliot with a foster family, he would run away, turning up on her doorstop in the middle of the night.

Eventually, fearing for her safety, she withdrew from his life entirely, and even refused to testify – which only intensified Elliot's problems.

In Rachel and Liam, Elliot saw his chance for a secure and happy family unit – something that had failed with his ex-wife Olivia, with whom he had become possessive and violent – and, initially, his plan appeared to be working.

But as his PA Simone began doing some digging of her own and Rachel started to question him, she decided that there could be no future for the three of them and tried to remove herself from Elliot's life.

But he was already one step ahead. After collecting Liam from school without his mum's knowledge, he lured her to his secluded country cottage, where they were both at his mercy.

Rachel tried to convince Elliot that they could work through their problems and build a life together – and momentarily, she had defused the situation. But when she lunged for a knife, Elliot knocked it away and placed his hands around her throat, the air leaving her body.

However just in the nick of time, Liam arrived and smacked him with one of the tools from the garage. The pair then attempted to escape, but Elliot, who was seemingly out for the count, suddenly awoke and chased them into the night.

When mum and son were unable to flee via car, the only way to survive was to face Elliot head on – and that's exactly what Rachel did, picking up a blowtorch and blasting him.

Thankfully, we didn't see the charred remains, but it's a given that Elliot is no more, with Rachel and Elliot free to return to their lives.

But all is not well.

While holding them hostage at the cottage, Elliot revealed Rachel's secret to Liam: when she was a young mother, she had felt unable to look after him due to her own mental health problems and had given him to the care system – which knocked Liam for six.

Rachel later explained that she managed to recover – and much more quickly than she anticipated – before bringing her son back into her own care, where he has remained ever since.

But at the very end of the drama, despite Rachel telling her son that she "always wanted" him, contrary to what Elliot had said, and that she loved him dearly, Elliott's words swirled in his mind.

"I know what that feels like Liam, not to be wanted. You can't trust her, but you can trust me, because we're the same, me and you."

Liam then broke the fourth wall, a cold expression splashed across his face, before the screen faded to black.

Elliot might be gone, but his hand is still felt.

Too Good to Be True is available to watch on Channel 5. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10 – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.