Top Boy season 5 ending explained: Who killed [SPOILER]?

After two seasons on Channel 4, Top Boy made the jump to Netflix, hence why it's final season is labelled season 3 instead of 5 on the streamer.

“No Loose End", the season's tagline claimed. And yet, the last episode certainly left some big questions – well, one big question – unanswered.

Unfortunately, Walters himself confirmed the series won't return, despite Netflix being keen.

"[Kane and I] don't think it's the right thing to do. It may have gone on too long anyway," he said. "Not that it's not been great and the seasons have all been great and everyone's loved them and I've loved them. But it wouldn’t have been right. I like to end on a high."

Read on to untangle what went down and find out how Top Boy wrapped up.

What happens to Jaq in Top Boy?

The life of formidable drug dealer Jaq (Jasmine Jobson) is rocked by tragedy early in Top Boy's final season, when her sister Lauryn (Saffron Hocking) dies – Lauryn drowned in her bathtub after developing postpartum depression and subsequently a heroin addiction.

Determined to protect her baby nephew from the same destructive forces that cost Lauryn her life, Jaq betrays her boss, drug kingpin Sully (Kane Robinson) – with the help of friend Kieron (Joshua Blissett), she breaks into Sully's safe house and steals his sizeable stash of drugs.

Sully twigs Kieron's involvement in the robbery and has him killed. Fearing for her own safety and that of her loved ones, Jaq later promises to return the drugs to Sully on the condition that she, her girlfriend Becks (Adwoa Aboah) and Lauryn's baby are given a "pass" and allowed to start a new life without fear of repercussions.

Sully promises to consider the bargain, but Jaq is jumped by Dushane (Ashley Walters) on her way to the exchange – robbed of the drugs, Jaq arrives empty-handed at the meet. A vengeful Sully tells his former lieutenant that the deal is off and he will show her no mercy.

The last we see of Jaq, she returns home to Bex and the baby, the threat of both Sully and Dushane now neutralised (more on that below). The immediate danger has passed, but will Jaq stay true to her word and get out of the drugs business for the sake of her nephew? Her ultimate fate is left up to the viewer.

Read more:

• Top Boy season 5 review: Netflix's season 3 is a frenetic final outing
• How to watch Top Boy in order on Netflix

What happens to Dushane in Top Boy?

The final episode of Top Boy opens with one-time drug baron Dushane back at the Summerhouse estate, hiding from the police in his late mother’s now-derelict flat.

Having been scammed by his business partners, Dushane ends up £16 million out of pocket, flying into a murderous rage and brutally offing drug dealer Jeffrey Dalton (Shaun Dingwall) when he delivers the unfortunate news.

With Dushane's prints all over the crime scene, MIT are quick to identify him as their prime suspect – he plans to flee the country with the help of the powerful Isaac (Arsher Ali) and set up shop in Turkey, but needs money to secure his safe exit.

In desperation, Dushane snatches Sully's drug stash from Jaq (see above), with Isaac agreeing to send footsoldiers to extract Dushane from Summerhouse in return for a portion of the goods.

Sully, though, spots Dushane on his way to the extraction point and gives chase through the estate – a shoot-out ensues, during which Isaac's men, arriving at the pick-up point, are gunned down.

A desperate Dushane makes one last-ditch effort to escape on-foot with the drugs, but as he scales a locked gate with the stash in tow, he is shot in the gut by Sully.

Separated by the gate, the former friends argue – as Dushane explains his situation, Sully insists he would have given him the money to flee the country, but Dushane insists they were "done" and that he had "no choice" but to rob Jaq.

They begin to unpick their relationship, old resentments surfacing – when Dushane claims they were once "brothers", Sully insists that Dushane only used him and never respected him.

"I do respect you, fam," says an exhausted Dushane, his wound clearly fatal. "You were right," he tells Sully, reflecting on the violent lives they've lead. "You can't run this s**t without the bodies."

As Dushane takes his last breath, Sully attempts to justify his actions and the crimes he has committed, which now include murdering his oldest friend: "Look at where we’re from. Look at it. If we are not monsters, we’re food... and I can never be food."

Dushane falls silent, the one-time top boy of Summerhouse finally dying in a pool of blood on the street.

What happens to Stef in Top Boy?

The previous season of Top Boy ended in shocking fashion, with Sully executing Dushane's anointed successor Jamie (Micheal Ward) in front of Jamie's younger brothers, Stef (Araloyin Oshunremi) and Aaron (Hope Ikpoku Jnr).

This final outing picks up with Stef living in care – Aaron, we're told, has found a job and relocated to Leeds. But for Stef, there's seemingly no escape from Summerhouse and the looming spectre of Sully, who terrorises the young teen and his gang of friends led by Simon (Dudley O'Shaughnessy).

Having wrestled with his thirst for revenge all season long, Stef – having acquired a weapon from Simon – finally squares up to Sully in Top Boy's final episode, holding him at gunpoint in a local park.

"How does it feel?" he asks his brother's killer. "To be honest, Stefan," a broken Sully replies, "feelin' done left me a long time ago."

Sully tells Stef that his killing Jamie "had to be done, just like you gotta do what you gotta do. I’m OK with it."

Stef, though, refuses to be like Sully. Lowering his gun, he walks away, telling his nemesis, "You’re not worth it."

The end...? Not quite.

Who killed Sully in Top Boy?

Following his confrontation with Stef, Sully is sat inside his car when a gunshot rings out and blood splatters the windshield. Sully has been shot in the head and the show's final image is of a figure – his killer – passing by the vehicle.

We don't get a clear look at the gunman – they appear for less than a second, their image obscured by the shattered glass of the car window... so who killed Sully?

The most obvious answer would appear to be Stef – having opted to spare Sully, perhaps he reconsidered moments later and returned to make good on his threat? The glimpsed figure does appear to be dressed similarly to Stef, in a dark jacket with a hood...

There are other possibilities, however. Jaq certainly had good cause to go after Sully, knowing she, Becks and the baby would never be safe while he was still in the picture. Perhaps she shot Sully – or sent someone to do the job – to protect her family and to avenge Kieron's murder?

It's also feasible that Isaac might have sent a hitman after Sully in retaliation for his two goons being killed.

One other very viable option is that Sully was killed by the McGees – earlier in the season, Sully and Dushane cross this Irish family, a "big time" crime clan looking to move in on their patch.

Represented by Jonny (Barry Keoghan) and Tadgh (Brian Gleeson), the McGees attempt to strong-arm Sully and Dushane into accepting them as business partners.

Refusing to be intimidated, Sully and Dushane assassinate the pair and steal their stash of drugs to boot – the same stash that is in turn stolen by Jaq, then by Dushane, before finally returning to Sully's possession where it remains until his death.

For all that we hear of the McGees' power and influence, our boys appear to face no consequences for having killed two of their number and run off with their stash... unless Sully's murder was payback?

Maybe we're overthinking this, and Stef – the most plausible option – is the one who killed Sully, contemplating walking the righteous path before ultimately taking a dark turn. (But then why obscure our view of the killer so we can't be entirely certain?)

Or maybe the ambiguity of it all is the point. Perhaps in the end, it doesn’t matter who pulled the trigger - living the life they lead, Sully and Dushane were always going to get got by someone, somehow…

They're gone, but the ramifications of their actions will be felt for a long time. The cycle of violence continues.

Read more:

• Top Boy recap: What happened in Summerhouse and the Netflix revival
• Where is Top Boy filmed? Location guide for Netflix’s season 4
• Top Boy Netflix soundtrack: Every song featured in the new season

Top Boy is streaming now on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

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