Falling ending explained: If Anna and David end up together and if there'll be a series 2
She's a nun, he's a priest... but can they make it work?
Falling revolves around a will-they-won’t-they romance between Anna and David, a nun and a priest – but do they get together by the end of the Channel 4 drama?
The new series, written and created by Jack Thorne (Adolescence, Lord of the Flies), is a bit of a slow-burn. But, in other ways, it isn’t at all: in the first episode, Anna (Keeley Hawes) legs it from her convent to see Father Hicks, aka David (Paapa Essiedu).
One thing becomes clear: as romantic as it can be, it isn’t your typical love story. Falling reckons with faith as well as love; what it means, its dominion over you, and whether or not it’s right to give your entire life to it.
There aren’t any easy answers… except to this question: does Falling end with Anna and David together? Well, let’s get into it!
How does Falling end?
The finale of Falling opens with Anna fully having left the convent and ready to embrace life on the outside. Muriel (Rakie Ayola) lets her move back in and even offers to pay her to be her housekeeper.
However, not yet deterred by the toughness of adult life in a British town, she ventures out to look for work. She tries the job centre, but with no typing, computing, or administration skills, she’s out of luck.
Later that day, her mum and dad (Susan Brown and Simon Chandler) come round to help paint her room. (Remember, they always thought that they drove Anna to the convent by never changing the deer on her bedroom wall).
By the end of the finale, Anna’s relationship with her parents is effectively mended. If anything, her mum is directly responsible for what happens between Anna and David. More on that shortly…
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A wedding changes everything in the Falling finale
Meanwhile, David’s sister Susan (Sophie Stone) gets married to Simon (Craig Painting).
Susan has a little wobble at the start of the episode, but after some sweet assurances from David, who tells her it’s “about time [she] didn’t have to be the grown up all the time”, everything else goes to plan… almost.
After their ceremony at the registry office, they go back to the house for a party. Francis (Adrian Scarborough) finds David upstairs, trying to write his blessing.
Francis asks if David will hear his confession. However, that pretence is slightly false. Francis talks about how he’s devoted himself to his mother, God, and his allotment (“in that order”). He’s been struggling with his mother; specifically, she’s an elderly woman, and she’s accused him of being attracted him and other women who come into the house.
Yet, he’s always been able to find fulfilment in his love for his mum. “I do not regret a second I spent with her, I do not regret my life, because it is a love to this day. It is a life filled with a true love,” he tells David.
Now, that’s all very poignant, but why is he telling David all this? As David suspects, Francis has noticed the “light” going out within him, and worries he may be regretting (or live to regret) his life.
“God’s gift, which he gave to all humanity, is that only you know which love is true,” he says.
Ultimately, David is risking sin with his love for Anna. If he gave up his position, what he’d lose would be insubstantial compared to what he’d gain.
Also, David wasn’t aware that Anna had left the convent again.
Falling ending explained: Do Anna and David get together?
Yes! The final shot of Falling sees Anna and David holding each other on park bench, together at last.
After Francis’ “confession”, David tells his sister he needs to go find Anna. She’s delighted (plus, Francis agrees to fill in for him).
He goes to Muriel’s house and ends up meeting Anna’s parents. They tell him she left to go to the shops, so he sprints through the streets looking for her.
David eventually finds Anna walking home with two shopping bags. He explains that he’s leaving the church because he loves her – and he’s always loved her.
She struggles to process it at first. After all, he “changed [her] soul”, but she acted with immediacy. “It was humiliating… you really hurt me. I could hit you,” she tells him.
“Are you saying I’ve lost my chance?” he asks, but before he can say another word, she kisses him. Hurray!
She calls him an “insecure coward”, which he admits, as well as being an alcoholic. Ultimately, they’re both scared, and neither have all of the things an adult should have by this point in their lives.
“Let’s decide it’s not a betrayal [to God],” Anna says. “He saved me, too. I’m just the same, I’d like to ring a bell and put my life back how it was, but I’d also really like to kiss you again.”
And, so, with the sun shining, the wind blowing, and birds chirping, they kiss.
“How do we do this?” he asks, and, with a giggle, Anna replies: “Do you think I know?”
Will there be a Falling series 2?
Neither Jack Thorne nor Channel 4 have given any indication that Falling series 2 is in development.
That’s not to say it absolutely couldn’t happen. After all, Anna and David’s story has only just begun. Will they have kids? Are they going to get married? Where will they live? Will either of them stay connected to the church?
The possibility of a second series could depend on how successful it is. However, there’s every chance it was conceived as a standalone limited series.
If you look at Thorne’s IMDb, he’s going to be very busy for the next few years. He wrote Enola Holmes 3, which is still in production, as well as The Beatles biopics. He’s also attached to an adaptation of Suzanne Heywood’s Wavewalker and Shane Meadows’ Chork.
In other words, Falling series 2 seems rather unlikely. But you never know… keep the faith!
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