Gone on ITV ending explained: The shocking real killer of Sarah Polly revealed, why they did it, and news on series 2
Did you guess the murderer?
Gone has come to a devastating conclusion, with detective Annie Cassidy finally catching the killer in the ending of the ITV thriller.
It was an empowering moment for the often overlooked Annie. She caught Sarah Polly’s murderer single-handedly. And looking directly in the eye of one weak man, she realised something about a man in her own life too. She had to end her toxic marriage to controlling husband Craig.
Meanwhile, Michael Polly was guilty – but not of murder. He was to ‘blame’ for not being the perfect husband. He was just a normal bloke, who found it hard to show his feelings. By the ending of ITV thriller Gone he was left a broken man. But he still had hope in the form of his daughter Alana. And that was a happy ending of sorts for the one-time suspect.
Here’s the ending of ITV crime drama Gone unpacked, including who really killed music teacher Sarah Polly.
***Warning: spoilers from the ending of Gone on ITV ahead***
What happened in the Gone ending on ITV?
The penultimate episode of Gone ended with Michael Polly about to carry out a desperate act. His wife was dead, his daughter accused him of killing her, and he was the police’s prime suspect. Preparing to hang himself in the very woods his wife’s dead body was found in, he left a suicide note saying: “I am to blame for Sarah Polly’s death.”
Luckily, a passer-by discovered Michael’s body before he was able to do any real harm. However, his suicide note implied guilt…
As the final episode began, DS Annie Cassidy was convinced Michael Polly was not guilty of killing his wife. She became determined to prove his innocence – even if he WAS trying to take responsibility for it. Annie insisted there was a big difference between feeling responsible for something, and actually having committed the crime.
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As DI Ivan Pemberley and DC Nira Barker pushed to sew up the investigation, Annie refused to be swayed. Having been Michael Polly’s Family Liaison Officer, she felt she knew him well enough to trust he didn’t do it. And it turned out she was 100% right about that…
Who killed Sarah Polly?
Rory Bowman, the deputy head of St Bartholomew’s School, killed Sarah Polly. A former pupil of the school, he was an old friend of Michael Polly’s and went way back with Michael and wife Sarah. And it wasn’t just Michael’s job as Headmaster he coveted. It was his wife.
Viewers discovered that Rory was in love with Sarah. In fact, he’d even tried it on with her behind Michael’s back, only to be knocked back. Thanks to Annie’s clever questioning – all under the pretence of being the Family Liaison Officer – Rory’s dirty secret came gushing out.
Why did Rory Bowman kill Sarah Polly?
Viewers also learnt that Rory had a habit of harassing women, including teachers at the school. When complaints came in, it was Sarah who convinced Michael to give Rory another chance at the school. So it’s understandable that Rory felt hugely indebted and attached to Sarah. She was “hugely important to him” and he admitted he “loved her”. So why did he kill her?
He told Annie: “I found out about Sarah’s affair with Stephen Sedgwick, and confronted her about it. She lied to me. She kept telling me it was over when it wasn’t. I told her to stop if for the sake of the school. My school would have suffered if the news got out. But she kept shouting and shouting. I wanted her to stop shouting.”
So Rory and Sarah had an argument, which ended with Rory strangling Sarah to death – which he claimed was an accident. He couldn’t cope with the fact she had rejected him but then embarked on a relationship with Stephen Sedgwick. Rory was also worried about the reputation of the school. Like Michael, his job had become all-encompassing.
Thanks to Annie’s brilliant policing, police subsequently arrested Rory on suspicion of Sarah Polly’s murder.
How did Annie catch killer Rory in the ending of Gone on ITV?
An unaccounted for Castra Lock key was discovered in the woods where Sarah Polly’s body was found. It did not belong to the Polly’s, and no one else claimed it.
However, in the final episode, Annie visited Deputy Head Rory to ask some questions about student Dylan Sedgwick. Knowing that Michael Polly was innocent, Annie began to wonder if young Dylan could be responsible. After all, he was known for raging at the world, and had every reason to dislike Sarah as she was having an affair with his dad.
But, when Annie arrived at Rory’s house. She realised he had a Castra Lock. When she tried it on the off-chance, it slotted in perfectly… Rory had left his key at the scene of the crime because he’d been there. Although he insisted he’d gone to the woods after the crime, Annie soon manipulated the truth out of him.
Michael Polly’s fate in the series finale
A devastated Michael felt the burden of his so-called failures. He realised all too late that he hadn’t been the best husband or dad. Rory admitted that his role of Headmaster had “defined him”. He believed his pupils needed a “serious, strong leader in charge” and told his daughter Alana: “In the end that’s all I was. And it wasn’t just at school. It was my whole life, even at home.”
He continued: “I wasn’t there for Sarah, even when we were in the same house, the same room. I failed her.” Sorry, but that didn’t mean it was okay for her to cheat on him either.
In the closing scenes of Gone on ITV, Michael Polly and his daughter Alana began to rebuild their lives around the absence of Sarah Polly. But there was hope for the future. Michael was determined to be a better father.
What happened to Annie in the Gone ending on ITV?
In the Gone ending on ITV, Annie came to a realisation that left fans punching the air with joy. Kick that [bleep] husband to the curb and move on.
It came after a well-intentioned warning from Michael, who told her: “You’re going to have to find a way to tell Craig.”
Annie was separated from her husband Craig after he cheated. And he wasn’t just a cheat. He was a controlling and sometimes violent git. Although it looked like her resolve was beginning to weaken, she saw sense and ended it with him for good. Her final words were: “It’s over Craig.”
Meanwhile, she vowed to continue investigating the case of missing girl Tina Bradley.
Is there a series 2 of Gone?
ITV has not yet confirmed a series 2 of Home, as it’s “too early”. But we should know some news after all the final viewing figures come in the next few weeks.
Frankly, the broadcaster would be bonkers not to recommission it. It’s arguably the best ITV crime drama to air in 2026 so far, and Eve Myles is a leading lady we can always get behind. And there’s still the case of Tina Bradley for Annie Cassidy to solve…
