Gone on ITV: 6 clues that Sarah Polly's killer was Michael's Deputy Rory Bowman all along
Did you guess?
Gone on ITV has finally revealed the identity of Sarah Polly’s killer but, if you were paying close attention, you might have uncovered the six hidden clues pointing to Deputy Head Rory Bowman’s guilt.
Over six episodes, DS Annie Cassidy tried to unmask the person who had killed Michael Polly’s music teacher wife. And, of course, prime suspect was Michael himself.
However, over the course of the series, the blame shifted to various other suspects including Sarah’s lover Stephen Sedgwick, and maybe even Stephen’s son Dylan. But, of course, it was none of these.
The killer in ITV crime drama Gone was the person most viewers least expected – the Deputy Head teacher of St Bartholomew’s School Rory Bowman. But, if you’re a keen fan of thriller, then you might have spotted the clues.
***Warning: spoilers from the ending of Gone on ITV ahead***
Deputy Head Rory Bowman was the killer in Gone on ITV
Killer Rory Bowman, the deputy head of St Bartholomew’s School, strangled Sarah Polly to the death in the dramatic season finale of Gone on ITV. 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 he do it? Well, viewers 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”. He confessed to Annie that he had found out about Sarah’s affair with Stephen Sedgwick, and confronted her about it.
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He said: “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.”
In the final episode of ITV’s Gone, we discovered that Rory subsequently turned killer when he strangled Sarah to death during the argument.
6 clues Rory Bowman was the killer in ITV’s Gone
Plenty of viewers didn’t guess Rory Bowman was the killer in ITV’s Gone at all. But the clues were there all along. Here’s where the ITV thriller laid a trail of crumbs…
Clue 1 was that Rory Bowman was the deputy head of St Bartholomew’s School and a former pupil there. He and Michael went way back. He cared deeply about the reputation of the school. Like Michael, his job had become all-encompassing. So he’d do anything to protect the school from a scandal like an affair between a teacher and a parent. There were also subtle hints that he had a controlling nature…
Clue 2 was how quickly Rory assumed the title of Head when Michael was suspended. We soon learnt that Michael’s job wasn’t the only thing Rory coveted. The man was clearly fed up of living in Michael’s shadow.
Clue 3: Although some viewers believed the killer was impossible to guess, anybody who has watched an ITV thriller before will know that is EXACTLY how writers ensure that no-one will be able to predict the ending. There had been no focus on his outside life at all. This in itself was a huge clue. Everyone else was too obvious. Police questioned both Sarah’s husband Michael Polly and her lover Stephen Sedgwick. So deep down we knew it couldn’t be them. It would be someone the ITV series hadn’t even focused on yet. It was all one big red herring. As one viewer wrote on X: “It’s usually such a weird suspect with no motive.”
‘All that crap before Covid’
Clue 4: When Michael was suspended, the wounded Head said to Rory: “All that crap before Covid. That doesn’t just go away on its own.” This was in episode 3. A huge clue that Michael had some secret knowledge about Rory. How many of you forgot about it? Of course, we later discovered the “crap” was sexual assault claims.
Clue 5: In episode 4, the police questioned Michael Polly’s work colleagues. This prompted Rory to recall a “violent encounter” involving his dear friend (cough cough). Rory said: “Last term I was walking past the pitches when I saw Polly behind the Pavilion in a fight with one of the boys – James Barrie. He saw me and stopped. Later, I told him I would have to report it and he did a number on me.” First of all, how quickly did Rory blab about his so-called friend’s so-called “violent” nature. And secondly, if this story were true, it’s hard to believe why such a stickler for the rules wouldn’t report it. It put the seed in our minds that Michael could be physically violent. But really, we should have been looking at why Rory had shared the story in the first place, and even if it was true.
Clue 6: Rupert Evans is a well-known actor. A popular actor. But he was underused in the ITV thriller – until the big reveal. One eagle-eyed viewer said: “Well I don’t think it’s David Morrissey. But I am curious about Rupert Evans as he’s probably the second biggest actor in it for such a little part #Gone.” Spot on.
