Riptide on Channel 5: Bonkers ending explained, including who murdered Sean and why
'Dan' wasn't who he said he was, but what were his motives...?
Riptide’s final episode delivered all the answers viewers had been looking for, with Sean’s mysterious disappearance finally explained in the rather bonkers ending.
The suspenseful thriller promised an “unexpected twist” and it certainly delivered it. Jo Joyner starred as adoring wife Alison, who was “plunged into despair” when her new Australian husband vanished after a morning surf.
While police presumed he had drowned in the riptide, Alison couldn’t shake the possibility that something else might have happened to him… And, of course, she was dead right.
We eventually learnt that someone HAD murdered Sean, thanks to the end of episode 1’s big reveal. So who killed him – and then Michael – and why? And who would they target next?
Here’s the Riptide ending explained, with everyone’s motived unpacked.
***WARNING: Contains spoilers ahead from the ending of Riptide on Channel 5***
Riptide on Channel 5 ending explained: Who was the killer?
We were suspicious from the start, so it’s no surprise that Dan wasn’t who he said he was. He was an imposter and, turns out, capable or murder – not once, or twice, but three times. After moving into Daniel Durrell’s home, next to Alison and Sean, he assumed the identity of the home owner. He pretended he lost his wife Naomi to cancer.
But, in the final episode, he found out the Durrells were coming home early. While he tried to keep estate agent Jenny sweet by asking her on a date, she soon realised there were photos of him in the house… He knew he had to kill her to keep her quiet. Once poor Jenny was dead, it all escalated from there!
Knowing he would have to leave the house, Dan invited Alison on a trip to “a property he owned a few hours away”. In reality, he booked the property online, but Alison didn’t know that!
Providing Alison with wine and cheese, he convinced her to stay the night, and told her he felt like they had been brought together. He kissed her, but Alison pushed him away and said she wasn’t ready for that yet. And she wouldn’t be for a long time.
That was when the real estate agency checked the Durrell’s home and asked Hannah who had been living in there. Hannah called her mum and told her that Dan was NOT who he said he was. Alison checked Dan’s wallet and found his ID. His real name was Simon Cameron, not Dan!
It was time for Alison to get the hell out of there!
What were Logan and Michael doing together?
We finally found out what shady business Hannah’s boyfriend Logan and her dad, Michael, were doing together. They were selling electronics together off the back of a truck. Michael wanted extra money to support Hannah and Logan needed the extra cash.
Logan assured Hannah that he didn’t think Michael could be a killer, and he was right! Once they figured out that Dan was not who he said he was and did not own the home next to Alison’s, they went to the property where Alison and Simon were to stop him from hurting anyone else…
What happened to Alison in the Riptide ending?
Once Alison knew Dan was really Simon, she knew she had to escape him. She went for the car before dropping her phone. As she rummaged around for it, she found the necklace belonging to the estate agent Jenny that Simon had killed. And, in true Channel 5 thriller form, Simon caught her with the necklace.
In a bid to escape, Alison ran into the nearby woods, with her life in serious danger. and it looked like she wouldn’t make it out alive. In a tense confrontation, Simon admitted he had killed Sean and Michael for her. As the situation escalated, Alison hit him over the head with a rock.
Finally fleeing, Hannah and Logan reached the property just in time. Alison and Hannah hugged, as an injured Daniel/Simon lay on the ground nearby.
Why did Simon/Dan turn killer?
So, it was Simon who killed Sean Weston, having disguised himself as their next-door neighbour Dan Durrell. He killed Sean and later Michael and the real estate agent Jenny. Why? All because he was in love with Alison, who he’d fallen in love with at first sight.
Simon, who had survived the rock bashing, subsequently told the police where to find Michael’s body, and Hannah was devastated at the loss of her father.
Hannah went to visit Simon for answers, and Alison wasn’t far behind. She told Dan that she pitied him because he had never felt real love… But, of course, she had and he “could never take that away from her”.
The final episode ended with Sean having left three million dollars to Alison, plus shares from his company. It was a bittersweet ending. Although Simon had been arrested and faced a lengthy jail term, Alison would always miss her beloved husband, who had been murdered senselessly.
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