The Good Ship Murder: S3 finale unpacked, news on series 4, and future of Catherine Tyldesley's Kate revealed
The Good Ship Murder docked in Ancona for the finale - and it was a blinder
The Good Ship Murder series 3 ended with the most shocking and emotional death so far, meaning a possible series 4 will be short of at least one of its main cast members.
In the season finale, the ship landed in the Italian city of Ancona where Piers was in great spirits. He arranged to meet Sharon for some food, as their romance blossomed beautifully. But first he had to entertain two old naval college friends, Jens and Antoine.
And the arrogant Jens wasted no time in attempting to humiliate and goad Piers… And things only go worse for the poor Acting Captain.
Here’s a quick recap of what happened in the series 3 ending, what we know about a series 4, and who will be returning.
***Warning: spoilers from The Good Ship Murder series ending ahead***
What happened in The Good Ship Murder series 3 finale?
The final episode of The Good Ship Murder series 3 easily had one of the most unexpected deaths to date – that of a staff member. And not just any staff member, either. It was Geoffrey Breton’s character Piers de Vreese who was killed off in episode 8.
The character has been in the show ever since the very first episode in 2023. As with Claire Sweeney’s surprising departure in 2024, Channel 5 had done a very good job of keeping the actor’s departure secret.
Piers had been Acting Captain ever since Captain Marlowe’s health took a turn. While the Captain was instructed to stay in his cabin, Piers ran the ship in his absence.
However, in a very shocking twist, Piers’ murder was the central mystery this week. He received a single stab wound to the back – with Marlowe’s own dagger. Suspects, of course, included Marlowe himself, as well as Piers’ military officer friends Jens and Antoine.
Who killed Piers de Vreese?
It was Lesley Dunlop’s character Carol who killed Piers. But is wasn’t quite as simple as good and evil. We discovered that Carol had a brain aneurysm. Symptoms can include memory loss, personality changes, and cognitive impairments.
Although she had been trying to keep her diagnosis secret, Piers had seen her results on Dr Tan’s laptop. He subsequently gave Carol the devastating news that she couldn’t stay on the ship. Understandably, company policy meant that the ship couldn’t carry any uninsured passengers. And no insurance company would cover Carol with her condition.
An upset Carol wanted to “live out her days on the ship” and saw the crew as “her family”. In a fit of despair, she used Marlowe’s dagger to stab Piers in the back.
She was subsequently arrested, once Jack and Kate had worked out she was guilty. Of course, whether she had diminished responsibility because of her illness is one for the judge and lawyers to work out…
Will Captain Marlowe be back?
Captain Richard Marlowe had been confined to his cabin as a result of his illness. It was for his own safety, as he’d started to suffer from delusions associated with his early on-set dementia.
At the end of The Good Ship Murder series 3, Captain Marlowe was cleared of any part in Piers’ death. However, his role on the ship was left unclear.
All we know is that Captain Marlowe’s future would be decided when the ship returned to dock at Southampton. However, as there is no cure for dementia, it is unlikely that James Barriscale will be back as Captain Marlowe in series 4. Or, if he does, we expect it will be to say a proper goodbye to the popular character.
Will there be a series 4 of The Good Ship Murder?
The Good Ship Murder will be back for a series 4, according to reports, and will start filming in Malta this spring. Although Channel 5 has not yet confirmed the news yet, we know the series wouldn’t leave cosy crime fans on such a sad note!
Series 4 would need a new captain, and we have to find out what Jack whispered into Kate’s ear during the final episode. As crew members let off a flare in memory of Piers, Jack leaned into Kate’s ear and said something no one else could hear. Surely a marriage proposal would be in bad taste at a memorial…?
We also know that Catherine Tyldesley, who has played First Officer Kate Woods since 2023, is taking an extended break from Corrie this year to film her final scenes in The Good Ship Murder.
Series 4 of The Good Ship Murder is expected to land in 2027. Although we have good reason to hope for a Christmas special at the end of 2026.
Is Catherine Tyldesley coming back as Kate Woods?
Soaps fans will know that Catherine Tyldesley is now back in Coronation Street playing Eva Price. It’s a permanent role which has a gruelling schedule. So it’s impossible for the actress to film both The Good Ship Murder and the ITV soap. Not to mention that Corrie is filmed in Manchester, while the Channel 5 cosy crime is filmed overseas.
In 2025, it was announced that Eva Price would return to the cobbles after seven years away. She made her dramatic re-entrance in October 2025. Her soap commitments mean she will be written out of the cosy crime drama.
Reports say that actress Catherine will depart the cobbles for a brief period to wrap up her role as Kate Woods in The Good Ship Murder.
A source told the Metro: “Cath spoke to her bosses at Corrie about taking some time off to film her Good Ship exit and they agreed. […] There was talk about possibly killing off her character but in the end bosses decided that she would get a happy ending.”
Read more: The Good Ship Murder series 3: Cast of episode 7 welcomes Line of Duty’s most divisive star ever
