Waterloo Road series 17 ending explained: Darius' fate revealed, and if there'll be a series 18
Does Darius get arrested, and what happens to Stella? All of your questions are answered...
Waterloo Road series 17 ends on a cathartic note, particularly in how it handles Darius – and if you’re hoping for series 18, we may have good news.
Jon Richardson’s Darius may be the show’s greatest villain since Earl Kelly in the original series. He’s one of the slimiest and most reckless teachers to set foot in the school. As Stella says in the finale, he “plays with people’s lives”.
The new series (which includes a dark grooming storyline) follows his stint as deputy. Some scenes try to humanise him; he’s good with Leoni, a troubled new student, and his curmudgeonly father is clearly the source of his issues.
However, by the closing scenes, he deserves everything that happens to him – and this is a full breakdown of the Waterloo Road series 17 ending.
Waterloo Road series 17 ending explained: What happens to Darius?
Darius is arrested at the end of Waterloo Road series 17, with all of his lies (and crimes) finally catching up to him.
Let’s remember everything he’s done since he arrived: he framed Marc Todd after cocaine was found in the school, he (accidentally) caused Hope’s death, he exploited Jack’s alcoholism, he drugged Stella with ketamine, he stole from her pension, and he embezzled funds from the school.
However, the dominoes start toppling in the back half of series 17. When Jack unexpectedly returns to school, he consoles Stella and makes her realise that it was Darius who put the drugs in her coffee.
This shatters her once-glimmering perception of him, and the penny drops.
Darius finally admits to everything he’s done
Darius does everything he can to cover his tracks (forging emails, creating invoices from a made-up special education firm). When he discovers he can’t delete incriminating documents from the school server, he has a meltdown and starts ripping cables in the IT room.
It doesn’t help that he also gets spiked with ketamine in the finale (thanks, Ben), causing him to fumble his interview for the headteacher position. When Nisha confronts him, he tearfully confesses to everything, and she calls the police.
Stella finds him in a terrible state, and he admits to mixing up the cakes on the day on Hope died. He says he still has nightmares about her death, but his guilt doesn’t evoke any sympathy from Stella.
She starts punching him until he’s on the floor, and she doesn’t stop until Jack pulls her away. Jack asks him to stay calm before the police arrive and promises to get him help.
He’s taken away in handcuffs, walking past Nisha on his way out – who’s pregnant with his baby, by the way! Does this mean we’ll see him again? Possibly.
Waterloo Road series 17 ending: Are Freddie and Luca together?
Luca, a deaf pupil introduced in series 14, gets a love interest in the new series: Freddie.
The pair quickly hit it off in series 17. After a brief fallout over a catfish-esque blunder (Luca pretended to be someone else so he could feel ‘normal’ talking to Freddie), things end on a sweet note.
When Luca arrives at prom, Riley (his interpreter) reveals that Freddie had been planning a BSL flashmob to surprise him.
Luca remembers calling that sort of thing “cringe” in an earlier conversation. But, instead of moping in his guilt, he comes up with a plan.
Later in the evening, Luca stops the music, and he gets everyone to join in with a BSL dance to ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’. Yes, Waterloo Road actually Rickrolled us in the finale. Unless something changes, it’s safe to assume they’ll be an item in the next series.
Are Izzy and Cat in a relationship?
Yes, Izzy and Cat are together by the end of Waterloo Road series 17.
It’s a bit of a bumpy road before they’re slow-dancing at prom, though. After a surprise kiss in the opening episode, it isn’t long before they’re bickering again, with Cat taking issue with Izzy’s attitude to everyone around her.
To be fair, Izzy clearly has deeper problems to address than a fallout with her girlfriend. She butts heads with Donte (and, in one scene, actually gives him a black eye after booting a door in his face) throughout the new series.
Thankfully, the finale makes it clear that everyone is finally on the same page. Donte dances with Izzy, and when Cat asks to cut in, both he and Neil realise their daughters like each other.
“We could end up related,” Neil jokes, and the pair laugh and share a drink as they watch Cat and Izzy sway to the music.
Waterloo Road series 17 ending: Has Tonya left?
This part of the series is a little confusing, but it appears Tonya is back and will remain part of the Waterloo Road cast after series 17.
After her dad’s grooming scandal (more on this shortly), Nicky tells Tonya that she’s been offered a new job at St Clements and asks if she wants to go with her.
Tonya is reluctant… at first, but she agrees to go with her mum at the end of episode 6.
However, she makes a surprise return in episode 8. “I’m back now, that’s all that matters,” she tells Ashton.
“The other school was alright, but I missed my mates, and I missed you,” she adds.
During the episode, Tonya discovers that Ashton and Shola started seeing each other after she left Waterloo Road. She gets over it by the end of the episode, and she still seems happy to be back.
What happened between Portia and Tony?
Portia and Tony’s story is mostly resolved by the end of episode 5, but it casts a shadow over the rest of the series.
In short, it’s revealed that Tony (Nicky’s ex-husband and Tonya’s dad) has been grooming Portia, one of his football students. When he discovers Portia has told people about being in his car, he gets aggressive, and their relationship shifts.
In one scene, Tony gets her a new football top and makes her get changed in front of him. In episode 5, he sneaks her into the club, and it’s revealed she’s been sending him pictures (at his request).
However, Nicky catches him, Portia calls the police, and he gets charged.
This has a big impact not just on Portia, but Nicky and Tonya. If Portia returns, expect to see her dealing with the emotional fallout of what happened.
Is anyone leaving the Waterloo Road cast?
While unconfirmed, a few students may no longer be part of the Waterloo Road cast after series 17.
That’s the thing about Waterloo Road: the pupils can’t stick around forever. Given that series 17 closed with a prom, it’s safe to assume some of the characters will have graduated and may not return.
Miya Ocego, who plays Lois, posted a TikTok with Libby star Hattie Dynevor that said, “POV: You just graduated at Waterloo Road.”
@miyaocego Byeeee from us xxx brand new @Waterloo Road on your telly boxes today appy new year <333 @Hattie Dynevor #waterlooroad #graduate ♬ I’ll Do It (Sped Up Remix) – Heidi Montag
Does that mean we won’t see Lois, Libby, Aleena, and Stace? After all, Stace’s wedding in episode 8 serves as a good send-off.
Question marks still hang over the likes of Schuey and Agnes, and that’s before we get to any shake-ups of the teaching cast.
Waterloo Road series 17 ending: Will Steph Haydock return?
Denise Welch is widely expected to return as Steph Haydock. However, we won’t know for sure until the BBC confirms the cast list for the next series of Waterloo Road.
Steph only appeared in two episodes of series 17, but episode 7 paved the way for her to become a permanent fixture of the show’s cast again.
She interviewed for a full-time role, ignorant to the fact that she’d been flirting with Coral’s partner, Neil. Understandably, Coral is pretty frosty with Steph, but she apologises and assures her that no decision has been made regarding the position.
The writers wouldn’t include that scene if Steph wasn’t coming back, surely? Plus, Welch’s comments about Steph’s arc suggest there is more to come.
“There is going to be a lot of sadness there,” she teased in an interview with Digital Spy.
“It’s difficult to say what happens with this character because I’ve been told not to say too much! But we will certainly see another side of her.”
Also, in an Instagram post, Welch can be seen with actress Rachel Leskovac outside Waterloo Road (it may even be the new building) on a snow day.
Is Stella still the headteacher of Waterloo Road?
Yes, Stella Drake is still the headteacher of Waterloo Road… for now.
Despite her drug scare and being charged with embezzlement, Stella is expected to return to her duties fully at the school after Darius’ arrest.
Saira Choudhry, who plays Nisha, posted an Instagram Story that showed Stella’s name on the doors.
The question is, how long will she last? Series 17 includes several mentions of her nearing retirement. Could we see Jack Rimmer become Waterloo Road’s headteacher again? Or could another member of the original cast return – Rachel Mason, perhaps?
Will there be a Waterloo Road series 18?
Yes, Waterloo Road series 18 has already been confirmed by the BBC – and series 19 is happening, too.
The show was given a two-series renewal in 2025. Production has moved to Frasers Group’s former office building in Trafford Park.
Cameron Roach, an executive producer on Waterloo Road, said its renewal is a “huge achievement and a reflection of the incredible creative teams in front of and behind the camera” (via Televisual).
Lindsay Salt, the BBC director of drama, said she was “delighted that Waterloo Road will be opening its corridors once again, with two more series of the hit drama about to start filming”.
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