As the episode begins, Gemma Foster (Suranne Jones) drives directly towards Simon (Bertie Carvel). She swerves and misses him, before continuing onward. Then, Gemma meets with Tom (Tom Taylor). They quickly pack their belongings and flee the hotel. They spot Simon in the parking lot, but continue onward. On the way home, Gemma has a flashback of a younger Tom. Once they arrive home, we see that the house is completely empty. Before too long, Simon shows up at the house. Tom becomes upset and gives Simon a piece of his mind. Then, he runs inside. Simon tells Gemma how much he would like to stab her. She tells him that he should stab himself. Simon suggests that he might do just that.

Tom asks Gemma what they were talking about. Then, Tom heads upstairs. They receive another knock at the door. It is a new neighbor. After the neighbor leaves, Gemma has a flashback to better times with Simon. Later, Gemma and Tom go to dinner with Ros (Thusitha Jayasundera), her husband and James (Prasanna Puwanarajah). Tom becomes frustrated and wants to leave. Moments later, Simon bangs on the window. Gemma meets with him outside. Simon tells Gemma that he believes they should let everything go and get back to together for Simon’s sake. He pleads with her to take something. She does and immediately throws it in the trash. Seconds later, Tom steps outside. Tom tells Simon that he is a failure and then they rush back inside.

James returns home with Gemma that night. He surprises her with a pair of earrings. Gemma heads downstairs and meets with Tom in the kitchen. Tom asks Gemma about her parents. Tom asks Gemma if she just wanted to punish Simon. She explains that she just wanted him gone. She states that she did not start it. In another flashback, Simon tells Gemma that Tom wants her to be softer with him. They agree to keep their relationship happy. Later that night, Gemma hears a vehicle stroll down the road. She checks Tom’s room and finds him gone. She tries to quickly break up with James, before chasing after Tom. She heads to the hotel and speaks with the clerk. She is given a key to Simon’s room. When she enters, she finds the room empty. She eventually finds Simon near the roadway and Tom nearby. Simon is threatening to jump in front of a car.

Gemma eventually manages to calm him down. She tells him something that we cannot hear. Then, the family heads inside for breakfast. Simon orders alcohol. He breaks down and begins to cry. This forces Gemma to order food for him. Eventually, it comes out that Gemma suffered from postnatal depression and once said she wanted Tom to die. Gemma heads out to her vehicle and grabs several syringes and medicine. She places the items in Simon’s room along with a notepad. She returns to the restaurant and Simon says his final goodbye. Gemma and Tom drive away. As Simon prepares to kill himself, Gemma comes barging through the door. Gemma tells Simon how her parents really died. She also admits that the medication would not kill him painlessly. She explains that she wanted to kill herself, but felt it would be selfish.

Once the conversation ends, Gemma heads outside and finds Tom gone. She tries to call him, but finds his phone is in the car. Gemma looks around, but Tom is nowhere to be found. She returns to Simon’s room, but he isn’t there either. Moments later, Tom is reported missing. We see that Gemma returns to work. Missing posters for Tom are placed throughout the town. Gemma speaks to the camera about her mistakes. She pleads with Tom to return whenever he is ready.

 

Doctor Foster Review

It seems that the finale of Doctor Foster’s second season got a lot of hate. While the series didn’t match the quality of the previous, I still found it satisfying. In fact, I hope the series continues, so we can see what happens next. Bertie Carvel carried the finale. Much like everyone else, I continued to focus on Simon and whether or not he would kill himself. Or perhaps he would take revenge on Gemma?

In the end, I neglected Tom just like Gemma and Simon. There is a deep message here, but it will likely fly over the heads of many. The series did an exceptional job of exploring the selfish nature of parents and the impact their decisions have on their children. Perhaps the message wasn’t delivered in a concise manner, but I think that was what the writer was attempting to do here.

Overall, I enjoyed the finale. I’d give it a 7.5 out of 10. The flashbacks were a little whacky and difficult to follow in the beginning. Catch up with previous recaps of Doctor Foster now!