As the finale of The Rising begins, Michael (William Ash) asks William (Nicholas Gleaves) what he told her. Alex (Nenda Neururer) believes that Michael killed Neve, but he says that is crazy. William says he isn’t going to let him touch her. Michael wants to keep everyone calm so they can talk about this. William tells Alex to go before he grabs Michael to prevent him from leaving. Neve (Clara Rugaard) tries to convince Victoria (Laura Aikman) to help her escape. Victoria complains she already tried. Neve begins beating on the door with a pipe. Michael tells William that they can’t let Alex go because they’re screwed if she tells Christine.

William argues that the nightmare has dragged on long enough and he should’ve told Christine years ago. When Michael says they’re in on it together, William calls himself the idiot who covered for him. He bought this place to protect him and dug him out of this crap over and over. Michael suggests they leave, but William says it is over and he is on his own. He warns William that he’ll make sure the police come after him too. William says he has insurance before leaving. Michael hears Alex’s phone beeping nearby. He begins looking around for her but doesn’t find her. DS Diana Aird (Rebecca Root) tells Maria (Emily Taaffe) that Alex isn’t answering her phone.

Maria tells her that Tom knew about the belt because he spoke to Neve. When Alex finally gets back with her, she tells Diana that Michael killed Neve and her father helped cover for him. She also tells Maria that Neve is here somewhere and possibly in trouble. Maria tells her to stay there because she is on her way.  Neve finds a wall before her hands begin disappearing again. Victoria says that happened to her too. As she became angrier, she hated more and the more it took hold. After Neve stops it, Alex manages to find the wall that she is beating on. Neve tells Victoria that they’re getting out of here although Victoria isn’t sure she can just leave.

Maria arrives outside while Alex takes a hammer to the wall. Neve tells Victoria that they’ll find her body and figure out what Michael did. Victoria claims she isn’t part of that world anymore. Neve understands that fear, but she insists you can fight it. Although Victoria thought they were the same, she believes Neve is wrong. Neve suggests otherwise. She tells Victoria that they can use the darkness to stop Michael out there. While Maria and Alex tear down the wall, Victoria asks Neve to make Michael pay for what he did to them. Once Neve escapes the hidden room, she hugs Alex while saying it was Michael who killed her. Alex confirms to Maria that Neve is okay.

Maria admits she thought she wanted to go. Neve says she thinks she is supposed to finish this. She tells Alex about Victoria and her body. Alex instructs Maria to call the police and not go down there as both leaves. Instead, Maria goes into the hidden room and finds Victoria’s body. Alex follows Neve outside where she tells her she doesn’t have to do this because the police are onto him now. Neve believes she needs to do this herself since they might not have enough evidence or let him walk and do it again. Neve asks whether she is going to stop her. Alex questions whether she wants her to before they kiss. Neve says she loves her and leaves. Diana comes out of the hall and tells Alex and Maria that the clothing on the body matches what Victoria was wearing when she disappeared.

When Alex apologizes, Maria insists none of this was her fault. Michael tries to call William who is busy digging up the belt buckle. Maria returns to Daniel (Alex Lanipekun), Max (Cameron Howitt), and Katie (Robyn Cara) to tell them about the discovery. They try to wrap their heads around it before Max says Victoria shouldn’t be alone. Katie agrees and decides to go to the hall. Maria tells Katie she thinks they should all go because she needs to say goodbye however she can. Katie reveals the kids at school used to ridicule her and say even her mother ran away from her. Part of her believed it for a while. Maria insists their mother loved them so much and would be proud of them.

Daniel comes up the stairs in time to see them hugging. Christine (Ann Ogbomo) calls William and asks him to tell her the truth. He tells her that Michael killed Victoria and Neve. William confesses he helped move Victoria to the cellar at Keaton Hall and helped him seal it up. Michael told him about Neve the night it happened. William confirms he is at the house. Christine tells William to stay put because she is sending the police there before she learns that Michael is at the house too. Before the call ends, William tells Christine he loves her. Michael promises he just wants to talk. William asks what the screwdriver in his hand is for. He is told to sit down. Maria is there when Tom is released from the jail. She hugs him and tells him about Neve knowing who killed her.

William tells Michael that he has protection or evidence of what he did. Michael knows he screwed up. This is why he needs William because he can’t handle this on his own. Neve walks in as Michael tells William that he helped him before. William admits he thought Michael made a mistake one time and it was grief or alcohol, but he did it again. He tells Michael that he had to lead the search party and look the family in the eyes at the vigil knowing what he had done. It eats away at him like a cancer and wonders whether it is like that for Michael. He tells William they can make this go away like they did with Victoria. Michael threatens to go after Alex and Christine unless William tells him about the evidence.

William tells him it is the belt buckle and it is at the motocross club. A scuffle begins seconds later. Meanwhile, Tom and Maria try tracking down Neve. Michael leaves William on the floor with the screwdriver sticking out of his side. He goes to the motocross club where he searches the toolbox for the belt buckle. Neve arrives and the lights in the club begin flickering. She knows what he is now and what he did to her. Neve needs Michael to see her. She wants him to know that she had a name, a face, and a life so she wasn’t just a victim. As the lights blow, Neve says she is going to haunt his every moment. She will fill his days with fears and won’t stop until it kills him.

She scares him causing him to flee from the motocross club. When Michael gets into his car, Tom begins strangling him from behind. Maria notices and rushes over to stop him. Neve joins them as Maria checks for a pulse and says oh god. She has already called the police so she warns Tom he’ll go to prison if Michael died. Although Tom says Neve deserves justice, Neve says not like this. After Michael is pulled from the truck, Maria begins performing CPR. It takes a while, but Michael begins breathing again. Michael looks up and sees Neve standing above him. As Christine and Alex return home, they’re stopped by PC Chloe Hastings (Hollie-Jay Bowes) who won’t let them go inside.

Diana comes out and confirms it is bad news as Christine comforts Alex. Neve checks the toolbox for the buckle, but it isn’t there. Tom questions where else it could be. Neve walks over to her lock and asks her parents to get the police. Victoria watches as the police remove her body from the cellar. As she follows the body outside, she sees Daniel standing with the kids nearby. She goes over to comfort them as the van pulls away with her body in the back. After that, Neve sits down with Tom to discuss how Michael saw her. She reminds him of the time they came home and found him passed out in the bathroom. Maria had to revive him so he briefly died. Alex had the car accident, Tom nearly killed Michael, and William was in the motorcycle crash.

Neve suspects those who can see her have been where she is even if only for a short time. When he asks what happens now, Neve gets up and walks away. Michael is interviewed at the police station. Diana suggests he is facing life in prison so he might as well get everything off his chest. Michael denies touching Neve Kelly or Victoria Sands. Instead, he claims William killed them and that is why he killed his brother. His brother was going to do it again, but he stopped him. Diana wonders if this is all he thinks about since he has been carrying the burden for a long time. When he asks about evidence, Diana shows him the belt buckle and pictures of him wearing it.

She also reveals that William told Christine what happened before he was killed. He is officially charged with the murders. When he is taken to his cell, Neve is there waiting for him. Michael begins banging on the door and asking to transfer to another cell. He can’t believe she is real and suspects it is the trauma, but Neve says he doesn’t get to talk about trauma to her. Neve claims she doesn’t care about his life or any of that. She just wants to know why he did it. He insists she did this to herself by mouthing off about Joseph and their lives when she had no right to judge him. He yells that he has worked hard this whole life to raise Joseph and put a roof over their heads. Michael asks why she can’t respect that and praise him for once. Neve questions what lesson he taught Victoria.

He loved her, but she made him feel stupid like he could never have someone like her. After he claims she should’ve loved him back, Neve says he doesn’t know how to love. She complains that he took away their lives and futures before asking what the point of it is. Men like him have been doing this for centuries and trying to justify it to themselves and their mates. He has spent a lifetime hating and hurting people because he is too weak, insecure, and scared. Her hand begins shaking and fading. Neve says it feels like hate and darkness that wants to be let out. Michael panics while saying he doesn’t want to die and begins hitting the button to get the attention of the guards. Neve reminds him that she and Victoria didn’t want to die either.

Neve confesses that she wanted to hurt him and watch him die, but she isn’t going to let him change who she is. She isn’t going to be defined by what he did to her either. His greatest fear came true now that he is nothing with nobody. A guard comes in to check on Michael. He can’t see Neve who casually walks out. Tom meets Neve outside as she admits she said what she wanted to say. They hear an eerie noise coming from the prison. Victoria shows up in Michael’s cell and says she isn’t as forgiving as Neve. She goes after him and the alarm begins rinsing throughout the jail. Diana and the guard rush in to check on Michael who is already dead. Neve tells her father she thinks it is over.

He asks what happens now and whether she is going to stay, but it doesn’t seem like it. Neve tells him she couldn’t have gotten through this without him. They tell each other they love one another and embrace. Later, Neve sits with Alex and asks whether she is okay, but Alex believes they’re both messed up. Alex talks about her father who did terrible things. She wishes they could’ve figured things out. Alex loves the idea of riding off on a bike together and going wherever the road takes them, but she doesn’t think it can happen. Neve believes they were brought together to help one another. She tells Alex she has to live her life now. As for Neve, she always knew she was meant to be somewhere else.

She is confident she’ll be okay. After they kiss, Neve says she’ll be thinking about Alex no matter where she is. Alex says they might get to see each other again one day. Once Neve leaves, she watches Katie, Daniel, and Max clean the car together and play around. She goes inside where her mother is painting a picture and Maria realizes she is there. They touch hands again. Neve leaves the room as Maria looks at the portrait of Neve she just finished. Neve leaves on her bike before the episode ends.

 

The Rising Review

The finale of The Rising was okay although a bit weak in some areas. In some ways, the show kind of downplayed the murders of Victoria and Neve, but this could’ve been the natural outcome of seeing the victims alive. It is difficult to believe Victoria would’ve been able to kill Michael, however, the show has never been realistic anyway. Allowing Neve to leave after all is done was somewhat of a letdown since there was no closure.

It would’ve been better if she would have finally rested peacefully and turned to dust. The series and finale had a few emotional moments that were well done. Many people are going to give up on this series after the first episode because it takes “woke” to a whole new level. I haven’t mentioned this before because I would’ve been droning on for eight reviews, but some may feel there is an agenda here.

The Rising really isn’t bad though. Some episodes are better than others and the acting can be bad at times, but it is a good way to kill roughly eight hours. The finale wasn’t the strongest episode of the season. I am glad it dealt with the murderer though. It scores a 6 out of 10. Recaps of The Rising are available on Reel Mockery here. Find out how to support Reel Mockery here.