The Split series three: here's the heartbreaking finale explained
Series three of BBC legal drama The Split has been keeping viewers fixated on their TV screens every Monday night for a few weeks now, but the end is now upon us and many might be wondering what came of Hannah (Nicola Walker) and Nathan's (Stephen Mangan) divorce after plenty of stumbles in the road.
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Many fans, including us, simply couldn't wait until this week to find out and took no time storming through each episode as soon as it landed on iPlayer last month. If you're wanting to understand a bit more of what went down, or simply want an explainer – here's our lowdown of what happened at the end of series three of The Split. Warning! If you've not yet watched episode six, save this for later, as there are spoilers ahead…
WATCH: The Split series three stars Nicola Walker and Stephen Mangan
Throughout the whole season, Hannah and Nathan's divorce has been the focal point. After much back and forth, the final episode saw them sit down and finally agree on what needed to happen in order for them to sign the dotted line. So, how did they get there?
If fans were hoping for a reconciliation, then they would have been disappointed. Not only had Nathan found a new girlfriend, Kate (Lara Pulver), but they also revealed they are expecting a baby together.
But those fans could be forgiven for thinking it might have happened despite the obstacles. For starters, Nathan (who was not exactly jumping for joy about becoming a dad for the fourth time) joined Hannah and her family on their annual camping trip, with the former couple seemingly bonding in the process and even being forced to share a bed in a camper van.
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Hannah and Nathan realised their marriage was irreparable
At one point, Nathan admitted he was still in love with Hannah, and told her he thought divorcing was a mistake. He even fired his lawyer, Melanie (Anna Chancellor) who was hell-bent on getting Nathan as much monetary gain from the divorce as possible, explaining he didn't want a bitter split focused on the division of assets and finances.
Not only that, but Hannah decided to let Christie Carmichael (Barry Atsma) head back to the US – leaving his Stateside dream of picking up their romance where it left off in the gutter.
Hannah let Christie fly back to America solo
But, as the final episode shows, Hannah realised her marriage to Nathan was over and their relationship as a couple was irreparable. And flying across the Atlantic leaving her kids in the UK wasn't exactly going to solve the problem either.
However, there was still plenty of other drama happening elsewhere. After learning the truth about Tyler's (Damien Molony) plot to scam her and Zander (Chukwudi Iwuji), Nina (Annabel Scholey) attended an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. While doing so, she had an unexpected chat with Melanie, who inspired her to make amends for the mistakes she's made. She also managed to keep her job at the firm.
Did you enjoy series three?
Meanwhile, Rose (Fiona Button) took a big step in her grief journey by visiting the man who was given James' heart following his fatal accident. She also ran into the vicar, Glen (Kobna Holdbrook-Smith) while visiting her late husband's grave, and the pair walked off together – hinting at a blossoming romance.
Hannah's long-time friend and client, Lenny (Karen Bryson), who revealed she had motor neurone disease, finally told her husband, Felix, of her diagnosis and the pair decided to go through treatment together and called off their divorce. Meanwhile, Ruth and Ronnie got hitched at a gorgeous ceremony surrounded by their entire family.
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In the episode's final moments, Hannah and Nathan sat in the kitchen and finally came to an amicable decision to separate and share custody of their three children. The couple tearfully signed the papers and, soon after, Kate arrived and the Stern family showed that together they can all move on.
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