Girl Taken ending explained: Does Rick face justice for what happened to Lily?

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**Warning: Contains spoilers for the final episode of Girl Taken.**

This article contains discussion of child abduction and abuse that some may find upsetting.

Alfie Allen, known for his role in Game of Thrones, takes on a very different character in the new Paramount thriller, Girl Taken. He plays Rick Hansen, a creepy schoolteacher who kidnaps a student, setting off a large-scale search in a peaceful English town.

Lily Riser, played by Tallulah Evans, endures a horrific five-year ordeal due to the actions of a character named Rick, and the emotional distress continues even after she returns home.

Rick was arrested quickly and sent to prison, where he even received a beating from other inmates. Meanwhile, Lily had to cope with the consequences of coming home after five years. A lot had changed, and her once close-knit family was now barely holding together.

Eve, Lily’s mother (played by Jill Halfpenny), is now struggling with alcoholism, turning to alcohol for comfort. She’s also become involved with Tommy Shah (Vikash Bhai), the lead detective on the case, in a complicated new relationship. Adding to her troubles, she’s had a falling out with Lily’s twin sister, Abby (Delphi Evans), who is now dating Lily’s former boyfriend, Wes (Levi Brown).

Coming home is difficult for Lily, as she tries to come to terms with her past and the lost years, all while getting used to her new family. Although Abby and Eve offer support, Lily is deeply traumatized by her experiences with Rick and finds it hard to move forward, constantly blaming herself and longing for her life before she was taken.

As Rick’s trial begins, the situation comes to a critical point, and the once-respected community leader must now testify in court.

Here’s how everything played out.

Girl Taken ending explained

What happened to Rick as the net closed in?

Rick is a villain, but he’s also clever and capable. Before his capture, he destroyed the cabin where he’d been holding Lily, ensuring no evidence remained. Even in prison, he manipulated his wife, Zoe (Niamh Walsh), during their visits, training her to protect him and tell lies to the media. During one of these sessions, it’s revealed that Zoe developed feelings for him when she was only 14 years old – a fact he’s forced her to conceal.

He engaged in a sexual relationship with a prison guard to receive protection and ensure he was assigned to the guard’s unit when transferred to court appearances.

As a movie lover, I was hooked! The story really took a turn when the detectives found out that Lily’s supposed stillborn baby had actually survived. It turned out Lily and Rick were raising this little girl as their own, but she wasn’t actually their son at all – she was a healthy baby girl named Alice! Lily had told her husband, Rick, that she’d had a one-night stand and the baby was given up for adoption, but it was all a lie. And poor Zoe, who couldn’t have children herself after a hysterectomy, was overjoyed to finally be a mother, completely unaware of the truth.

Abby visited Zoe on the morning of Rick’s court hearing and noticed Alice, immediately recognizing the strong family resemblance between the little girl and her sister. She questioned Zoe about it, but Zoe, desperate to keep Alice, attacked Abby, knocking her unconscious. Zoe then fled with Alice, but first made a statement to the court.

Facing the judge and seeing Eve looking devastated, Zoe finally confessed the truth: Rick was dangerous. He’d often been gone for days, claiming to be writing a book, and Zoe was genuinely afraid for her family’s safety.

Rick was outraged when his request for bail was rejected, leaving him scrambling to come up with a plan. While being transported back to jail, he pretended to have a medical emergency. Once the guards removed his handcuffs to check on him, he attacked one of them and escaped.

Despite his actions, Rick can’t control his obsession with Lily. He commits a violent crime – killing a man for his car and phone – just to try and reach her. When Eve answers the call and is understandably terrified, Lily surprisingly takes the phone and speaks to Rick. He reminisces about a place that was special to both of them, suggesting she feels the same way, and confirms that Alice is their daughter. Lily, Abby, and Eve are taken to a secure location under police protection led by Tommy, but Lily is deeply traumatized, plagued by nightmares and convinced Rick will find her.

How does Girl Taken end?

Lily tells Abby about a phone call she had with Rick, and her sister comforts her until she falls back asleep. Abby realizes, from something Rick said about their “special place,” that he’s probably hiding at the old cottage where he once held Lily captive. She grabs her twin’s favorite pink hoodie, sneaks out, and decides to handle the situation herself.

Zoe, devastated to learn the truth about what’s been happening, is stopped by the police while driving with Alice. Realizing her life is ruined, she heads for nearby train tracks as the police try to talk her out of it. After ensuring Alice is safe with the officers, Zoe tries to jump onto the tracks, but Detective Brenton arrives just in time to stop her. Brenton holds Zoe as she finally breaks down, overwhelmed by years of Rick’s manipulation and the terrible experiences she endured because of him.

When I got to the cabin, Rick was already there, expecting his girlfriend, but it was me – the wrong twin! He tried to win me over with his usual charm, but I wasn’t having it. That’s when things got really tense, and he started getting aggressive. Luckily, I’d come prepared and pulled out a knife to defend myself.

During the struggle, they fell down the stairs into the basement where Rick had kept Lily captive. Abby finally saw the terrible conditions her sister had been forced to endure. Rick, however, claimed they were “happy there,” and then shockingly revealed that Abby was actually who he intended to kidnap the night he took Lily.

Rick overpowered Abby, pinning her to the ground and preparing to attack. She desperately reached for a knife that was just beyond her grasp. Luckily, she managed to grab it and stabbed him in the neck, preventing him from becoming, as he threatened, another victim.

Lily and Eve, as police officers, rushed to the house after learning what Abby had done. When they got there, Eve was held back while Lily and Tommy quickly went inside. Lily arrived moments too late, witnessing Rick’s final breath. They both stood by, watching Rick die on the floor, knowing Abby was now safe.

Lily and Abby left the cottage together, holding hands, as Eve hurried to meet them. Abby was deeply shaken and couldn’t speak, but Lily glanced back at the house before turning and walking away.

When detectives arrived, they found Rick’s body and shortly after, discovered the body of Isobelle Yates, another teenage victim of the killer.

What happens next?

Several months have passed, and things are finally looking up for the Riser family. Abby, who learned she was pregnant shortly before Rick’s passing, went to a sonogram with her boyfriend, Wes, and discovered she’s expecting twins.

After that, they met Lily and Eve for lunch, playfully discussing what nickname the future grandmother, Eve, would prefer. Lily joked that they were about to be very busy, and she’d have a good idea of what that entailed.

Lily is doing much better and has reconnected with the daughter she never knew. Alice, who is currently in foster care, meets Lily, and they enjoy playing with a dollhouse together. When Alice asks if Lily will be her mother, Lily happily says yes, but explains they’ll take things slowly and get to know each other first.

The story ends with the mother and daughter happily playing together, their frightening experiences now behind them as they share laughter and joy.

You can now watch ‘Girl Taken’ on Paramount+. The first season is available for streaming, and you can start a free 7-day trial of Paramount+ through Amazon Prime Video.

Don’t forget to add ‘Girl Taken’ to your watchlist on the TopMob app! Download it today for daily TV recommendations, exclusive features, and more.

Authors

Tilly PearceFreelance Writer

Tilly Pearce is a TV journalist who writes about a wide variety of shows, from reality TV like Love Is Blind to science fiction series like Fallout. She’s a highly qualified journalist, holding NCTJ Gold Standard accreditation, and has experience working at Digital Spy and Daily Express US, where she previously held deputy editor roles.

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2026-01-09 15:37