The Cage ending explained: Do Leanne and Matty get away with it?

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*Warning: This article contains full spoilers for The Cage.*

Over five episodes, the show draws viewers into hoping that casino employees Leanne and Matty finally catch a break and can support their families. Even though they’re technically robbing their workplace, making them unlikely heroes, it’s easy to sympathize with them because we understand their urgent need for money.

Two employees discover they’ve been stealing from the casino where they work, and surprisingly, they become friends as they team up. Their only worry is their manager, Gary, who’s facing his own set of problems – he’s getting too close to one coworker, Leanne, and putting a lot of pressure on another, Matty. It’s a recipe for disaster.

The tension is incredibly high in the last episode of The Cage, particularly after the police raid the casino. Luckily, Leanne helps Matty escape, but what happens as they drive away? Keep reading for a complete explanation of the show’s ending.

The Cage ending explained: Do Leanne and Matty get away with it?

Luckily, when the casino was raided, Leanne managed to save Matty, and they escaped together in her car. It’s revealed that Leanne had taken the money – £30,000, specifically – and hidden it in a bag inside the car.

Gary attempts to escape, but Detective Sergeant Fen Ning (Sophie Mensah) quickly catches him. He begs her to let him go, offering information about someone higher up in the operation. However, Fen Ning points out he’s made similar promises before and failed to deliver, so she places him under arrest.

Leanne and Matty decide to leave town for a weekend to avoid attention. Matty needs to pick up some clothes, but he’s also worried about getting rid of the drugs he has. He checks his messages and hears from Paul, who tells him the plan is simple: just drop the drugs off at a location in the Lake District.

When Matty arrived at Leanne’s, he was surprised to learn she was bringing her son, nan, and daughter along. After picking everyone up, they soon ran into trouble – Leanne discovered she had a flat tire. Stuck on a rural road, they waited for help, and during that time, Matty and Leanne shared a heartwarming moment, declaring they were best friends.

It was getting really late, and everyone was asleep, still stranded and waiting for help when a police car finally pulled up to check on us. The officer seemed really confused about why we hadn’t just changed the tire with the spare. Leanne and Matty both seemed super on edge because of the officer, and when he asked Leanne to open the trunk, she did – completely unaware of what Matty had hidden inside.

Thomas quickly hides the cash bag before the officer starts searching the vehicle for the spare tire. The officer then finds Matty’s backpack, which appears to be full of wrapped gifts. Matty attempts a weak explanation, but the officer realizes Leanne is from Liverpool – and since he’s been told they’re on the run – the situation becomes clear.

Matty immediately tried to escape, but he was caught. He then yelled to Leanne, explaining he couldn’t leave the hidden items at his mother’s house.

At the police station, detectives are interviewing everyone to find out what happened. Gary’s mother, Nancy (played by Geraldine James), steps forward to help her son by agreeing to testify.

The story jumps ahead six months, and we see Matty is now in prison. His cellmate lets him use a contraband phone to try and reach someone, but he can’t get through – it seems she’s not answering. Meanwhile, Leanne’s family is gathered for a memorial service following the death of her grandmother. Nancy is there to offer her support and lets Leanne know she’s been keeping her in her thoughts.

Leanne was surprised to see Gary outside, considering they weren’t supposed to be speaking. He explained that he wasn’t on bail and hadn’t been charged with anything, as the extra money couldn’t be linked to any crime. Gary asked if there was still a connection between them, but Leanne rejected him, saying she couldn’t overlook his angry behavior at the casino. He gave her a card with his new address in Tenerife before leaving.

As the trial begins, both Leanne and Matty have entered pleas of not guilty. When they come face-to-face in court, Matty attempts to speak with Leanne, but she avoids him, making it clear she feels hurt and betrayed.

Despite overwhelming evidence, both individuals plan to claim they didn’t do it, even though their lawyers are urging them not to. During the court proceedings, Matty begins to understand the full extent of the harm caused to Leanne and her family, and he’s visibly affected by the seriousness of the situation and his own actions.

What happens to Matty?

Turning to his daughter, Emily, Matty told the court he was solely responsible, and that Leanne had no involvement. He changed his plea to guilty, claiming Leanne was unaware of the drugs and money. The judge allowed Leanne to leave the courtroom, and then a letter from Matty’s mother was read aloud. Despite Matty’s objections, the letter offered insight into his background, revealing that his older brother had tragically drowned when Matty was nine years old.

Matty’s mother explains that he’s been haunted by a childhood incident. It started as a harmless prank – Matty was supposed to pretend to drown so his older brother could ‘rescue’ him. Tragically, his brother actually drowned, and Matty has never forgiven himself, constantly reliving the event and feeling responsible.

Instead of seeing how things officially wrap up, the scene jumps ahead to Matty in prison, where Emily visits him. This time, she’s brought good news: Leanne has found a place for her and the children to live.

Leanne told Matty she’d repay his kindness someday, but he insisted it wasn’t necessary. Emily chimed in, calling him a hero for everything he’d done and promising to write to him often. Feeling great, Matty returned to his cell and asked his cellmate if he could borrow his phone for an hour to listen to The Cure’s new album – Emily had recommended it.

Emily secretly recorded an album for him by leaving messages on his voicemail, and he happily listens with headphones on. Meanwhile, Leanne and her children are now staying with Nancy, and the four of them are heading to a casino. Elsewhere, Fen reconnects with her family, and Gary, alone in his Tenerife apartment, is visibly homesick.

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The Cage continues airing tonight at 9pm on BBC One, and is available as a boxset on BBC iPlayer.

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Authors

Morgan CormackDrama Writer

Morgan Cormack writes about TV and streaming drama for TopMob. Before that, she was an Entertainment Writer at Stylist. She also has experience in content marketing and freelancing, and holds a BA degree in English Literature.

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2026-05-18 19:07