The Split, episode 6 recap: one last hurrah for Hannah and her sisters?
The finale of screenwriter Abi Morgan’s juicy divorce drama almost turned into Four Weddings & a Funeral. Here are all the talking points from the sixth and final episode…
Hannah and Christie finally fell into bed – but was it a last fling?
As jealous husband Nathan Stern (Stephen Mangan) said in episode 5, Christie Carmichael (Barry Atsma) was “always popping up without reason” as he pined for old flame Hannah (Nicola Walker). Now Nathan admitted he’d never liked his love rival: “He’s too tall, too blond, too Danish.” “Dutch,” corrected Hannah. Nathan retorted: “I don’t give a s--t what he is, I just give a s--t that you want to screw him.”
Well, it finally happened. Noble & Hale was extending its US operation and appointed Christie to head up the new Chicago office. The news made hyperventilating Hannah pace anxiously around the office loos and eventually decide they could only be together “in another life”. The pair even said a painful goodbye on the roof terrace.
However, weddings do funny things to people. At her sister’s très chic nuptials, Hannah couldn’t stop thinking about Christie’s departure the following day. Even her family seemed to give their tacit blessing, with Nathan telling her “come back to me after you’ve worked things out” and mother Ruth (Deborah Findlay) saying “the secret is to have an affair but not let it become something more”.
Cue Hannah’s 5am dash across the Thames for a doorstep snog and more. When silver fox Christie later drove Hannah home to deal with a family tragedy, he said: “Whatever I can do…” “Don’t go to Chicago,” came her reply.
Doors have figured highly in the pair’s relationship. In episode 5, Christie slammed his front door in Hannah’s face. She was last seen leaving hers ajar. So will Christie step through it or still fly off to a new life in America? It was left tantalisingly ambiguous. Damn you and your pesky cliffhangers, Abi Morgan.
Make or break for Hannah and Nathan’s marriage
As we rejoined Hannah, she’d been up all night, trekking across the Thames and back. Nicola Walker certainly lived up to her surname in this series – her Christian Louboutin heels must have worn grooves in the Millennium Bridge.
Cheating Nathan fought to salvage their marriage as it teetered on the brink, insisting: “I am not your dad.” “Aren’t you?” snapped Hannah. However, when she needed a barrister for the climactic divorce case, Nathan proved to be the best option. What were the chances?
Their professional meetings became loaded with double meaning and pointed comments. Hannah referred to “a man betraying the woman who has been wife, mother, confidante, friend”. Nathan replied: “Affairs are a symptom not the cause of marriage breakdown”, later telling Hannah “never attack me through a client”.
She seemed to be softening towards him, tenderly taking off his glasses and tucking him in when he fell asleep reading the McKenzie case files. “It’s not love with him,” said Nathan about Christie. “Love is this. We’ve been together our entire adult life. That means something. Hold onto that.” Ruth’s wedding speech was also freighted with knowing looks and significant sentiment, as she spoke of “marriages not yet ready to end” and “love can and will sustain”.
We suppose Hannah could return to Nathan, post-Christie fling. But she might not. After all, consider the programme’s title…
Against all odds, Rose’s wedding worked
Youngest Stern sister Rose (Fiona Button) and her wet lettuce fiancé James (Rudi Dharmalingam) have had a bumpy path to the altar, but now they were reunited and their wedding was very much back on. Despite her sisters doubts, Rose told them: “It’s my b----y ball, so smile, b-----s.”
The couple’s frantic preparations were romantic and rather infectious: decorating the church, erecting a marquee in Ruth’s garden, lashing up a sound system, making origami flowers. Ruth’s interjections – “Did you know 45 per cent of marriage end in divorce?” - couldn’t dampen their spirits.
Nerdy James even displayed a welcome flash of machismo, telling vicar Glen Peters (Kobna Holdbrook-Smith) “don’t try that Jesus Jedi mind stuff on Rose” and warning the flirtatious cleric “if it happens again, I will kill you”.
The day itself was a grin-inducing, slo-mo, soft-focus montage of floral frocks and twee fairylights, vintage carriages and fluttering confetti. Sniffly James nervously used his nasal spray at the altar and Rose sweetly handed him a tissue for his watery eyes. There was music, dancing, magic tricks and speeches. Abi Morgan has clearly enjoyed the chance to flex her writerly muscles with all these lawyers making wordy speeches.
Oscar’s death was a sad post-script
He’s been looking tired, dodging awkward questions and popping pills all series, so our suspicions have been growing that there were health reasons behind the sudden return of estranged father Oscar (Anthony Head). When we saw his telltale chest scar two weeks ago, those fears were confirmed.
At least he got to see his youngest daughter “Rosey-Posey” happily married. His second wife Maya (Blake’s Seven alumnus and stage stalwart Josette Simon) flew in from New York for the wedding. Middle sister Nina (Annabel Scholey) wasn’t happy about her arrival but as Rose pointed out: “She’s been with dad for 27 years – that’s longer than mum.” Oscar graciously stepped aside when Rose decided she wanted Ruth to walk her down the aisle. He escorted Hannah instead and they later had a wound-healing hug.
By the end of the party, Ruth noticed that Oscar looked exhausted and encouraged him to stay the night. At least he died with his family all around him. RIP, Giles from Buffy/Gold Blend man (delete according to viewers’ vintage).
Sisters reunited as Noble & Hale swallow up Defoes
The family law firm has been in trouble all series. Now the vultures were circling and salivating. Several rivals were keen to snap up Defoes, yet the most tempting offer came from the last place that proud Ruth expected - albeit at a price.
It was a neat twist that it should be Hannah who rode to their rescue. When she initially told Noble & Hale boss Zander (Chukwudi Iwuji) that she was “still a Defoe to my core” and “can’t stand by and watch the company being destroyed and the name erased”, we guessed that Hannah was resigning, with the intention of returning to the family business.
Instead, she negotiated a buyout by her new employer, who would absorb most of the staff, make Nina a partner and renname as Noble, Hale & Defoe. The only catch? Ruth had to step down. “You’re putting me out to grass,” she said, wounded - before soon saying yes, reasoning that “life is all about losses and gains”. We imagine she’ll make quite a speech at her retirement party.
Goldie got her just desserts
“You’re free,” said the jeweller as he cut the wedding ring off Goldie (the marvellous Meera Syal). She got to deliver some splendidly bitchy lines as the series-long divorce case from cheating sportswear chain mogul Davey McKenzie (Stephen Tompkinson) came to a head. “Don’t do this,” pleaded Davey’s lover Yvonne (Maggie O’Neill). “It’ll kill him.” “Here’s hoping,” snarled Goldie, giving it her best Joan Collins.
Goldie finally had her day in court, only to discover a devastating final secret. Private investigator Max Lacey (Darren Morfitt) found that Davey had been fraudulently moving money between accounts, including the company pension fund. However, the transfers were made in the children’s names, so informing on Davey would also expose them to criminal prosecution.
Instead, Hannah and Nathan used Davey’s dodginess as leverage to secure Goldie a much improved deal: a ￡35m settlement (a substantial increase on his previous ￡20m offer), both properties and a place on the company board. Grateful Goldie’s parting shot to Hannah was a word of womanly advice: “Don’t hang in there for the kids, because they’ll grow up and what have you taught them? How to lie.”
We know business is business but the popping champagne corks and smugly celebratory scenes in the Noble & Hale boardroom were a bit unseemly. No wonder lawyers have a bad reputation.
Happy ending for troubled Nina
She’s been the chaotic Stern sister all series, with her drunken dates, self-sabotaging speeches and compulsive stealing, so it was lovely to see Nina seemingly end the series in a happier place.
She had a “proper boyfriend” in client-cum-lover-cum-comedian Rex Pope (Mathew Baynton), to whom Nina admitted that she has a problem with designer shoplifting. “That’s whacko,” was Rex’s considered verdict.
Professionally reunited with big sister Hannah at the newly formed Noble, Hale & Defoe, she can finally emerge from their formidable mother’s shadow. Sure, her dad died but Nina was always the most hostile to Oscar anyway.
Reconciliations all round
As befits a series finale, there were reunions and rapprochements everywhere we looked. The Sterns’ teenage daughter Liv (Elizabeth Roberts) got back together with ex-boyfriend Sasha (Brenock O’Connor). Hannah buried the hatchet with Oscar. Ruth also acknowledged her residual feelings for him in her wedding speech (“love is behind the hate, otherwise why would you care so much?”).
In their grief, the Stern women extended the hand of friendship to Maya. Amid the tangled love-lives and tragedy, there were warm rays of hope.
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Soundtrack was show’s secret weapon
The Split’s soundtrack has been quietly excellent and figured higher in the mix during this finale, mainly thanks to the newlyweds. James played a blast of “You’re Gorgeous” by Babybird in the back garden. The couple decorated the church to “Love Me Again” by John Newman and woke on their wedding morning to “L-O-V-E” by Nat King Cole.
Elsewhere, tunes were deployed to atmospheric effect. “Ancient Light” by indie-folkster Allman Brown throbbed moodily as Goldie departed for court, while “If You Wait” by London Grammar (who have been favourites all series) played us out in emotive, anthemic style.
There was even an acoustic interlude when Hannah, Nina and Liv performed “Dreaming” by Blondie at the wedding, accompanied by Vinnie (Toby Oliver) on guitar. Cute and irresistibly catchy.
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Second series now beckons
The Split might have divided viewers – especially those expecting a weightier, more earnest drama – but it’s been an fiendishly addictive family saga. Glossy escapism with good kitchens. A superior soap in the style of This Is Us, Mistresses, Thirtysomething or Cold Feet.
Sure, some of the legal details weren’t 100 per cent accurate and its characters drank far too much for top-flight lawyers with high-powered meetings the next morning, but it went out in style with this eventful finale.
Indications are that it will return for a second series. Plot threads were left dangling – not least the Hannah/Nathan/Christie love triangle – and there have been reports that the BBC made an unprecedented, top secret two-series deal to secure the services of Bafta-winning scriptwriter Abi Morgan.
We imagine that star Nicola Walker’s decision whether to reprise her role will be key. So uncork a bottle of red, stick on a London Grammar album and watch this space for details.
