- Playing Nice has left audiences with numerous inquiries.
- This ITV drama centers on two couples who uncover the shocking revelation that their infants were mistakenly exchanged at birth.
- But who was behind the baby swap – and who ended up with custody of them?
ITV’s Playing Nice reaches its conclusion with a fittingly intense finale. The gripping series has sparked discussions among viewers since its debut in early 2025.
Viewers were left in suspense, eager to discover who had swapped Theo and David as infants. Meanwhile, Pete and Maddie anxiously anticipated the outcome of their courtroom struggle against the nefarious Miles and his beleaguered wife, Lucy.
The concluding episode airs on ITV tonight (January 13) – you can find more details about the TV lineup here. However, it is already accessible for binge-watching on ITVX, and you may have already seen the ending – yet still have questions regarding the events that transpired.
One of the highlights of Playing Nice is the stunning Cornish settings – explore the filming locations. And here’s where you may have recognized the cast previously.
Summary for the finale of Playing Nice
The synopsis for the series finale of Playing Nice states: “The final court hearing is imminent, and the destinies of the boys are poised to be determined. Will Miles’s devious fabrications be unveiled, or will Pete and Maddie forfeit everything they hold dear?”
What transpired with Theo and David on Playing Nice?
A significant portion of the episode focused on the hearing that would determine which couple – Pete and Maddie, or Miles and Lucy – would retain custody of the children. Throughout the first half of the episode, Miles’s carefully crafted narrative seemed to prevail – suggesting that Pete and Maddie would lose both kids.
However, a shocking turn of events emerged as a video captured within the Lambert’s residence unveiled that Miles had been responsible for administering the drugged gummies to Theo – which led to his hospitalization in episode three.
Ultimately, the boys continue to reside with their current guardians – Theo remains with Pete and Maddie, and David with Miles and Lucy – following the dramatic resolution. Post-finale, it seems that Theo still lives with Pete and Maddie, while David resides with Lucy, although the show does not explicitly depict their living arrangements.
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Who was responsible for swapping the babies on Playing Nice?
Lucy confesses that she was the one accountable for the baby switch at the hospital, falsely informing a nurse that David was her child instead of Theo – in an attempt to protect her son from Miles.
How did Playing Nice conclude on ITV?
In episode four, as the judge struggles to reach a decision regarding the custody of Theo and David – Pete takes Theo for a stroll and the young boy requests chips. While he is placing the order, Theo vanishes.
A nearby woman informs Pete that she saw the child with a man resembling Miles. Pete pursues them and notices Theo’s yellow coat submerged in the water, rushing in to retrieve him – only to find the coat abandoned.
It becomes clear that Miles merely tossed the jacket into the sea to make Pete “understand the feeling” of losing his child. Theo eventually appears and reunites with Pete – in a moment prominently featured in the promotional materials.
Following this incident, Maddie approaches Lucy for a discussion – suggesting to Lucy that she might have been the one to send the video of Miles drugging Theo to the court. She implores Lucy to leave Miles, having witnessed his aggressive demeanor towards her after the recent hearing.
The following morning, Lucy wakes up only to find David missing, discovering Miles gazing out at the sea instead. He reveals that David is in the vehicle, expressing a desire to “go for a picnic”.
Lucy tries to call Maddie, running water in the bathroom to mask the noise. However, Maddie fails to hear the ring due to the radio in her car.
Maddie eventually listens to the voicemail, where Lucy starts explaining how the babies were switched. She admits to Maddie that it was her fault, disclosing that she informed the nurse that the wrong baby was hers – to protect Theo from Miles’s domineering behavior.
Maddie hurries off to find Lucy and Miles, determined to rescue David. The Lamberts pause for a picnic on a cliff by the coast, with Miles turning hostile towards Lucy in an effort to extract a confession regarding her leaking the video to the court.
Miles stands perilously at the edge of the cliff with David until Lucy finally concedes that it was her doing. He reminds her that he has “lost a family before.”
Maddie arrives just in time to startle Miles, who seems poised to throw David off the cliff. This distraction gives Lucy the chance to strike him with a rock and free the boy from his clutches – the couple struggles, and Miles appears to plummet to his demise.
Lucy contacts the police, and the couples inform the officers that Miles left “heading towards the coast.” The narrative then advances by three months, showcasing Pete and Maddie enjoying a beach day with Theo, while Lucy reads to David.
The series concludes on an ambiguous note, suggesting that David remains with Lucy – now that she is liberated from Miles. However, the two families are depicted as having grown close, having moved past the turmoil.
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