This is it, the twisty thriller The Nest comes to an end, what will we find out tonight? Will our couple find happiness? Will Kaya? Will any additional people be murdered in the course of this unsuccessful surrogacy contract? Let’s find out after the break!

We left things like this:

With surrogate mother Kaya McDermott (Mirren Mack) changing her mind about handing over the wee but genetically unmatched girl that she recently birthed. She had been about to hand the baby over to couple Emily (Sophie Rundle from our Gentleman Jack!) and Dan Docherty (Martin Compston from Line of Duty and late of Traces) who have contracted her to carry their baby to the tune of 50 thousand pounds, but changed her mind when her mum Siobhan (Shirley Henderson) popped out of the woodwork to help spend that sweet, sweet cash.

Also: Kaya is Scotland’s infamous youngest killer ever at 12; she murdered a pregnant woman and we still don’t know why. Kaya’s been doing what she can to move past it, but has memorialized the woman she killed with the tattoo “NEVE” on her foot.

Emily and Dan consult Sheena Galvin (Shauna MacDonald) to prepare a legal case to get access, that…will be tricky. Given that their one claim is the ten days Dan alone spent in the NICU with the wee girl, they’re up against Kaya who literally birthed her, although nobody shares any DNA with the baby.

It’s so WEIRD.

Emily and Dan had one viable embryo left that they thought they had implanted in Kaya in the Ukraine. A red herring in the shape of a boyfriend of Kaya’s had us guessing whether she was already pregnant during the implantation, but instead it turned out that Kaya was implanted with someone else’s embryo altogether.

There are two legal strategies Sheena has to share; one is to attempt to adopt baby Gertie. The other is to meet with Kaya and a mediator and try to reach common ground.

Dan is a man of action, someone used to getting his own way and being held emotionally hostage for 9 months has changed any of that. He opts for Plan A as it sounds less like Having To Talk To Kaya Again. Some people prefer to use the hammer of court for persuasion, the only problem is that you can’t know which way it will go, can you?

Well, maybe if you’re very wealthy and going up against an 18-year-old with exactly one and a half support persons, perhaps you feel free to assume it’ll go your way.

Back at the hospital, a distant-looking Kaya watches her mother Siobhan cuddle baby Neve, which is what they’ve called her instead of Gertie. I know that makes more plot sense, but doesn’t Gertie roll off the tongue just that much easier?

I have to wonder if Siobhan sees this as an opportunity to right the wrong she perhaps feels is embodied in the person of her murderous first daughter. Kaya looks completely on the outside of that loving circle.

Dan and Emily show up at the hospital looking to trade chocolate for information on the baby, Dan is especially angry to find out that baby Neve has been named. He sees this as a sign that Kaya was planning to screw them over from the beginning.

Emily counsels caution but Dan is ready to fire all guns at young Kaya. The battle is on!

Kaya and her mum arrive at Kaya’s new apartment, Siobhan doesn’t look happy to see Kaya’s sole support person waiting for them, social worker Janis (Liz Ewing).

Kaya and Siobhan dine later in the dark (like completely dark), Kaya tentatively asks why her mum stopped coming to see her in care. Her mum has a problem with her legs, that was one reason, but Kaya also wants to know about the interview she did in shadow about Kaya.

It’s enough for Kaya that her mum acknowledges being a not-great mother, she relaxes.

They’re awakened the next morning by the door buzzing, Kaya has been served court summons. Kaya immediately feels defeated but is bolstered by the reserve of her mum. She just needs to trust her.

Said mum immediately betrays Kaya’s trust by leading her straight to journalist Eleanor (Katie Leung) who has already lied to Kaya. She runs.

Siobhan and Eleanor follow to Kaya’s apartment, we know Eleanor has bigger fish named Dan Docherty to fry. She’s also actually from Lewis, where Kaya committed the murder, I thought that was a way to ingratiate herself but apparently not.

A morose Emily packs up Kaya’s things, Dan does not empathize with her grief over the loss of her relationship with Kaya.

However Emily is feeling about Kaya, it’s threefold for Kaya. Emily is the reason she doesn’t want to talk about Dan, but when she receives a box of her things badly packed by the same, her resolve hardens.

Dan’s awakened by a call from his business partner Souter (David Hayman), open yer email! The headline reads “Leisure King Buys Baby” and well, not yet, has he? He’s sure trying! Souter is almost as mad as Dan but there’s more. They’ve connected Dan’s business to laundering drug money, without evidence it appears, but all of this will be a public relations nightmare.

I would probably care more if I didn’t loathe Dan.

A sampling of radio chatter follows, public opinion is divided over Dan and Emily’s actions but I’m mostly distracted because I’m sure I heard the voice of Gobber from How To Train Your Dragon.

Dan goes for a run as Emily goes into work, not noticing all the people staring at first but then unable to disregard. She finds out when she pops into her friend Zoe’s (Christine Bottomley) office.

The news isn’t focused on Kaya’s past at all, Siobhan and Eleanor were true to their word about that. Kaya’s completely misrepresented how she came to be a surrogate for the Dochertys, but I suppose that’s a better lede.

Dan’s sister Hilary (Fiona Bell) has seen the bad news, of course, it’s yet another reason to fight with her far-too-understanding husband Callum (Bailey Patrick with the great face). She accuses Callum of being the source of the leak on the allegations on Dan’s business practices, whoops, turns out that’s right. Good for him! He’s been stuck under the thumb of these siblings for far too long.

Callum packs a bag and heads out as his son Jack (Samuel Jack Kennedy) watches.

Emily comes home shouting, has Dan seen all this crap about the business? But Dan did launder drug money to get started, which Emily didn’t know. Dan shares very little of what he considers too much for Emily’s pretty head to manage.

*I loooove how Emily is the one shouted at here, as though Dan finally owning up to his criminal past and origin is something she should have A) known and/or B) expected. She should be lauding him for his honesty, not upset because she lost a close friends to drugs and has tried to avoid ever since.

She packs him a bag as he yells at her about her magical thinking and impossible expectations of a fairytale life. Also fair, but GTFO, Dan. Cheers

Poop has been pushed in through Kaya’s mailslot; they know where she is because everything about her has been posted online. Janis shows up to move Kaya yet again, she’s her only true source of support. Janis and Siobhan are coming to blows soon.

Dan’s businesses are all being attacked, the ones still standing have staff walking out. He watches the news from Hilary’s house, she wants him to start defending himself, and NOW!

Janis lays down some hard truths for Kaya, now that everything has gone nuclear, nobody has control of the baby any more. Not Kaya, not the Dochertys, the baby will be in care until it gets decided by the government. That devastates Kaya.

Ohhhh wait. We’re into something else.

Kaya is starting to see the truth about her mum, who…killed Neve, her sister. Siobhan was jealous as Kaya’s Aunt Neve had stolen the object of Siobhan’s affection and attacked her, Kaya jumping in the middle and accidentally stabbing her aunt with the knife held by her mother.

That…changes the complexion of things. A screaming match follows, with Kaya finally able to see clear of her nightmare of a mother. She throws her out, but Siobhan will not submit.

Janis comes to take Kaya to the hospital, she cries as she holds baby Neve.

Emily is surprised to hear someone coming into her house, she comes out to find Hilary. Hilary does not mince words, she’s not there to coddle Emily or speak on behalf of her brother, she wants Emily to understand that while she thinks she’s doing the right thing, she’s just a person with a particular point of view. Emily does tend to think she’s on the side of the angels, justifying anything she does to attain what she thinks is “right.”

Interesting! That’s a rare moment in writing. How many people do you know that get that extra boost of vigor and self-satisfaction justifying any means because they are sure about the end?

Their lawyer meets with Emily alone, she explains that their chances have significantly reduced and they’re no longer in a “tug-of-love” with Kaya.

DAMNIT. I’ve been calling the lawyer Sheena Galvin this whole time because IMDb listed someone who looked soooort of like the lawyer but it turns out Sheena is the head of the social services case conference where baby Neve’s future gets decided.

Nurses, police and social workers all give their opinion. It’s Janis whose opinion resonates, she advocates for Kaya in a way that will probably come through.

Emily comes to see Dan at the destroyed remains of his destroyed flagship restaurant. She wants to support Kaya to raise wee Neve too. Dan doesn’t know how he can do that but he wants his family back, the one he had with Emily.

Emily lays out her offer to Kaya, they’d like to support her however she needs with no expectation of contact with the baby in return.

Janis watches while Kaya is handed her baby, then as Kaya runs away, terrified. She doesn’t want this baby, she wants to live her life away from the demands of this path. Janis counsels her to make sure she knows what she wants.

Dan is consumed by self-doubt, what if they’re not the best family for this girl? What if they lose the business? The house? What if they fight for the baby and then aren’t able to keep her? Emily tells him it doesn’t matter, they have each other.

Uncomfortable interviews follow where Emily and Dan lay their souls bare to people in charge of deciding Neve’s care. Emily owns up to manipulation and the sheer ruthlessness of her pursuit, Dan talks about his past as an abused child.

Six months later, the Dochertys are in court with Janis, their lawyer and very few others. A scathing speech scorching the Dochertys for their conduct is followed by a ruling that Neve will be cared for by Emily and Dan.

They won!

Someone’s baby!

Emily calls Kaya, who won’t be there when they pick up Neve, she’s looking at flats and starting her own path. She stares at the cross around her neck, it belonged to her Aunt Neve, she unchains it and herself.

Hilary and her family bond as the Dochertys cuddle the wee adorable Neve (Gertie). Totally not crying as a strong Kaya, looking so grown up, stares out at the city before her.

So you see, you can’t force what you think is right. You can’t manipulate people into it, it actually has to BE right. Once Kaya had some clarity and was able to think about what she wanted for her own life, she was able to let go of the emotional ties that she didn’t really feel. Once Dan and Emily stopped treating her like a UberBaby, they were able to move towards the right answer for an adorable baby girl who should have been called something rhyming with Smertie.

We’re out. Thank you so much for reading along on this emotional rollercoaster of a show, cheers everyone.