"Finale" (Episode 6.10)

"Finale" is the tenth and final episode of Series 6 and the 55th episode overall.

This episode primarily focuses on everyone, whom after finally graduating from Roundview, have to try to put the past behind them and move forward to the next chapter of their lives.

Plot
Franky is at rock bottom following her freakout over Mini's baby and is on a mission to learn from her own mother why she was abandoned. After a bit of blagging and breaking and entering, she finds herself face to face with her sister Clara in the old family home in Birmingham.

Clara takes Franky back to her own home and the two have a tense stand-off regarding their mother. Franky's romanticised her to the point where she believes that finding her will be the solution to every problem, but Clara's still seething over the way she was treated as a child. Finally, Clara spits out that their mother is dead and storms out, announcing that they will never be able to have a real bond.

Franky reacts to the news of her mother's passing with this curious expression that's nearer to being dazed than out-and-out devastated. She's got nothing to grieve for, really - how can she grieve for someone she's never met? - but the pain of realising she'll never know the answers to the most significant questions of her life is evident.

Unfortunately for Franky, Nick and Matty are on the hunt too, reluctantly teaming up to track her down for a resolution to their love triangle. Franky's determined to keep running away from the brothers-turned-love rivals, so much so that she jumps out of a truck she's hitching a ride on when she realises it's heading back to Bristol.

It turns out that Mini and her baby are still okay. She later comforts Franky and sits down with her to watch a horror movie, while being adorable with Alo.

Alex, meanwhile, holds the climactic party before exiting to Thailand Liv's been keeping vigil over Mini, but their relationship is still strained and she seems to blow all chances of them making up by having another (admittedly justified) pop at Franky.

However, in the end Liv ends up indulging in a giggle fit with Mini at Alex's party and is, appropriately, the one she's with when she goes into labour.

Even Rich gets something of a happy ending. Again, he's understandably been kept in the background as he tries to process Grace's death, but there is the sense for the first time that he has accepted her passing and is content to live on with just happy memories. Instead of mourning, he's dancing around in his underwear after winning a place at university. When Matty, who is hiding out at his house, admits fault for Grace's death, he brushes it off. And the lovers' final meeting in Alex's swimming pool - a thing of beauty, not tragedy.

Elsewhere, Franky is shocked to see Nick and Matty approaching her at Alex's party and once again runs away from them. That is until she sees Grace, who instructs her to stop running away from her problems and sort herself out. Spurred on by Grace and left alone with Nick and Matty, Franky finally comes to a decision - she doesn't want either of them. She says that she could only ever be a way for them to love each other and walks away into the night.

Rather than go after her, Nick and Matty realise that they should have been working to fix their own broken relationship rather than fighting each other to start a new one with Franky. They crack open a few beers as brothers and reiterate their love for each other. The feud between Matty and Nick has become more reminiscent of normal brotherly squabbling through the episode, so it's satisfying to have them acknowledge their bond.

As that's going on, Franky runs into Clara again, who's had some time to think about their earlier run-in. She admits that she's been lying and whisks Franky away to some form of institute, where she finally gets to meet her mother. While Franky's belief that this reunion will solve all her issues is not exactly healthy or likely, the physical transformation it spurs is immediately noticeable. She smiles for what feels like the first time in the entire series and the scene, basked in sunlight, is similarly bright and warming.

The conclusion of Franky's quest gives way to Alex setting off on his own, Liv smiling as he sends her a text goodbye - happy that she has been welcomed back by her friends - Matty embracing Nick before he does the right thing and turns himself in and Mini giving birth to her baby, accompanied by Alo and Liv in the delivery room.

Finally, Rich looks at the camera, breaking the fourth wall, and says "bye".

Music Featured in "Everyone"
SBTRKT - Hold On (Sisi BakBak Remix)

Wild Billy Childish - Cowboys Are Square

Django Django - Default

Burial - Loner

Kindness - House

Boards Of Canada - Everything You Do Is A Balloon

Wes Willenbring - As You Fade Away

Marty Robbins - Five Brothers

Sara Sayed - The Earth Got Round

Sharon Van Etten - Give Out

Black Sabbath - Paranoid

Fred Kash - A Fool

Cramp - RU116

Parker and Hanson - Afterthought

Segal - Shimmer

The Black Keys - These Days

Goldmund - Clement Danes

Segal - Shimmer

Rae Morris - Don't Go

Titus Andronicus - Fear and loathing in Mahwah, NJ