BBC's The Jetty leaves viewers gobsmacked with unexpected twist in explosive finale

The Jetty viewers were absolutely gobsmacked by the finale's "unexpected" twist.

The BBC drama concluded with a bang on Saturday (July 22), featuring Jenna Coleman as the tenacious Detective Ember Manning. The four-part series has captivated audiences from the start.

It all began with Detective Manning probing into a mysterious fire at a boathouse. Within the charred remains, a bone was discovered, belonging to Amy Knightly (played by Bo Bragason), who disappeared 17 years prior.

As Ember delved deeper into the case, she initially suspected her deceased husband Mack (portrayed by Tom Glynn-Carney) of having a clandestine affair with Amy. A revealing flashback showed Mack intending to end things with Amy, but during their heated exchange, his half-brother Joe (Ryan Dean) made a hasty exit in his vehicle.

Meanwhile, Ember and Arj (Matthew McNulty) were unwinding with some illicit substances at a local pub until Mack called his wife, pleading for a lift. On their way home, Ember, who was driving, tragically struck Amy as she darted into the road, reports the Manchester Evening News.

But Mack deceived her, claiming the collision was with a log, not a person. Desperate to shield her, Mack persuaded the drug-addled Arj that he was at the wheel during the accident.

He then enlisted Arj's help to locate Amy's body and secretly inter it beneath the boathouse.

For 17 long years, Arj was tormented by the belief that he was responsible for Amy's demise. When the new owners of the house began renovations, threatening to uncover the truth, a panic-stricken Arj set the boathouse ablaze.

In a shocking turn of events, one of Amy's bones was destroyed, leading to the reopening of the investigation. Riz, a podcaster probing Amy's murder, discovered the bone and managed to get a private investigator to photograph it before Ember confiscated it.

Arj knew about this photo and stole her laptop, which Riz traced back to the boathouse.

However, an audio recording from the scene of Amy's murder included the sound of a boat at the boathouse, leading Ember to the chilling realisation that it was Arj who had killed Riz.

Arj, harbouring secret feelings for Ember, was desperate to bury their secrets. But when she refused, he strangled her until she lost consciousness.

Upon regaining consciousness, Ember found herself on a jetty with Arj dousing himself in petrol. As he set himself on fire, she managed to crawl into the water to escape death.

Ember was determined to turn herself into the police. However, after confessing her actions to an adult Caitlin, she realised that by leaving her daughter and going to jail, justice would not be served.

Instead, Ember insisted that Arj was indeed Amy's killer.

Following the dramatic finale, fans took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share their reactions. One viewer exclaimed: "Well that was most unexpected. I'm gobsmacked! Another added: "It was a shocker!" A third chimed in: "This has got to be one of THE BEST shows of recent years. So much more to say than the usual detective shows."

Another viewer was left utterly amazed, exclaiming: "Wow, that ending was some twist. Would never have expected that. Can't believe she lied though."