Gavin and Stacey has aired its last ever episode, and fans are sobbing over the “perfect” conclusion.
The much-loved show returned to BBC One with a 90-minute Christmas special.
It was the first time that fans had been reunited with the cast since the last festive episode in 2019, which ended on a cliffhanger after Nessa (Ruth Jones) proposed to Smithy (James Cordon).
This time around, fans were completely shocked to see the return of Laura Aikman’s Sonia, when it was revealed that the wedding Smithy had been preparing for throughout the episode was, in fact, to Sonia – not Nessa.
The BBC went to extreme lengths to keep the twist secret, with Aikman purposely kept away from all the publicity and photos.
As reported by Radio Times, Aikman even stayed in separate accomodation to the crew in order to protect the plot.
“She stayed in different hotels,” said Corden in a Q&A. “She was going into places in the dead of night [during filming]. She’s not part of any of this [promotion]. Such is her want and our want to try and protect the very feeling that we had here.”
The actor did not even tell her parents that she was appearing in the episode.
Jones added: “She hasn’t even told her mum and dad and she’s hoping to film her parents’ reaction [on Christmas Day]. She hasn’t even said she’s in it, so we hope that she will capture that.”
The extreme lengths that the production team went to in order to keep the twist a secret paid off, with cast and crew relieved that it had not been leaked or picked up by paparazzi prior to the finale airing on 25 December.
Fans praised the episode’s twist, which saw Smithy and Sonia’s wedding come to an abrupt end after Gavin (Matthew Horne) stood up to say he thought his friend was making a mistake in marrying her.
Several others also protested the marriage, including Mick (Larry Lamb).
As revealed in a Q&A, among those to stand up were two extras who did so spontaneously, surprising the film and crew. “They were so in [the plot], they just stood up,” said Corden of the moment.
Viewers were in bits over the special’s emotional storyline.
“The whole group slowly standing up and then Smithy asking for Mick’s approval has gave me goosebumps,” wrote one fan on X/Twitter.
The Independent critic Charlotte O’Sullivan was not as enthused. In a three-star review, she wrote: “I’m not gonna lie, this mega-hyped Christmas special contains lulls. Put another way, the middle section offers several fantastic opportunities for a nap.
‘The Finale’ is 30 minutes longer (as well as more predictable) than the 2019 Christmas special, which ended with Nessa (Ruth Jones) going down on one knee to Smithy (James Corden). On the plus side, the cast are awesome and the third act is everything it should be.”
O’Sullivan praised the performances, however, highlighting the comedic timing of Alison Steadman as Gavin’s mum and Sheridan Smith as Smith’s sister.
Gavin and Stacey: The Finale is available to watch on BBC iPlayer now.
