Girl Taken Ending Explained: Is Rick Dead or Alive?

‘Girl Taken’ deals with the trials and tribulations of Lily Riser, a teenage girl living with her twin sister Abby and her mother Eve in Hollowfell village in the English countryside. She shares a complex yet cordial relationship with her sister. They are deeply bonded, despite major differences in their personalities and interests. The mundane lives of the Riser family members turn chaotic when Lily is shockingly kidnapped by Rick Hansen, who is Abby’s trusted English teacher. Lily is held in a basement against her will and repeatedly abused, physically and mentally.

With no clue about Lily’s whereabouts, Abby and Eve lead a complicated life, full of guilt and uncertainty. As Rick continues to dominate Lily, all she hopes for is an opportunity to escape. The local cops try their best to find where Lily is, but they are not able to achieve much success. As the narrative reaches its conclusion, Lily’s fate, and the fates of Rick, Eve, and Abby, remain uncertain. SPOILERS AHEAD.

Girl Taken Plot Synopsis

‘Girl Taken’ begins with a mysterious girl being held against her will in a basement. The narrative establishes the complex relationship between twin sisters Lily and Abby, who live with their mother Eve in Hollowfell village in the English countryside. We are introduced to Rick Hansen, Abby’s English teacher, who takes a particular interest in her. Lily and Abby fight over the former’s choice to take drugs and be romantically involved with Wes, a seemingly directionless young boy. Abby and Lily fight over the drug party venue, after which they both walk out. However, Lily wears the pink jacket in a hurry, the same one that Abby had worn while crashing the party. Rick stalks Lily, assuming she is Abby, and offers her a ride home. She steps in alone, after which he kidnaps her and locks her in a basement in his cottage. It takes time for Eve and Abby to realize that Lily has gone missing.

Once they do, they inform the cops, headed by DSI Tommy Shah. Tommy and his colleague, PC Rachel Brenton, investigate the case. Meanwhile, using his friendly image and charm, Rick also takes part in search and rescue efforts for Lily. He also warms up to Abby and says that he will be there for her, in light of the tragedy she is going through. While all this unfolds, Lily repeatedly tries to escape her ordeal but fails. She remains stuck in the basement, waiting to see the sun again. Rick is married to Zoe, a woman he manipulates through mind games and convinces her that he is a good person. Rick also targets Zoe’s infertility to keep her in check. She has no clue about his reality. Rick subsequently rapes Lily several times over the course of five years. She gets pregnant during this process and also gives birth to a child. However, before she can see her kid, Rick throws it in the fire and claims that it died.

Having no clue about Lily for five years, Abby and Eve grow distant and develop a strained, negative relationship, marked by guilt and doubt. They don’t give up hope and continue to look for Lily, often posting “missing” posters in the neighborhood. Eve pursues a short-term affair with Tommy, which ends amicably. Abby gets romantically involved with Wes, Lily’s former lover, and even starts living with him over the course of five years. Lily’s luck turns when Rick forgets to chain her after having raping her. He leaves the door open mistakenly, which enables her to escape. She reaches home, much to the shock and relief of her sister and mother. Lily tells the cops about Rick being the one behind her kidnapping and multiple instances of rape. Tommy and his colleagues arrest Rick and place him in a secure prison. As he spends time in prison, Rick continues to control his wife, Zoe.

It is revealed that Alice and Rick have a daughter named Alice, who is actually Lily’s biological daughter, whom she assumed was dead during birth. Rick convinced Zoe that he had only had a brief fling with Lily, which led to her pregnancy. Zoe is attached to her daughter and doesn’t want the outside world to know the truth. When Lily finds out that Abby is in a romantic relationship with her former boyfriend, Wes, it breaks her heart. However, she is eventually able to make peace with it, despite the complex process. Tommy discovers that a girl named Isobelle Yates had disappeared in the past, and that she, too, was Rick’s student in a different school, just like Lily. To help find if Isobelle is dead or alive, Lily agrees to speak to Rick under police protection. But the encounter doesn’t go well as Rick accuses her of being a manipulative liar obsessed with him.

Rick uses his charm to befriend a prison guard and save himself from violent inmates. When Abby visits Zoe to convince her to testify against her husband, she notices Alice and realizes that she could be Lily’s daughter. Zoe mistakenly attacks Abby, who hits her head on the table. Later, Zoe takes Alice away and hopes to kill herself, along with the child. But she is stopped by Tommy’s colleague, Rachel. Lily is still traumatized and desperately hopes to see Rick go away forever after the court trial. Meanwhile, Abby finds out that she is pregnant and hesitates to share the news with others, due to the complexities of the situation. When Zoe testifies against Rick in court, he realizes that he is in deep trouble. In a shocking twist, he escapes while being escorted out of the courthouse.

Girl Taken Ending: Who Kills Rick? Why?

Rick’s escape from police custody proves to be a major challenge for Lily and her family. His obsession with control and his addiction to torture make him a deadly threat, despite the cops protecting the Riser family. Rick vows to come after his “Baby Doll” Lily and complete his story. He kills a stranger in the park and takes his car, enabling him to move around undetected by the police. Tommy assures Eve and her daughters that they will be okay if they accompany him to a safe house till Rick is apprehended. The narrative carefully reminds us that Rick had previously threatened to pursue Abby if Lily attempted to escape. Lily realizes that her escape and the following court case have definitely motivated Rick to make good on his threats against her sister’s life.

Rick makes his intentions clear when he uses the murdered man’s phone to contact Eve. When Eve puts the call on the loudspeaker, he says hi to his Baby Doll. He tells her that they had something special and that he will never stop pursuing her. However, once the family is taken to the safe house by Tommy and his colleagues, the focus unexpectedly shifts towards Abby. Till this point in the story, Abby’s true feelings never come to light. We only see her grief and trauma, but not her vengeance. Though Lily keeps imagining that Rick is in front of her, ready to strike, it is actually Abby who wants to hurt him more than her sister does. Abby understands that Rick will likely return to the cottage, where he had held Lily for five years. Seeing Lily’s increasing trauma motivates her to make a risky maneuver.

Abby slips away from the safe house, away from her family and the cops. This becomes possible because they are all fast asleep. She heads into the woods and follows Lily’s past route to try to reach the cottage. By the time her family members and cops realize this, Abby manages to reach her destination. Rick expects Lily to be the one confronting him, but is surprised to see Abby instead. He begins taunting her as he walks behind her. He closes in on her and leads her to the now-burnt basement. Meanwhile, Lilly realizes that Abby has mostly headed to the cottage, after which she accompanies her mother and the cops to rescue her. Abby takes out a knife and warns Rick, telling him to stay away. Rick’s obsessive and toxic mind plays its own games, rather enjoying the fact that Abby is in such close range.

Rick challenges Abby to kill her, taunting her. He pushes her and tries to establish his dominance. Despite Abby’s knife attacks, he stands firm, hoping to achieve complete control. He gains the upper hand in the physical confrontation and pins her down, attempting to rape her. At this point, Abby is not only defending her body, but also her sense of freedom. She grabs the fallen knife and sticks it to Rick’s neck. He immediately collapses, as blood oozes out.

Abby looks shocked, but also relieved that Rick will finally suffer the consequences of his actions. If not for her act of killing, Rick may have raped and killed Abby, causing more trauma to the family. In the most demanding moment of her life, Abby musters the courage to act without hesitation. She simultaneously avenges her sister, saves herself, and makes Rick realize that he doesn’t control others. Ultimately, Rick’s death is not just an act of murder or revenge, but it is a bold step towards justice, healing, and closure.

Does Lily Tell Alice the Truth? Why?

Lily’s life becomes more chaotic when Abby reveals something shocking about Alice, Rick, and Zoe’s daughter. When Abby visits Zoe to convince her to testify against Rick, she notices Alice, the four-year-old girl. She is immediately convinced that she resembles Lily. After surviving Zoe’s unintentional attack, she heads home and tells Lily that Alice could be her daughter. Lily is shocked at first, but also relieved that her child didn’t die at birth. Rick lied to her for years about the baby dying during the birth, and that it was a male child. During her phone conversation with Rick, Lily gets the confirmation that Alice is indeed her biological daughter. After Rick’s death and due to Zoe’s mental health issues, Alice is placed in foster care by the authorities.

She remains blissfully unaware of the conditions that led to her existence in the first place. Once the dust settles after Rick’s death, Lily slowly moves towards a journey of motherhood. In the concluding scene of the series, she visits the foster home where Alice is staying. She shows emotional restraint while talking to the child, hoping not to rattle her peace. The conversation between the mother and daughter is a bittersweet experience. Lily sees Alice playing with a dollhouse. When Alice asks if Lily will be her new mother, Lily says she is not sure. She asks Alice if that is what she wants, and the child says yes. Lily also tells Alice that she, too, had a doll once, referring to the doll “sky” she had while being held captive.

Although the narrative doesn’t reveal anything beyond this point, it can be presumed that Lily will probably not tell Alice about the consequences of her birth and that she was born of rape. She may not instantly reveal that she is Alice’s biological mother. Instead, she will likely start taking care of Alice first and become a mother in the social sense. Alice is a kid who may not be able to handle the difficult truth, and any may not even understand what it means. This is why it is highly likely that Lily will hide the truth from her daughter to ensure that she lives a life free of trauma.

How Does Abby Get Away with Rick’s Murder? Does She Become a Mother?

Abby murders Rick to avenge her sister and save herself. This is a heated moment that causes her to act violently. Once she sees Rick’s body on the floor, she realizes the gravity of the situation. Lily rushes to the basement and finds Rick dead, with blood all over him. Lily realizes that Abby killed him and comforts her. When Tommy arrives at the basement, he doesn’t react negatively and understands why Abby had to do so. In his mind, Abby’s actions are justified due to the past trauma. He makes a crucial decision that ensures Abby’s happy future. In his incident report, he tells the superior officer that Rick’s killing was clearly a case of self-defense and not an act of vengeful murder. He tells his colleague Rachel that the Risers have had enough trouble, indicating that he doesn’t wish to cause them any more harm.

Although it is not explicitly revealed, it can be presumed that Rick’s death is treated as a case of self-defense. This enables Abby to live her life as a free woman. Abby’s pregnancy shocks her, amidst all the challenges that she faces. She hesitates to tell her lover, Wes, about it, due to the complexities of his past with Lily. However, when he reacts happily upon hearing the news, she becomes hopeful. Towards the end of the story, we see a visibly pregnant Abby, ready to become a mother. When she gets her sonogram test done, she finds out that she will be giving birth to twins.

Wes and Abby are confused, happy, and excited at the same time, hoping to become parents soon. They live a happy life, without the trauma of the past affecting them. Though Abby is scared, Wes assures her that everything will be alright. Though the narrative doesn’t show Abby giving birth, it is conveyed that she will eventually lead a happy family life with Wes. All in all, Abby overcomes her trauma and shows the courage to pursue happiness and a life of meaning.

Does Lily Recover From Her Trauma?

Lily’s trauma is not related to a single incident. It is a wound caused by years of captivity. Although she escapes her captor, her trauma keeps following her. She is supported by her mother and sister, but deep in her soul, she still feels the sting of the past. Whether or not she recovers from her trauma is not a simple matter. She goes through an arduous journey towards justice. Even with Rick’s death, her trauma may not end so easily. She will presumably carry bits of it throughout her life. However, she will not let it define her or overpower her. The ending parts of the show reveal that Lily is happy, in her own way, connecting with her sister and her daughter. She takes the first steps towards recovery and will likely traverse the remainder of her recovery journey peacefully.

She is not bound to her trauma anymore, though it still affects her. Her conversation with Alice also highlights the fact that she is willing to let the past go. She tells her daughter that the doll she has is much better than the one she had during her captivity. This indicates that Lily has aspirations for a happy future. Though her road to happiness will be a difficult one, she will find enough support from all her family members to reach that destination. Lily’s courage and willingness to speak the truth earn her the freedom she wants to achieve happiness and peace.

Is Isobelle Yates Dead or Alive?

Isobelle Yates is an enigmatic character who remains largely in the background of Lily’s journey. Throughout the show, her disappearance remains a mystery. But the ending reveals a tragic twist. Rachel informs Tommy that her team has recovered someone’s skeleton underneath the ground near Rick’s cottage. It is revealed that this is Isobelle. During her captivity, Lily sees the letters “IY” marked on the door. This hints at the possibility that Isobelle was captured and kept at the same cottage where Rick held Lily. In fact, Isobelle was murdered by Rick, probably months or years before he kidnapped Lily.

Tommy and Rachel work hard to investigate Isobelle’s case. They are successful, but it doesn’t bring them any comfort. Lily would have met the same fate as Isobelle had she not shown her willingness to fight against her exploiter. Isobelle becomes the first victim of Rick’s twisted plans. Though her death remains tragic, she gets justice when Rick is killed by Abby. The series ends on a cautiously cheerful note, bringing all the characters’ arcs and mysteries to a meaningful conclusion.