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What is the plot?
The series opens with crime boss Ronnie Phelan preparing to retire from his position as leader of a powerful Liverpool gang. Ronnie and his wife Elaine discuss the future of their criminal empire, with Ronnie's son Jamie eager to inherit control. Jamie is a young father engaged to Melissa, and he is ambitious but inexperienced. Ronnie's trusted right-hand man, Michael Kavanagh, who is unrelated to the family but deeply embedded in the gang, also has his own vision for the future. Michael has recently fallen in love with Diana Williams, a restaurant manager, and they are trying to start a family through IVF due to Michael's fertility issues.
Early scenes establish the tension between Jamie and Michael. Ronnie favors Jamie as his successor, but Michael, who has been instrumental in managing the gang's operations, resents being sidelined. Jamie's cousin Rachel, the gang's accountant, supports Jamie's ambitions. Michael's closest ally and enforcer is Banksey, while Jamie's enforcer is Bonehead. The gang's business includes a longstanding cocaine supply deal with the Colombian cartel known as 'the Amigos,' represented by Ricardo Guzman.
A key early event is a drug deal that goes wrong, escalating tensions within the gang. Ronnie and Elaine hold a family meeting to try to manage the brewing conflict. They propose a compromise: Elaine's nephew-in-law Bobby Duffy and Michael's right-hand man Banksey will become co-leaders, replacing Ronnie who is stepping down. This arrangement is meant to stabilize the gang and prevent a civil war, but Jamie and Rachel are furious at being excluded from leadership.
Jamie and Rachel begin plotting a coup to regain control. Rachel plans to switch the gang's cocaine supplier from the Colombians to an Albanian gang, a move that threatens the existing cartel alliance. Jamie, however, takes a more personal and ruthless approach. He decides to kidnap Michael's girlfriend Diana to leverage power over Michael. Jamie demands that Michael kill himself as ransom for Diana's safe return, framing it as revenge for Ronnie's murder and a way to eliminate his main rival.
The kidnapping leads to a tense confrontation atop a car park. Jamie holds Diana hostage, and Michael is forced into a desperate negotiation. The standoff is fraught with emotional intensity, as Michael's love for Diana and his desire to protect her clash with the brutal realities of gang warfare. The sequence unfolds with careful detail: Jamie's threats, Michael's attempts to reason, and the precarious balance of power between them.
Meanwhile, Michael's ally Banksey faces his own danger. Ricardo Guzman, the Colombian cartel representative, plants a bomb in Banksey's car, nearly killing him and his teenage son Freddie. Banksey survives, but the attack triggers a violent retaliation. Banksey kills Ricardo in revenge, a murder that shocks the criminal underworld and threatens to ignite further conflict between the gang and the Colombians.
The season ends with the gang's fragile peace shattered. Jamie and Michael's feud has escalated to new extremes, with kidnappings and murders deepening the divide. The power struggle remains unresolved, setting the stage for continued violence and betrayal. The final scenes emphasize the high stakes of loyalty, family, and survival in the brutal world of Liverpool's organised crime.
What is the ending?
The ending of This City Is Ours centers on the intense showdown between Michael Kavanagh and Jamie Phelan, culminating in a hostage exchange that forces both men to confront their past and their futures. Michael refuses to take his own life as Jamie demands, instead kidnapping Jamie's baby son Alfie to leverage the safe return of his pregnant girlfriend Diana. After a tense rooftop standoff, Michael admits to killing Jamie's father Ronnie, which shocks Jamie but leads to a fragile truce. The series closes with unresolved tensions and the murder of a key drug supplier, setting the stage for future conflict.
The final episode of This City Is Ours unfolds with mounting tension as Michael Kavanagh tries to convince his gang that they have enough money to exit the criminal world, proposing a deal involving a large drug shipment. Jamie Phelan, however, remains distrustful and vengeful, convinced Michael was responsible for his father Ronnie's death. As alliances shift, Rachel secretly makes deals outside Michael's control, signaling cracks in loyalty.
Jamie escalates the conflict by orchestrating the kidnapping of Diana, Michael's girlfriend, using her as leverage. In a tense phone call, Jamie demands Michael take his own life to ensure Diana's safety. Michael, devastated and desperate, seems ready to comply, but Diana reveals she is pregnant, adding emotional weight to the situation.
In a bold counter-move, Michael kidnaps Jamie's infant son Alfie and takes him to the rooftop of a parking garage. He threatens to jump with the baby unless Diana is returned unharmed. Jamie arrives, and a hostage swap is arranged. During this confrontation, Michael delivers a harsh truth: he admits to killing Ronnie, claiming it was necessary. Jamie reacts emotionally, pulling a gun and threatening Michael, but is calmed by his mother Elaine's intervention.
Meanwhile, Cheryl, loyal to Diana, visits Elaine under false pretenses but is actually working for Michael. She retrieves Alfie and brings him to Michael, facilitating the hostage exchange.
The episode ends with Michael forced to face Elaine, who tells him she will come to despise him and warns that this conflict is far from over. Shortly after, Michael's ally Banksey kills Colombian cocaine supplier Ricardo in retaliation for a bomb threat, leaving the criminal landscape unstable and the story open for continuation.
Fates of main characters at the end:
- Michael Kavanagh: Survives the rooftop standoff, admits to killing Ronnie, and faces ongoing threats from Elaine and the criminal world.
- Jamie Phelan: Emotionally shaken by Michael's confession, temporarily reconciles but remains a volatile figure with unresolved anger.
- Diana Williams: Safe and pregnant, her fate is tied to Michael's future decisions.
- Elaine Phelan: Jamie's mother, distrustful of Michael, predicts ongoing conflict.
- Banksey: Michael's right-hand man, responsible for killing Ricardo, signaling further violence ahead.
The ending is a tense, emotionally charged climax that leaves key conflicts unresolved, emphasizing the fragile and dangerous nature of loyalty, family, and power within the criminal underworld of Liverpool.
Is there a post-credit scene?
The TV show This City Is Ours (2025) does have a post-credit scene. In this scene, after the tense hostage swap and confrontation between Michael and Jamie, Michael is seen holding Jamie's baby Alfie on the edge of a high building, threatening to jump. This moment is charged with suspense, but it is clear Michael does not intend to actually jump. The scene ends with Michael delivering a harsh truth to Jamie about his dead father Ronnie, which leads to an emotional standoff. This post-credit moment leaves viewers gasping and sets up unresolved tensions, particularly between Michael and Elaine, who warns Michael that she will come to despise him and that "this isn't the last of it".
What are the main conflicts driving the story in This City Is Ours?
The main conflicts revolve around the power struggle triggered by crime boss Ronnie Phelan's retirement plans, with his partner Michael Kavanagh and his son Jamie Phelan vying for control of the criminal empire. Additionally, Michael's love affair with Diana and the challenges it brings amid the gang's disintegration add emotional and personal tension to the story.
Who are the central characters involved in the gang dynamics and their relationships?
Key characters include Ronnie Phelan, the aging crime boss; Michael Kavanagh, his right-hand man and a senior gang member; Jamie Phelan, Ronnie's ambitious son; Diana Williams, Michael's girlfriend; and other gang members like Davey Crawford and Rachel Duffy. The relationships between these characters, especially the rivalry between Michael and Jamie and Michael's relationship with Diana, are central to the story.
How does Michael's relationship with Diana influence the plot?
Michael's love affair with Diana is a pivotal element that causes him to reconsider his life in organized crime. Their relationship is set against the backdrop of the gang's power struggles and disintegration, making it both a source of motivation and vulnerability for Michael as he tries to protect Diana and their future.
What role does the Colombian cartel 'the Amigos' play in the story?
The Amigos, a Colombian cartel, are the suppliers of cocaine to Ronnie Phelan's gang. Their involvement is significant as the gang's operations depend on this connection, and disruptions such as missing shipments indicate external threats to the gang's control and stability.
What themes are explored through the story of This City Is Ours?
The series explores themes of family loyalty, ambition, power struggles, love corrupted by greed and pride, and the consequences of crime. It delves into what individuals will do to secure and maintain power within a criminal empire, as well as the personal costs of such a life.
Is this family friendly?
The TV show This City Is Ours (2025) is not family friendly and is best suited for mature audiences due to its crime drama content. It contains violent and gritty scenes involving organized crime, drug trafficking, and power struggles within a criminal gang. The show explores themes of drug dealing, gang conflicts, and intense interpersonal drama, which may be upsetting or inappropriate for children or sensitive viewers.
Potentially objectionable or upsetting aspects include:
- Violence and crime-related content, including gang disputes and drug trafficking.
- Strong language and mature themes related to criminal underworld activities.
- Emotional intensity stemming from betrayal, power struggles, and personal conflicts within the crime family.
- The show's tone is described as dark and gritty, with realistic portrayals of crime and its consequences.
No explicit spoilers are revealed here, but viewers should expect mature content that is unsuitable for children or those sensitive to violence and crime drama.
Does the dog die?
In the TV show This City Is Ours (2025), the dog does not die. The dog is shown to be in distress and runs off at night, but its fate is left ambiguous and it is not harmed or killed on screen.