Vigil Season 3 has officially finished on BBC One, bringing Amy Silva and Kirsten Longacre’s latest investigation to an end after six episodes spanning Svalbard and Scotland. The finale aired on Monday, 14 September, after all six episodes became available on BBC iPlayer at the weekend, and there was plenty still to resolve. Amy had disappeared with Shen Jia after surviving an armed ambush, while Kirsten was trying to uncover the conspiracy behind the murders and Shen Jia’s research.

Spoilers for the Vigil Season 3 finale below.

Does Amy Silva Survive in Vigil Season 3?

Yes, Amy Silva survives the Season 3 finale. The episode begins with Kirsten learning that Amy and Shen Jia managed to escape the attack at the end of Episode 5, although their whereabouts are initially unknown. Amy eventually makes contact with her superiors and discovers that the Chinese authorities want Shen Jia returned and that the UK has agreed to hand her over.

Amy refuses. Believing Shen Jia would be in danger if she followed the order, she decides to protect her instead and effectively goes rogue. Chief Superintendent Robertson is forced to issue a warrant for Amy’s arrest, although he also suspects there is more to the conspiracy than they currently understand.

Amy later reunites with Shen Jia and Mark Cunningham as they continue trying to uncover who is behind the attempts to control Shen Jia’s research.

What Happens to Shen Jia’s Research?

Earlier in the series, Amy and Kirsten had initially suspected Shen Jia’s discovery could be connected to a biological weapon. Instead, it is revealed to be research into a new fossil fuel alternative, making it enormously valuable and potentially threatening to countries and industries dependent on existing energy sources.

One sample had already been destroyed, but Shen Jia had hidden another inside a gift intended for murdered scientist Vincent Mair. By the finale, Amy and Kirsten work out that the surviving sample has ended up with politician Gordon Laity.

Amy, Shen Jia and Mark eventually head to a Glasgow laboratory to determine whether the research is already being developed there. Mercenaries arrive and open fire, forcing Mark and Shen Jia to escape while Amy becomes trapped under fire. Kirsten arrives in time to rescue her.

Who Is Behind the Vigil Season 3 Conspiracy?

The final confrontation takes place around COP31 in Glasgow, where Shen Jia intends to reveal her research publicly. She is surrounded by armed men acting on the orders of Sir Ian Downing, the Home Office figure who originally sent Kirsten to Svalbard. Amy and Kirsten intervene, and Downing is finally exposed as one of the central figures behind the conspiracy. His aim was to secure Shen Jia’s research for the UK and use it to give the country greater energy independence and power. He is also implicated in the killing of Vincent Mair and the attack on climate protester Chloe.

Chloe provides another important piece of the puzzle. She reveals that she had previously sold information to China before being caught and forced to work as a double agent for British intelligence. Her handler Scott later attempts to kill her while posing as a police officer in an effort to remove another loose end. By the end of the episode, Sir Ian Downing is arrested, as is Gordon Laity for his involvement in the conspiracy.

What Happens to Shen Jia?

Shen Jia survives and gets the chance to do what she wanted with her work. After Amy and Kirsten prevent Downing’s men from taking her, Shen Jia appears at the climate conference and shares her research in the hope that countries can work together to develop it rather than allowing one government to control it. She is also able to remain in the UK and seek asylum, bringing the threat surrounding her to an end.

Does Anyone Die in the Vigil Season 3 Finale?

Amy, Kirsten, Shen Jia and Mark all survive the finale. Several deaths had already shaped the investigation before the final episode, including scientist Vincent Mair and the British special forces officer whose murder initially brought Kirsten to Svalbard, but the finale itself concentrates on exposing those responsible and stopping the remaining conspiracy rather than killing off one of its central characters.

Why Does Amy Silva Leave the Police?

Although Amy survives, Season 3 does not give her an entirely happy ending. Her refusal to hand Shen Jia over to the authorities means she faces serious consequences for disobeying orders. In the closing scenes, Amy is told that resigning from the police could allow her to avoid an investigation and potential charges that could otherwise lead to prison.

Amy ultimately accepts that her career has reached an end. Kirsten references advice Amy once gave her about never making the job personal, but Amy makes it clear she does not regret the decision. The pair leave together hand-in-hand, ending Season 3 with Amy’s future outside the police wide open.

Will There Be a Vigil Season 4?

The BBC has not officially commissioned Vigil Season 4 at the time of writing, so Amy’s resignation leaves the series in an interesting position. It could work as an ending for Amy Silva’s career as a detective, but it also leaves plenty of room for the story to continue in another form. With Amy and Kirsten still together and Amy now outside the police, a fourth series could take the characters somewhere very different if the BBC decides to bring Vigil back.

For CultureCues, what a finale and what a season overall. We loved this run of Vigil, and Suranne Jones was incredible once again as Amy Silva, with the whole cast delivering across the six episodes. We are very relieved both Amy and Kirsten made it out alive, and the finale answered the biggest questions around Shen Jia and the conspiracy. Amy leaving the police could easily work as an ending for the character, but it could also open the door to a very interesting Season 4. We are very much hoping for the latter.

All six episodes of Vigil Season 3 are available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.

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