Who took Oliver Hughes? 10 theories about The Missing

Programme Name: The Missing - TX: n/a - Episode: n/a (No. 6) - Picture Shows: Malik (ASHER ALI) - (C) New Pictures Ltd 2014 - Photographer: Jules Heath (Image credit: BBC/New Pictures Ltd)

The highly anticipated final episode of hit drama The Missing screens on BBC One on Tuesday night and millions will be tuning in to find out what happened to little Oliver Hughes in 2006. Here are the latest theories about his disappearance...

Programme Name: The Missing - TX: n/a - Episode: n/a (No. 6) - Picture Shows: Malik (ASHER ALI) - (C) New Pictures Ltd 2014 - Photographer: Jules Heath (Image credit: BBC/New Pictures Ltd)

The slimy journalist knows something

Malik Suri was desperate to bag himself a job at The Telegraph and he didn't enjoy giving up that vital piece of evidence to police liaison officer Mark Walsh last week. He may not have kidnapped Oliver himself, but he had the most important lead in his possession for a long time - so why didn't he investigate it and get the scoop he's been so desperate for?

Programme Name: The Missing - TX: n/a - Episode: n/a (No. 2) - Picture Shows: Ian (KEN STOTT) - (C) New Pictures Ltd 2014 - Photographer: Liam Daniel

Programme Name: The Missing - TX: n/a - Episode: n/a (No. 2) - Picture Shows: Ian (KEN STOTT) - (C) New Pictures Ltd 2014 - Photographer: Liam Daniel (Image credit: BBC/New Pictures Ltd)

Iain Garrett murdered Oliver

Why did Iain Garrett get involved in the case and risk his own dark secret coming to light? Many have suggested that Garrett was responsible for Oliver's disappearance; has he taken the secret to the grave with him?

Programme Name: The Missing - TX: n/a - Episode: n/a (No. 7) - Picture Shows: Mark (JASON FLEMYNG) - (C) New Pictures Ltd 2014 - Photographer: Jules Heath

Programme Name: The Missing - TX: n/a - Episode: n/a (No. 7) - Picture Shows: Mark (JASON FLEMYNG) - (C) New Pictures Ltd 2014 - Photographer: Jules Heath (Image credit: BBC/New Pictures Ltd)

Mark Walsh is hiding a vital clue

Some were suspicious of Emily's fiancé a couple of weeks ago, until Mark stuck his neck out to wrestle a key piece of evidence from Malik Suri last week. But some viewers are wondering if Mark switched the envelope Malik gave him before handing it to Tony? Has he changed the evidence in a bid to frame someone?

The hotel owners did it!

Alain and Sylvie Deloix seem like a lovely couple, but could this be a ploy by the writers? They're being very kind to Tony and Emily, but could that be because they have a guilty conscience? Some are sure the piece of evidence recovered from the swimming pool was a sobriety coin belonging to Alain. But if so, how did it get there and why would Alain kidnap the child of a guest?

Programme Name: The Missing - TX: n/a - Episode: n/a (No. 7) - Picture Shows: Kahlid Ziane (SAID TAGHMAOUI) - (C) New Pictures Ltd 2014 - Photographer: Jules Heath

Programme Name: The Missing - TX: n/a - Episode: n/a (No. 7) - Picture Shows: Kahlid Ziane (SAID TAGHMAOUI) - (C) New Pictures Ltd 2014 - Photographer: Jules Heath (Image credit: BBC/New Pictures Ltd)

Khalid Ziane is the missing piece of the jigsaw

Ziane obviously understood how important the evidence he found by the swimming pool was when he withheld it, but who was he protecting? He's obviously got some pretty powerful enemies as he was murdered just as he was about to talk...

Oliver was kidnapped by a human trafficking gang

The swimming pool of a quiet French town doesn't seem like the most likely place for human traffickers to operate, but we know that gangs operate in the area. Why risk detection by picking a target that would attract a lot of attention when they could easily have swiped some hapless orphan? Was Khalid Ziane on their payroll, leading them to kill him when he was about to talk?

It was the mayor!

The sharp-eyed have noticed Georges Deloix has the same surname as the couple who own the hotel and has been remarkably keen to have the investigation into Oliver's disappearance shut down for years. Was he responsible for Oliver's disappearance? Several suggest that the French mayor may have been in league with Garrett or even be a paedophile himself? Or was he simply covering for his brother?

Programme Name: The Missing - TX: n/a - Episode: n/a (No. 6) - Picture Shows: Bourg (TITUS DE VOOGDT - (C) New Pictures Ltd 2014 - Photographer: Jules Heath

Programme Name: The Missing - TX: n/a - Episode: n/a (No. 6) - Picture Shows: Bourg (TITUS DE VOOGDT - (C) New Pictures Ltd 2014 - Photographer: Jules Heath (Image credit: BBC/New Pictures Ltd)

Vincent Bourg abducted Oliver and someone helped him cover it up

Despite being a self-confessed paedophile, Vincent Bourg has garnered sympathy from many viewers in recent weeks. Is he still haunted by an awful crime he committed back in 2006? If he is reponsible for Oliver's disappearance then he must have some very powerful friends to have evaded capture... Or perhaps he knows the identity of the killer! Many believe he's covering for the dead Garrett, but some have even suggested he might be covering for the town's mayor! 

WARNING: Embargoed for publication until: 11/07/2014 - Programme Name: The Missing - TX: n/a - Episode: early release (No. n/a) - Picture Shows: Emily (FRANCES O'CONNOR) - (C) New Pictures 2014 - Photographer: Jules Heath

WARNING: Embargoed for publication until: 11/07/2014 - Programme Name: The Missing - TX: n/a - Episode: early release (No. n/a) - Picture Shows: Emily (FRANCES O'CONNOR) - (C) New Pictures 2014 - Photographer: Jules Heath (Image credit: BBC/New Pictures)

...and finally, was it Emily Hughes?

We're not holding our breath on this one. As far as we can see, Emily has no motive and has been pretending to be heartbroken for nearly eight years. Why would she do this? It's highly improbable, but some people out there think she's guilty...

*The Missing will be available to buy on DVD and Blu-ray from Boxing Day, courtesy of RLJ Entertainment’s Acorn Media

 

Sean Marland

Sean is a Senior Feature writer for TV Times, What's On TV and TV & Satellite Week, who also writes for whattowatch.com. He's been covering the world of TV for over 15 years and in that time he's been lucky enough to interview stars like Ian McKellen, Tom Hardy and Kate Winslet. His favourite shows are I'm Alan Partridge, The Wire, People Just Do Nothing and Succession and in his spare time he enjoys drinking tea, doing crosswords and watching football.