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The Tourist: viewers divided over shock ending

Spoilers ahead!

the tourist jamie end
Nicky Morris
TV and film writer
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The BBC's latest mystery drama, The Tourist, came to a close on Sunday night and viewers have been left divided over the ambiguous ending. 

MORE: The Tourist: the ending of Jamie Dornan's BBC drama explained

The new series stars Jamie Dornan as a British man on a quest to find out his identity after waking up in hospital following a car accident. 

WATCH: What did you think of the BBC series?

In the final episode, despite previously working as an accountant for disturbed crime lord Kostas, Elliott provides evidence that shows he is free of committing any murders and is free to go.

However, just as he begins to wipe his moral slate clean, a woman named Lena Pascal, who he keeps seeing in a flashback, comes to visit him. She tells him that she was one of Elliott's trafficking victims, who he forced to smuggle bags of heroin into Australia by swallowing them into her stomach. The drugs were then cut out by one of his colleagues, leaving a horrendous scar. 

MORE: The Tourist's Shalom Brune-Franklin reveals close friendship with co-star

MORE: Will there be another series of The Tourist?

She also tells him that two other women he used as drug mules died on the plane after the bags exploded in their stomachs. 

the tourist elliott helen© Photo: BBC

The Tourist came to an end on Sunday night

Racked with guilt and after being rejected by his only friend, Helen, who was ashamed of the man he was in his previous life, Elliott decides to take a drug overdose. Just as he is falling asleep, Helen sends him a text message of a burrito emoji, which was previously said to be Elliott's 'happy place'. Elliott smiles and the credits roll. 

Viewers were divided over the ambiguous ending, with some wanting to know what happened to Elliott, while others thought it was a "great" conclusion to the series. 

the tourist helen end© Photo: BBC

Viewers were divided over the ambiguous ending

One person took to Twitter writing: "The ending of @BBCOne's #TheTourist - whaaattt????? What do you think happens next? Typical cliffhanger to get you wanting a second series!," while another added: "No! It can't end like that!"

A third person wrote: "Anyone else watch #TheTourist? I really enjoyed it, although the ending was annoying!"

Other fans enjoyed the final scene, hoping that the open ending would lead to a second series. One person tweeted: "WHAT an ending. Adored #TheTourist," while another added: "What a great ending to leave us all anticipating a second series."

the tourist hostage situation© Photo: BBC

Viewers praised the "excellent" series

Many viewers also took to Twitter to praise the show as a whole, applauding the script and the acting performances. One person wrote: "Well, I really enjoyed this. Good mixture of drama and humour. Well done to everyone involved in front and behind the cameras. Excellent work," while another added: "#TheTourist ended tonight, a rather surreal take on morality. The most honest piece of drama I have seen on TV for years."

A third person commented: "What a brilliant and gripping series #TheTourist has kept me hooked each week going to miss the show on Sunday nights."

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