Marie Claire UK Marie Claire UK
  • Fashion Fashion
      • Fashion
        • View all Fashion
        • Fashion Trends
        • Shopping
        • Watches and Jewellery
        • Fashion News
  • Beauty Beauty
      • Beauty
        • View all Beauty
        • Fragrance
        • Hair
        • Make Up
        • Skincare
        • Nails
        • Marie Claire Beauty Awards
  • Health Health
      • Health
        • View all Health
        • Fitness
        • Nutrition
        • Female Health
        • Wellbeing
  • Life Life
      • Life
        • View all Life
        • Opinions
        • Travel
        • Sustainability
        • Weddings
        • Money & Work
        • Competitions
  • Culture Culture
      • Culture
        • View all Culture
        • TV and Film
        • Celebrity News
        • Books
        • Royal News
  • Vouchers Vouchers
      • Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Mint Velvet
        • Karen Millen
        • H&M
        • nobody's child
        • ASOS
        • ARKET
        • MANGO
      • Designer Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Reiss
        • THE OUTNET
        • SSENSE
        • Mytheresa
        • Liberty London
        • Selfridges
        • Farfetch
      • Accessories
        • View all Vouchers
        • AllSaints
        • Aspinal of London
        • Charles & Keith
        • River Island
        • FitFlop
        • Kate Spade
        • Vagabond
      • Jewellery
        • View all Vouchers
        • Pandora
        • Abbott Lyon
        • Goldsmiths
        • Beaverbrooks
        • Astrid & Miyu
        • Swarovski
        • Angara Jewellery
      • Beauty
        • View all Vouchers
        • Sephora
        • Cult Beauty
        • Space NK
        • Dyson
        • Clarins
        • Look Fantastic
        • Clinique
      • Activewear
        • View all Vouchers
        • Lululemon
        • Gymshark
        • Sweaty Betty
        • Nike
        • adidas
        • New Balance
        • Helly Hansen
  • NEWSLETTER Signup to our newsletter
  • logoCreated with Sketch.
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Women in Sport 2026
    • Marie Claire Masters
    • Spring Summer 2026
    • Nail Trends 2026
    • Best Investment Bags
    • Best Perfumes
    • Digital Issues
    • Women Who Win
    1. Culture
    2. TV and Film

    8 big questions we have after last night's episode of The Replacement

    Did Paula murder Kay? Who is Georgia? Can Vicky McClure turn water to ice with her eyes?

    Lucy Pavia's avatar
    By Lucy Pavia
    Published 8 March 2017 In Features

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    (Image credit: BBC)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Did Paula murder Kay? Who is Georgia? Can Vicky McClure turn water to ice with her eyes?

    Ooh it's getting creepy, isn't it? Last week's opening episode of BBC One's The Replacement laid the foundations of the psychological thriller with deliberate care, before dropping a big old murder clanger into the mix in the last five minutes.

    In Tuesday night's episode two the tension between our two main characters - Glasgow architect Ellen (Morven Christie) and her maternity cover Paula (Vicky McClure) - was cranked up a notch, with new mother Ellen pulling the full Poirot on Paula to establish whether she did, in fact, murder Kay.

    Here are some key questions we want answered in next week's finale:

    Did Paula murder Kay?

    You may like
    • B _ W - Woman reading book with wine in natural sunlight - TVS 9 of Britain's 10 Bestselling Novels Begin With a Dead Woman. I Asked Authors, Literary Experts and a Criminal Behavioural Analyst Why
    • Parched earth, a woman drinking water and London’s skyline illustrate drought and growing concerns around AI water use. I Investigated the Hidden Cost of AI. One Data Centre Can Use as Much Water as 10,000 People
    • Emotionally Unavailable Men: Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie in Wuthering Heights Why Are We Still Glamourising Emotionally Unavailable Men?

    We discover Kay apparently believed David was having an affair, which is why she committed suicide. Ellen doesn't buy it. The suicide conclusion by the police does feel a little extreme and, given what we saw of Kay in episode one, a little out of character. Would she not confront David, who denies the affair to Ellen outright? But then if Paula did murder her then what possible motive would she have? 'I finally know what's been going on around here' she says on the phone to Ellen minutes before her death.

    Was Paula really at home on the night Kay died, as she claims she was?

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    It's pretty clear Paula's husband Kieran (Navin Chowdhry) is hiding something. Did you see the awkward look he gave when Ellen asked whether he and Paula were really at home with their daughter on the night of the suicide/murder, suggesting Paula doesn't actually have an alibi?

    What's the deal with Caris?

    Ellen thinks the clue to where Paula was on the night of Kay's death could lie with her daughter Caris, who she claims she was at home with. When she gets in touch with her through social media suggesting a meeting (bit creepy of you, Ellen) we see it's Paula answering the message (dun dun DUUUN!) which suggests she's fabricated (even more creepy of you, Paula). But then Paula brings Caris in to meet Ellen while she's at work. Which means she exists! Or DOES it? It's odd how weird and cagey Caris gets with Ellen when she offers to give her a tour of the office. Is she actually Paula's daughter or a paid actress? When Ellen asks seemingly innocuous questions about Caris at dinner later that week Paula also seems very reluctant to answer them. Another dark possibility: the real Caris could be dead.

    What to read next
    • a collage of best books to read summer 2026 From Romance and Dystopian to Devastation and Remorse- these are the must reads for summer
    • Andy Burnham and Marie-France van Heel entering 10 Downing Street “Are We Just Jealous?” Victoria Moss Unpacks the Sexist, Ageist Commentary Around Marie-France van Heel’s Victoria Beckham Dress
    • Aesthetics Safety "What Did She Expect?"—The Sexism and Classism Behind The UK’s Aesthetics Safety Crisis

    Who is Georgia and why does she freak out on Ellen?

    After rifling in Kay's purse, Ellen tracks down a woman named Georgia who Kay called about a meeting before she died. Georgia works for another architecture firm which Paula did some work for a few years ago. But when Paula discovers Ellen is going to meet her we see Paula making a hasty phone call. When Ellen arrives (leaving her baby in the car) Georgia storms out and tells Ellen to leave her alone. Which begs the question, does Georgia have information about Paula which Paula wants to hide? Perhaps Paula pulled the same in-work sabotage on Georgia that she appears to have done on Ellen, which is why she wants to be left alone now. This could also mean Paula is blackmailing Georgia to stay quiet.

    Is the baby-in-the-car picture the strongest clue about Paula's real character?

    We've been lobbed some pretty major hints that Paula is underhand, but sending the picture of Ellen's baby in the car - which leads to an intervention from social services - is solid proof that she'll go to extreme lengths to screw her over.

    (Image credit: BBC)

    What can we learn from the most awkward dinner of all time?

    Paula's husband Kieran isn't going to win an Oscar for subtlety any time soon. After the foursome dinner party at the end of the episode he pointedly asks Ellen's husband Ian (a psychiatrist) about 'a friend' (cough cough) whose wife 'has a problem accepting reality.' Wow - who could he POSSIBLY be talking about?! If Paula really has a problem accepting reality then much of what we believe to be true (mainly this mysterious disappearing daughter) could be false.

    Is Ellen's baby going to be taken away by social services?

    After being caught leaving Lea in a locked car (and with a history of mental illness) Ellen is potentially one strike away from being separated from her baby. Something tells us her dogged pursuit of Paula could land her in far more trouble than she's already in. In any case, her husband Ian already appears to be at the end of his tether.

    What is going on with David?

    A clearly grief-striken David gets angry that Ellen wants to do more digging on Paula. But it also throws up the possibility that he knows more about Kay's death than he's letting on. Ellen also finds Paula's lipstick in the bathroom at his house. Does this suggest he was actually having an affair with her or is it a red herring?

    Speaking of the baby, how cute is the baby?

    VERY cute.

    (Image credit: BBC)

    Also, how nice are the houses in Glasgow?

    Lovely spacious living rooms, modern kitchen units, tasteful furniture, fancy floating staircases. Just a shame about all the murderous architects.

    Could Vicky McClure freeze water with her eyes?

    Quite possibly.

    Lucy Pavia
    Lucy Pavia
    Social Links Navigation
    Read more
    B _ W - Woman reading book with wine in natural sunlight - TVS
    Culture 9 of Britain's 10 Bestselling Novels Begin With a Dead Woman. I Asked Authors, Literary Experts and a Criminal Behavioural Analyst Why
    Parched earth, a woman drinking water and London’s skyline illustrate drought and growing concerns around AI water use.
    Life I Investigated the Hidden Cost of AI. One Data Centre Can Use as Much Water as 10,000 People
     
     
    Emotionally Unavailable Men: Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie in Wuthering Heights
    Relationships Why Are We Still Glamourising Emotionally Unavailable Men?
    a collage of best books to read summer 2026
    Culture From Romance and Dystopian to Devastation and Remorse- these are the must reads for summer
     
     
    Latest in TV and Film
    We Finally Know What To Expect From Leighton Meester’s Character in Nobody Wants This
    TV and Film One Surprising A-Lister Is Joining the Nobody Wants This Season Three Cast
    Lily Collins in Emily in Paris
    TV and Film Emily in Paris Fans Have Been Mourning a ‘Bittersweet’ Update About Season Six
     
     
    There has been a huge update for The White Lotus season 4
    TV and Film ‘Two Weeks in August’ Has Been Dubbed the 'British White Lotus' – Here’s What We Know About It
    Helena Bonham Carter attends the 2024 BAFTAs
    TV and Film One Cast Member Has Spoken Out About Helena Bonham Carter Leaving The White Lotus
     
     
    Latest in Features
    Aesthetics Safety
    Beauty "What Did She Expect?"—The Sexism and Classism Behind The UK’s Aesthetics Safety Crisis
    Wedding planning
    Relationships I Love My Fiancé, but I Resent the Emotional Labour of Planning Our Wedding
     
     
    Expensive beauty products, luxury beauty
    Beauty The Expensive Products That Are Actually Worth It, According to Beauty Editors Who’ve Tried Thousands
    Mischa Anouk Smith on a sunset boat trip along Türkiye’s Turquoise Coast
    Travel Forget Capri, Türkiye’s Turquoise Coast Is the Mediterranean’s New Luxury Hotspot
     
     
    logoCreated with Sketch.
    • Site Archive
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Terms and conditions
    • Advertise with us
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • About us
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire UK is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.