The new year on Netflix has begun with a gripping mystery, as the streaming giant's latest Harlan Coben adaptation, Run Away, has viewers hooked. The eight-part limited series, which debuted on Thursday, 1 January 2026, quickly soared to the top of the most-watched charts, offering a twist-filled story of a family torn apart by secrets and a sinister cult.
The Final Confrontation and Cult Exposed
The thriller's climax unfolds after father Simon Greene (James Nesbitt) is shot and hospitalised. From his hospital bed, he informs Detective Inspector Fagbenle (Alfred Enoch) about the murderous Shining Haven cult and their likely hold on his missing daughter, Paige. A police raid on the cult's headquarters follows, but Paige remains missing. Fagbenle's focus turns to arresting the cult's leader, Casper Vartage, who is implicated in multiple disappearances and abuse allegations.
In a critical intervention, Fagbenle stops Casper from taking a suicide pill to avoid justice. Later, the detective visits Simon and reveals a devastating truth: Aaron was one of many children fathered by Casper. Deemed not "divine," these children were put up for adoption. Aaron had secretly discovered his half-siblings and made contact. The terminally ill Casper, wanting to pass his cult and wealth only to his two "divine" sons, hired hitmen Dee Dee (Maeve Courtier-Lilley) and Ash (Jon Pointing) to eliminate his other offspring. Henry Thorpe, the missing man being investigated by the late Elena Ravenscroft, was another of Aaron's half-brothers who was killed.
Paige's Revelation and a Mother's Secret
Months later, a recovered Simon encounters his daughter Paige (Ellie de Lange) at the hospital where Ingrid is recovering. Paige explains she was in rehab, cut off from her phone, and only learned of the shooting later. She then confesses she found Aaron's body at their flat and fled, fearing she would be blamed. She sought refuge at a rehabilitation centre Ingrid had taken her to before, revealing Ingrid's own past drug addiction—another secret kept from Simon.
Simon senses inconsistencies in her story and probes further. Paige admits she went to Ingrid for help after Aaron assaulted her. When she later returned to the flat, she found Aaron dead. The pieces click into place for Simon: Ingrid killed Aaron to protect Paige. When Ingrid wakes from her coma, she confesses and expresses remorse for not involving Simon, knowing they would both face legal consequences.
The Ultimate Family Twist
Yet, one detail continues to haunt Simon: why did Paige and Aaron have separate mattresses? During a conversation about an assault on family friend Doug Mulzer, Paige claims Aaron was the masked attacker. This doesn't align with Doug's account that the assailant shouted, "No one hurts my sister." The final, shocking truth then emerges.
Through a university genealogy project, Paige discovered that Aaron was her half-brother. Their shared mother was Ingrid. Simon finds a hidden photograph at his sister-in-law's house showing a pregnant Ingrid in front of the Shining Haven symbol. This proves Ingrid was once in the cult and that Aaron was her son with Casper. Paige had confronted Ingrid, who believed the child was stillborn. Unable to accept this, Paige initially ran away.
In the end, Simon and Paige make a painful pact: to never tell Ingrid that she killed her own son, knowing the truth would destroy her. Run Away is now available to stream in its entirety on Netflix.
