Waiting for the Out ending explained: Dan's journey from fear to closure

BBC One's latest psychological prison drama series, Waiting for the Out, reflects how the often crooked justice system takes a toll on the lives of the accused and their families. This drama is based on Andy West's memoir The Life Inside: A Memoir of Prison, Family and Learning to Be Free, penned by Dennis Kelly. The series does not depend on extreme emotions or violent sequences; instead, it relies on the eerie pauses and how most people suffer in silence.

It features a young man, Dan Steward, who quits his university teaching position for a job at the prison. Strange, isn't it? Well, not for Dan, though.

Waiting for the Out begins with Dan calling his friend to inform him that he got bored with teaching philosophy at the university, and so he's opting for a new job at the prison. He has to provide philosophy lessons to the inmates at Kenworth's local prison. Turns out, his decision to join the new job stems from his traumatic past.

Here's a quick recap of Waiting for the Out

Waiting for the Out ending explained: Who is Dan Steward?

Dan Steward is the protagonist of the BBC One series, Waiting for the Out. He quits his university job to join a teaching job at the prison. Dan's decision isn't rampant; it's well thought out.

Dan is a tormented man who has bouts of hallucinations that disturb his daily lifestyle. He also experiences OCD; for instance, he keeps on checking whether he has turned off his gas cooker or not. Almost always living in a constant state of dilemma.

Dan didn't have a stable childhood. In a flashback sequence, we see him recall how his father ruined a family holiday. He aggressively sang in the car, bullied a waiter, and even stole jewellery from a shop. Dan's insecurities and fear stem from his traumatic past. When he joins the prison job, he wears toe-capped boots, just to be safe.

Another unstable aspect of his life is love. Dan does not have a stable relationship, stemming from his insecurities. So what are these insecurities? Why does he leave his job at the university for a prison job? We learn that most of his family members, including his estranged father, have spent significant time in prison. During a friend's party, when a guest asks him about his strange job change, he lashes out at the insensitive comment, but deep down, his troublesome family history bothers him to the core.

On one hand, there's shame, and on the other, a weird sense of alienation of not having inherited his family's criminal qualities. Yes, it seems quite twisted. Thus, Dan develops a desire to know what life is like behind bars. By teaching philosophy at the prison, he gets to know more about the inmates' psyches.

However, he's also afraid of being locked up. This fear makes him paranoid. He constantly checks himself before walking into the prison. He makes sure that all his personal belongings, including his phone, are in the locker, since personal items are not allowed inside the premises.

Waiting for the Out ending explained: Does Dan meet his father?

Dan attempts to meet his estranged father, Martin. After understanding the psyche of the inmates, he understands his father's perspective too. Even though neither Dan nor his family has any idea about Martin's whereabouts, Dan is quite eager to meet him. He connects with an inmate, Keith, who reveals that one of his mates knows Martin since they were cell partners.

His mother and brother Lee advise Dan not to meet his father, but Dan does his research and finds a man named Mathew Hall, who had been released from prison and was close to Martin. Finally, Dan sets up a meeting with him. The conversation makes him realise that Martin cared for Dan's mother and brother. However turns out his father never spoke about him to Mathew, discerning that he never cared for Dan. Thereafter, Dan stops his constant search for his father. Instead, now he decides to focus on his mother and brother Lee, the ones who have always supported and cared for him.

Waiting for the Out: Is Dan arrested?

At the end of Waiting for the Out, when Dan takes his phone to the prison to check whether he switched off the gas or not from the nanny cam, he gets caught by the authorities. Dan's obsession and constant fear led him to take this step. When he's brought to the prison director, he tells him that if he's found guilty, he has to spend two years in prison. Dan does not hire a lawyer, and at this point, it seems like he's about to follow the footsteps of his brother and father. He chooses to tell the truth to the director. The director decides not to prosecute Dan because of his honesty and his clear intent.

The series delves into the failing prison system, highlighting instances when inmates suffer due to the authorities' mistakes. How does the prison and its eerie environment take a toll on their mental health? How do the inmates' families suffer as a result?

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