When the killer is revealed in tonight’s finale of crime drama Winter, no one will see it coming

THE thrilling conclusion to hit drama Winter airs tonight and the show’s star and creator Rebecca Gibney is confident viewers will be stunned when the killer is revealed.

Supplied Entertainment Finale of crime drama Winter airs Wednesday

THE thrilling conclusion to hit crime drama Winter airs tonight and the show’s star and creator Rebecca Gibney is confident viewers will be stunned when the killer is finally revealed.

For weeks, her character Detective Sargent Eve Winter and her task force have been unravelling the murder mystery and putting together the many and varied pieces of the puzzle.

While fans have been kept guessing, the killer’s identity was a closely guarded secret on the set of the production too.

“Some cast members didn’t want to know until the last minute,” Gibney said.

“We handed out scripts just before we shot (the final scenes)... the majority of people had no inkling, which was great.

“It confirmed we were doing the right thing and there were enough twists and turns to make it interesting and not predictable.”

One cast member who’s firmly out of the loop is Gibney’s 10-year-old son Zac, an aspiring actor who fought for the chance to audition for a minor part and landed it.

“He wants to watch the whole series, but I don’t let him,” his protective mum laughed. “It deals with some difficult subjects. When he’s a bit older, he can see it.

“He can watch his scenes because they’re OK — they’re not (graphic). But I don’t want him to watch the whole thing.”

The youngster has exhibited a keen interest in performing since he was a child but Gibney and producer husband Richard Bell half hoped he would pursue a more secure line of work.

“It’s a tough industry. You’re setting yourself up for a lot of disappointment. That’s the nature of it. I’ve had a fortunate career — I’ve worked hard too — but I’ve had my share of rejection and stints of unemployment.

“No one wants their child to feel that kind of rejection. There’s a part of me that would rather he got a secure job — there’s no guarantees in (acting).

“Would I prefer he was a doctor? Yes. But if this is what he wants to do, I certainly won’t stand in his way.”

Viewers first met the character of Eve in last year’s telemovie The Killing Field, the success of which led to this short-run series and a whole new murder to investigate.

Winter has delivered solid ratings for Seven and is the number one new drama of the year so far. Gibney and Bell produced both under the company they founded almost two years ago.

“I’d love Eve and I’d love to do it again. Who knows these days? I’m confident we’ll be greenlit for development — how that plays out is still a mystery, whether it’s another short series, a full series or a telemovie.”

While she’s a fan of the police genre, she insists on doing it in a smart way and without resorting to gratuitous violence.

“These sorts of crime dramas appeal to me more than just violence and gore and lots of blood,” Gibney said.

“I don’t like that sort of thing and I think it’s often unnecessary. I like edge-of-your-seat intrigue, which I think is harder to do. It’s clever.

“I’d much rather watch and make this sort of show. I don’t want to be covering my face in horror as someone gets their throat cut. I like the psychological stuff.”

The finale of Winter airs tonight at 9pm on Channel Seven.