In the finale, two teams of recruits are captured by the hunter force and subjected to a variety of punishing interrogation techniques by a specialist team. They endure being buried alive and thrown in water tanks, to force a confession, and struggle to maintain the cover story they are using to hide their true mission.

Reece and Sarah are put in charge for the escape and evasion test, while calls from home unsettle some of the recruits and prompt an honest reflection of the cost of war from Rudy. The recruits are pushed to their physical limits as they pull vehicles weighing 1000kg from the sand under indirect simulated fire. But being under pressure opens old wounds as some reflect on issues around bullying, infidelity and self-esteem.

The remaining recruits are tested on their ability to trust each other through a series of tasks ranging from hand to hand combat to a terrifying 200 metre abseil. Shylla is voted the last trustworthy by her fellow recruits, and is pushed to confront why her quiet demeanour makes other people unwilling to trust her, revealing to the DS that a lifetime of racism has made her withdraw.

The recruits put their hand-to-hand combat skills to the test, while an elimination test on a 400 metre sand dune proves to be the final straw for four of the recruits. Among the other challenges they will face during a gruelling 48 hours are a seven-metre backwards dive and a simulated ambush while driving.

All 20 trainees have made it through to the second stage - where they must make a split-second decision about whether or not to fire in a combat situation. They also face a brutal training session in the desert that pushes some of them to the edge, and must freefall off the top of a 50-foot cliff, trusting a teammate to catch them. This episode also deals with overcoming family tragedy and childhood adversity.

The reality show returns with its toughest training course yet, against the backdrop of the Jordanian desert. The initial 21 recruits are sent on an intense journey to their base through searing heat. Once they have made it back to safety, their ability to work as a team is tested when they cross a ravine by balancing on a rope suspended 165 above the ground.