When you look at that picture of the man in a cowboy hat, it’s like, ‘Oh, OK. That’s a clue,’” said Rinat Farkas, a software engineer. “I think it’s a sign. Maybe the show should end with that.” When the episode ends and a woman in the credits says, “This week in The Great British Bake Off, it all came down to a simple cream buns,” Bex Bailey wrote on Twitter, “Oh. OH. OH. My. God. Did you not see season 6?” It’s unclear if the last-minute twist was an elaborate, years-in-the-making plan or if a producer just woke up one day and said “What if we do this?” But the ending, though completely unearned, seems to have worked, both with fans and critics. The Guardian wrote in its review, “It has to be said: it’s actually pretty brilliant. After all that build-up, the audience had come to expect the worst. Instead they got a sweet ending.” The Daily Beast was slightly less impressed. “It seems like a cruel joke at first, one that threatens to ruin the end of a show that could have been the best in years,” they wrote. “And the ending did not live up to the promise it promised. Still, I suspect that the best part of the ending was when Aisling suddenly started laughing and could not stop. There’s something that brings more joy than the actual ending of the episode.” The episode was written by Richard Osman and was directed by Michael Cumming. The winner will be revealed on Wednesday, June 19. Get The Brief. Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know right now. Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up Now Check the box if you do not wish to receive promotional offers via email from TIME. You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Thank you! For your security, we've sent a confirmation email to the address you entered. Click the link to confirm your subscription and begin receiving our newsletters. If you don't get the confirmation within 10 minutes, please check your spam folder. Contact us at letters@time.com.