The Crystal Cuckoo Ending Explained: Who Killed Rafa?

Netflix’s ‘The Crystal Cuckoo’ or ‘El Cuco de Cristal’ follows Clara Merlo, a first-year medical resident whose life and career are dramatically altered after an almost fatal cardiac arrest in Madrid. Saved by a heart transplant, Clara is consumed by the mystery of her donor, Carlos. Abandoning her medical career, she travels to a small, secluded town to uncover the truth about the man who saved her. What she finds is a community that seems to be hiding dark secrets, despite initially appearing welcoming. The interconnected, dangerous, and mysterious stories of the town of Yesques soon become tied to Clara’s own life as she delves deeper.

The investigation into Carlos’s life becomes increasingly complicated when the young doctor learns about the cases of missing persons in the community. Clara finds herself in hostile territory, inadvertently becoming part of an inexplicable web of deceptions. Towards the narrative’s concluding phase, she is on the verge of discovering something that could alter the fates of several Individuals around her. SPOILERS AHEAD.

The Crystal Cuckoo Plot Synopsis

Miguel Ferrer, a cop, investigates the death of Luisa in 2004, and Clara recovers from a heart transplant in 2022 and 2023. Miguel finds an odd piece of jewelry on Luisa’s burnt body, and Clara becomes obsessed with finding out the identity of the donor. She finds out it was a man involved in a car accident. Clara discovers that the donor was Carlos, after which she contacts Marta, the donor’s mother, in hopes of learning more. Marta invites Clara to the town of Yesques to honor Carlos, and she accepts. She stays with Marta at her house, getting ready for Carlos’ funeral. Rafa, Miguel’s former colleague, tells Clara that Miguel, Carlos’s father, disappeared eighteen years ago, and didn’t die like Marta claimed. Suddenly, a baby named Manuela goes missing in the town. The community searches for the missing baby, and Clara meets María, Carlos’s girlfriend.

Juan, Carlos’s older brother and cop, looks after Clara. In the past, Miguel investigated Luisa’s case by questioning her husband, Gabriel. During the search, Clara sees a strange individual wearing a hat made of bird feathers and also hears the baby crying in the woods, but can’t reach it because of her heart condition. Clara watches a video on Maria’s social media, in which Carlos makes movements identical to those of the strange man wearing a bird feather mask. In the past, Miguel had obsessed over the disappearance of Magda, believing that an older man she was rumored to be dating caused her harm and also gave her the necklace. He thinks that Gabriel, Luisa’s husband, could be the mysterious older man. It is revealed by Rafa’s mother (Gabriel’s sister) that Gabriel was obsessed with drawing cuckoos and spending time in the woods.

She also reveals that Gabriel was known to be toxic towards women, and could be related to the disappearance of an Italian woman in the past. Ramón tells Clara after the festival that eleven people disappeared in the town over the last three decades and that Carlos was passionate about the subject. In the past, Miguel pursued the case of another girl named Silvia Luna, who went missing from a gas station, and attacked Gabriel in the hunting cabin, asking him about Magda and Silvia, believing that Gabriel was responsible for both cases. In the present, Clara and Juan get sexually intimate while talking about the disappearances. In 1979, Gabriel influences the mind of a young Rafa in the woods, helping him find his dog Luna. Despite his mother warning against it, Rafa continues to meet Gabriel, learning the weird moves and seeing the drawings by his uncle.

Gabriel discreetly gives him pictures of young girls in distress to corrupt him. It is revealed that Gabriel and Magda were dating in the past. Rafa happens to see Gabriel murdering Magda. In the past, Rafa pursued an extramarital affair with Silvia, the gas station worker. He threatens to expose his uncle Gabriel, believing that he was behind the murder of Luisa, just like he murdered Magda. Rafa forces Silvia to have sex with him, but when she refuses, he rapes and kills her. Out of frustration, he calls Gabriel for help, not knowing what to do with the body. The two of them bury Silvia’s body. Rafa asks his uncle to leave and never come to the town. He then informs Marta about Miguel’s supposed disappearance.

In the present, it is revealed that Gabriel is still alive and is the one behind the kidnapping of the baby. Rafa visits his uncle in the hunting cabin and tells him to take care. Clara spots Gabriel with the bird feather mask and recognizes that he was the one who took the baby. Clare is then attacked by Gabriel, who hits her head with a rock. Juan starts to look for Clara, with Rafa assisting him. An injured Clara wakes up at Gabriel’s hunting cabin.

The Crystal Cuckoo Ending: Why Did Rafa Confess? Who Killed Him?

Rafa has a difficult childhood due to his toxic connection with Gabriel. The latter brainwashes him into a state of frustration and violence, eventually making him a desperate soul seeking meaning. His continued association with Gabriel also made Rafa believe that he had to establish some dominance over women, which led him to brutally rape and kill Silvia Luna, the gas station worker. After murdering his best friend Miguel in cold blood, Rafa lives a life of guilt, slowly understanding the consequences of Gabriel’s influence on him. His remorse, frustration, and secrets shockingly converge towards the end of the story. After saving Clara in the woods, Rafa initially hopes that he has achieved redemption, having eliminated Gabriel.

The act of killing also ensures that he can no longer be tied to the disappearances of individuals over the years. Despite the end of Gabriel, Rafa sits alone in his house, soaked in guilt and a feeling of isolation, to the point where he almost cannot comprehend living with the thoughts in his head. However, destiny has a darker fate awaiting him in the form of Clara. He heads to Marta’s house to comfort her in the aftermath of Clara’s survival. The tension is established in the conversation between Rafa and Marta, where the latter asks about the possibility of Miguel’s body being found in Gabriel’s victims’ burial spot in the woods. The cop tells the restaurant owner that it will take time to find the bodies. As Clara joins the two for some coffee, the conversation becomes more serious.

In the worst possible time for Rafa, Marta talks about him being Carlos’ godfather, and their adventures in the woods during Carlos’ childhood. Marta discloses that Rafa used to call Carlos “Eaglet” in his childhood. This leads Clara to a shocking realization. Earlier, locked in the cabin by Gabriel, she had overheard her kidnapper calling someone “Eaglet,” which makes her presently deduce that Rafa was the one collaborating with his uncle. Clara’s smart deduction brings panic and chaos to Rafa’s mind, as he understands the gravity of the situation. Clara also determines that the “strange dance,” which she saw the masked man and Carlos perform, was actually taught by Gabriel to Rafa, who then did the same for Carlos. The terrifying link between the three men makes Rafa confess, in a state of desperation.

Rafa pulls out his gun, initially thinking of hurting Clara and Marta, but decides against it. His soul is so heavy with guilt at this point that he sees no other option than a confession. His lifelong burden of carrying his own evil secrets is finally lifted, as he is presented with the opportunity to speak the truth. This also explains why he did not kill Marta and Clara. He could have easily used his gun against them, but chose not to do so, which indicates that he wanted to finally stop his cycle of violence. He confesses to the women that he was the one who raped and killed Silvia, and has been lying to everyone over the years. He also admits that he killed Miguel in cold blood and has not been able to live with that guilt. When he says that he has been thinking of killing himself, Marta resolutely tells him to do so.

At this point in the narrative, Rafa points a gun at his own head, waiting to pull the trigger and finally ending the cycle of violence within his own soul. But the show doesn’t exactly reveal the source of the gunshot heard seconds later. As Rafa struggles to shoot himself, he places the gun back on the table. Clara and Marta look at the gun and then at each other, presumably deciding that they should act. The strongest possibility in this case is that Marta actually shot Rafa to death, not only to avenge Miguel’s killing, but also to provide spiritual justice to the victims of the past. Clara, being a stranger in the town, has no absolute motivation to kill Rafa, despite being a kidnapping victim herself. The story shifts to the police station on the following day, where Marta explains to the superior officer that Rafa confessed to his crimes and then grabbed a gun and aimed it at Clara.

In this case, Marta is lying, as Rafa lowered the gun and actually didn’t want to kill Clara. The altered perspective narrated by Marta is supported by Clara, who says that Marta saved her life from Rafa’s threats. Marta and Clara support each other’s stories, convincing the police officer that Marta killed Rafa in an act of self-defence, and to save Clara. However, it is most likely that the two of them are lying. Later, Juan reveals that a suicide note was found in Rafa’s house. It can be presumed that Marta and Clara planted a fake suicide note to save themselves. Marta killed Rafa for revenge and justice, and not to defend herself or Clara. She had the strongest motivation to carry out the act, as Rafa struggled to kill himself. Thus, Rafa’s confession and death bring the cycle of violence to a bloody conclusion.

How is Clara Saved? Who Kills Gabriel?

Clara is kidnapped by Gabriel in broad daylight after he spots her in the Jewish neighborhood. Upon seeing the feather mask in his hand, Clara realizes that he may have been the one behind the kidnapping of the baby. He injures her with a rock and takes her to the isolated hunting cabin. Luckily for Clara, Marta hears from a customer at the restaurant that he saw Gabriel in the same neighborhood from which Clara went missing. This clue allows Marta to call Rafa and tell him that Gabriel might have returned from overseas. Not knowing about Rafa’s truth, she tells him to look into the matter, as Miguel had suspected Gabriel in the past. Though Marta doesn’t know Gabriel’s truth, her past conversations with Miguel help her point out the logical facts.

Unexpectedly, Rafa tells Juan that Gabriel was spotted in the Jewish neighborhood. The two cops head out to investigate the matter. Back in the cabin, Clara painfully frees her hands from the tape-binding and moves away from the bed where she was held captive. She finds a knife and threatens a distracted Gabriel as she walks out of the cabin in the woods. Gabriel challenges her to run for her life as he pulls out another knife. Rafa and Juan head towards the woods, while Gabriel chases Clara on foot, hoping to kill her. When he catches up with her, the two of them hold knives. Juan and Rafa arrive at the right time and find Clara defending herself. The cops take out their guns and ask Gabriel to throw away the knife and let Clara go.

However, the old predator refuses to do so and charges at the young woman. At this point, Rafa decides to kill two birds with one stone. He shoots Gabriel to death and saves Clara, while also eliminating his own past with his uncle. Gabriel instantly dies, which means that Rafa’s past is now hidden from the world. All in all, Clara is saved from a tragic fate, without realizing that Rafa had a hidden motive behind the same.

Why Did Rafa Kill Miguel? Did Carlos Kill Himself?

The necklace found on Luisa’s body resembles the one seen in Magda’s photograph. Along with Miguel’s obsession over Luisa’s case, this proves to be a turning point in the story. He is able to link the necklace to Gabriel after a conversation with Gabriel’s sister (Rafa’s mother), who tells him that her brother was known to be violent towards women. The rumor that Magda was dating an older man also makes Miguel believe that Gabriel was the one courting his sister. This leads Miguel to detain Gabriel in the isolated hunting cabin illegally. When he begins to question Gabriel on the day after beating him up, the predator indirectly confesses with an evil grin on his face. He talks about Magda in a lewd manner and makes Miguel angrier. However, the situation changes when Rafa enters the scene to help his uncle.

He convinces his friend and fellow cop, Miguel, not to hurt Gabriel. Initially hesitant, Miguel finally lowers the gun aimed at Gabriel’s head. Rafa embraces Miguel, comforting him, but eventually shoots him in the abdomen and forehead, brutally murdering him. This shocking betrayal resulted from his own violent instincts and a twisted sense of loyalty towards Gabriel. Rafa’s mind, at this point, has been completely taken over by Gabriel’s toxicity, which makes him betray his best friend. Although Rafa could have let Miguel kill Gabriel and end the vicious cycle of killings, he chooses not to, indicating that he has been thoroughly brainwashed. The toxic masculinity and the demented ideas spread by Gabriel also affect Carlos in disturbing ways.

Rafa indoctrinated Carlos at a young age, taking him to the woods, just as Gabriel had done with his sister’s son. Despite Rafa’s negative influence, Carlos grows up to be a lover of poetry, especially of the ones written by Henry David Thoreau. He pursues a healthy relationship with María. But the joy is short-lived as he continues to obsess over the disappearance of his father. At a later point, he thinks that María is looking at him with pity, just like everyone else does.

His experiences with Osteogenesis Imperfecta, a bone condition, also make his life harder. Unable to handle the emotional and physical pain, he drives off a cliff, killing himself. His indoctrination at a young age, his medical condition, his obsession, and his tumultuous mental health led him towards a tragic fate. Ultimately, Gabriel’s ideas lead to more death and chaos than he probably ever imagined.

Will Clara and Juan Get Together?

Clara and Juan get closer as they become involved in the search effort for the missing baby. They also connect during the drum festival, and continue to be attracted to each other. It ultimately culminates in them getting intimate, just as Clara is preparing to leave for Madrid. After saving Clara from Gabriel, Juan prepares to bid goodbye to her, as she is finally able to return to Madrid. He walks her to the car as they have a pleasant conversation. He tells her that he, too, would like to visit Madrid for a long weekend and a change of scenery. She is happy hearing him talk about visiting her, and passionately kisses him, before driving away. This indicates that the two will most likely continue their relationship.

When Juan visits Madrid, they will explore the city together and also learn more about each other. Their relationship started unexpectedly in an isolated town and also went through the dangers posed by Gabriel and Rafa. Since Juan was involved in rescuing Clara from Gabriel, their relationship has also seen its share of chaos. In conclusion, as they continue to interact and share happy moments, they will most likely build a greater bond and pursue a more serious relationship.

Why Does Clara See the Wolf? What Does it Signify?

A symbolically and philosophically intriguing moment occurs towards the end of the story. As Clara drives towards Madrid, she spots a wolf on the road, making her instantly stop the car. She looks into the eyes of the animal, seemingly establishing a spiritual connection with it. The wolf stares back at the woman and acknowledges this bond, which then makes Clara faintly smile. The story ends at this point as the screen cuts to black. The significance of this moment is a layered and poignant message given to the viewers by the show. Throughout the story, Gabriel somehow considers himself a “lone wolf,” away from the rules of human civilization. He also brainwashes Rafa into believing so. In nature, wolves are not known for toxic behavior, but as survivors and fighters. Gabriel takes the idea of a wolf and makes it negative.

He associates dominance and abuse with the behavior of wolves, which makes him think that he, too, is “like a wolf.” He also addresses his victims as “fawns,” who are unable to defend themselves. The difference between predator and prey is made evident by Gabriel’s perspective, who misinterprets Darwinist principles to feed his own twisted sense of superiority. The idea of “survival of the fittest” takes a twisted turn in Gabriel’s mind, as he interprets it solely on the basis of violence towards others. Gabriel’s views are challenged and beaten by Chara, who represents another view of wolves. She represents the real nature of wolves through her fighting spirit and survival skills. Not only does she survive a dangerous heart transplant procedure, but she also fights against a chaotic man alone.

She refuses to be a “fawn” and becomes a “wolf,” fighting against a predator. This wolf on the road acknowledges Clara and establishes a spiritual connection with her, as she understands what a real wolf does. The wolf, in this case, reflects Clara’s journey in the woods and life. Both the animal and the woman fight battles to survive, which is why they respect each other. Ultimately, the wolf is more than just an animal, and Clara is more than just a struggling woman. Both are fighters, survivors, and souls with a capacity for kindness.