Abhiroop Das
Netflix’s ‘Two Graves,’ originally titled ‘Dos tumbas,’ tells the story of Verónica and Marta’s mysterious disappearance. The former’s grandmother, Isabel Luque, is the most strongly affected and refuses to give up, no matter how difficult the investigation gets. When the case threatens to go cold, she realizes that the only way forward is through unconventional means. Thus begins her odyssey into the world of crime, sparking dangerous alliances and blowing the lid off how many secrets. What starts out as a search for answers transforms into a journey for revenge, with many different ideologies coming to the foreground. The second episode of the show ends with the reveal that Verónica’s story might not be over just yet, and the finale takes that thread to its natural conclusion. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Two Graves Finale Recap
The finale dials back to the night Verónica and Marta disappeared, and starts with them in Jonas Herrera’s car. Following that, they meet Beltrán, who directly leads them to the Chalet, where the elites are busy with a no-holds-barred party. Before long, the three of them take drugs and begin to lose themselves in the flow. Although they have their eyes set on Carlos Jaen as a potential client, Marta gets sick and winds up alone. Jamila, a sex worker at the party, tries to help, but Carlos steps in and promises to take care of her. That, however, turns out to be a lie, as he proceeds to sexually assault Marta. The scene then jumps a bit ahead, with Verónica covered in blood as she wakes her father up. Initially alarmed at the sight, Antonio quickly joins his daughter back into the woods, and is surprised to find Marta dead. Realizing how limited his options are, he decides to protect Verónica and get rid of the body.
In the present, Isabel is aghast upon hearing the truth, but is soon met with a new set of challenges. Rafael has already located Jamila and plans to meet her by noon. With the truth about to come out, the protagonist tasks Antonio with tipping off the police about Rafael’s involvement in Carlos’s murder, hoping to buy some time. While the plan almost works, the gang leader’s lawyer gets him out on the grounds of limited evidence. Worse, the blood on Isabel’s flooring is confirmed to be Beltrán’s, and Zaera wastes no time in making his way to her house. However, she is already long gone, headed to Almería to finish off the final loose end in this entire network. Once there, she quickly locates Jamila and strikes up a conversation that leads to her house. Isabel then sneakily spikes the girl’s drink, and once that takes effect, she prepares for murder.
However, moments before the act, Isabel’s eye falls on the pinboard on the wall, with recent photos of Jamila and Verónica, of all people. To the protagonist’s surprise, her granddaughter has secretly been living in this town all along and is in a relationship with Jamila. With this, the dynamics shift once again, and Isabel’s priority becomes to bring Verónica and her partner to safety. Although Rafael makes it to that place, he is too late, as the trio has already escaped to a tiny village, where one of Isabel’s former colleagues lives. The following day, Isabel decides to settle things once and for all and plans to bring Rafael to Jamila. The growing distrust between Rafael and the protagonist peaks during their car ride, and he begins to ask questions that she is not ready to answer just yet.
Two Graves Ending: Who Killed Marta? Why Did Veronica Disappear?
In a shocking turn of events, Marta’s killer is revealed to be none other than Verónica, her best friend. The revelation occurs during the drive to Jamila’s hiding place, when Isabel comes clean to Rafael about all of the secrets she has been keeping. The most harrowing of them appears to be about the fateful night of the teens’ disappearance. A flashback confirms that Marta was sexually assaulted by Carlos Jaen, prompting her to exit early from the party. Verónica and Jamila trail behind, but grow anxious when their friend brings up going to the police. However, she is quick to realize the hopelessness of her situation and nearly resorts to taking her own life. As Verónica attempts to save her, Marta unintentionally cuts her with a piece of glass. In exchange, Verónica pushes back, causing Marta to lose her footing. Falling back, the teen ends up hitting her head on concrete, which ultimately proves to be fatal.
While Marta’s death is technically an accident, Verónica is taken over by guilt and seems ready to turn herself in. However, Antonio, her father, reminds her that Rafael will leave no stone unturned to ensure that she shares Marta’s fate. Ironically, his empathy towards Rafael as a father directs Antonio to take a drastic step. He sends Verónica into hiding in Morocco, and in the meantime, actively participates in his family’s mourning process, keeping the secret from even his mother. He also realizes that his plan came without foresight, and with no chance of his daughter ever returning, he prepares for his entire family to shift to Morocco, with the hopes of leaving the past behind him. However, things do not go according to plan, as Verónica escapes his friend’s house within a month and sets out on her own.
In the two years since the incident, Verónica and Antonio have kept in touch through weekly phone calls. Outside of that, however, the teen leads a relatively independent life, and her encounter with Isabel only happens as a matter of chance. It turns out that Verónica is not alone; she lives with her partner, Jamila, and has comfortably settled into this new life. While the mistakes of her past have left indelible scars on her psyche, she also takes on that challenge headfirst, and when suggested to go on the run once again, she refuses. The teen expresses her desire for life without shackles, and that cannot happen without confronting her past. Despite it being a beautiful sentiment, there are some practical problems involved, with the biggest being Rafael’s thirst for revenge.
Are Isabel and Rafael Dead? How?
When Rafael learns the truth of what happened to his daughter, fury takes over, and he demands the locations of Antonio and Verónica, presumably to exact revenge. While Isabel desperately tries to make peace with him, she is quick to realize that this is an uphill battle. As a result, she decides to do the unthinkable and steers her car off the cliff. The vehicle is then flung into the air and eventually lands in the sea. As the car sinks to the bottom of the seafloor, a pool of blood oozes out of Rafael, and Isabel smiles. The final scene of the show strongly suggests their death, and with that, a burden is permanently lifted off Verónica’s shoulders. The protagonist’s act of self-sacrifice not only protects her granddaughter but also brings her arc full circle.
In an earlier conversation with Isabel, Verónica pointed out her grandmother’s selfish nature and how she has only contributed to the family when she felt like it. This sentiment is reiterated by Antonio, who confronts her for leaving him behind during his crucial years of childhood. While he clearly bears a grudge, Verónica is different and chooses to empathize instead. However, both these events serve as a wake-up call for the protagonist, and in her final moments, she chooses to redeem herself. In putting her family’s interest ahead of herself, Isabel shows how far she can go for their sake. Rafael is no different as a parent, and that adds an additional layer of nuance to the narrative, with his arc showing a possible route that Isabel’s journey could have taken.
The final sequence of the show also contextualizes its title, which is derived from a quote by Confucius: “Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.” Isabel and Rafael’s dynamic embodies the spirit of this quote, as their desire for revenge leads them to a dark place that only encourages more bloodshed. In the end, not only do they each take a life to get to the truth, but they also die together, symbolizing how the pursuit of revenge brings equal harm to both parties involved. Over the course of three episodes, Isabel transforms into a person capable of cold-blooded murder, and it is only upon learning from her granddaughter’s mature perspective on life that she finally finds clarity on her actions. Rafael, however, is not so lucky, and he dies consumed by a desire for vengeance, completing the narrative circle.
Do Verónica and Jamila Escape?
With Rafael out of the picture, Veronica and Jamila can at last picture a life of freedom together. To that end, their goodbyes turn out to be shorter than expected, and they are likely to reconnect. While Verónica will now have to carry the weight of two heartbreaking deaths, she has learned a unique lesson from both of them and is all set to lead a much better life. Jamila stands out in the story as perhaps the only person who is on level footing with Verónica, and their love story also doubles as a form of rebellion against the abuse they have been through. This also recontextualizes the latter’s escape from her father’s designated living space, as that too was a form of imposition. The photographs at Jamila’s place show that the two have a full, happy life, which points to an even brighter future from hereon out.
Although Verónica and Jamila have the option to return home, they might ultimately decide not to. Given the traumatic memories that can be associated with the place, the two lovers might deem it healthier to carve out their own paths from scratch once again, in a different setting. Additionally, there is also the chance of the police catching up to their crimes, which threatens to undo years of hard work for the family. However, the latter is unlikely to happen, as the extent of Rafael and Isabel’s actions can be summed up in the death of Carlos Jaen. Nonetheless, the spotlight on Verónica’s disappearance means that she will have a hard time reacclimatizing to her older lifestyle. To that end, a new beginning suits her arc more and brings an additional cyclical angle to the story. Much like her grandmother, the teen has learned to live only by her own rules, and Isabel’s death only strengthens that resolve.
Read More: Where is Two Graves Filmed?
