‘Heirs To The Land’ Ending, Explained: How Did Bernat And Hugo Seek Revenge?

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“Heirs to the Land” is a Spanish television series that is set in 14th-century Barcelona and narrates the eventful life of Hugo Llor. After Hugo lost his father to the sea, Sir Arnau Estanyol and his wife Mar started to take care of him as their son. Their son, Bernat, had sailed away to learn the way the ships functioned. Sir Arnau helped Hugo land a job at the shipyard, while he managed to find Hugo’s mother, Antonina, work at the glove makers. He arranged for his sister, Arsenda, to serve at a convent. While all seemed to be going well, the possibility of war disrupted their lives. Sir Arnau had always been faithful to King Pedro, since he fell sick Prince Juan was set to take the throne.

Meanwhile, the Queen had gained supporters as well, and therefore, the nobles had to choose whom to support. Arnau wanted to remain faithful to the King and did not extend his support to the Prince. After the death of the King and the Queen’s surrender, the Prince took over the throne. Sir Arnau knew that his family would be in danger.

The Puiges family were faithful to Prince Juan, and, after he was proclaimed King, they took justice into their own hands. As the royal Knight of the King’s Armies, Genis Puig sought revenge from Sir Arnau, and they had past hate associated as well. This completely changes the course of the series, Heirs to the Land,” as the beheading of Arnau leads Hugo to seek revenge to avenge the death of the only man who cared for him.


‘Heirs To The Land’ Plot Summary: What Is The Series About?

After the death of Sir Arnau, his wife was stripped of all her wealth, and her remaining days were spent miserably. When Bernat returned, he was asked to leave the town on the next ship since his father had committed treason.

A lost Bernat searched for his mother throughout the town and found her after she took her last breath. Hugo and Bernat discussed how they would avenge the deaths of Sir Arnau and Mar. Hugo was initially driven by hate, and he reacted before thinking, which resulted in him losing his job at the shipyard and the Puiges marking him as distrustful. He gradually learned the importance of planning before attempting to seek revenge.

Bernat was an ill-tempered man, and he had his reasons for it. After knowing how his father was murdered, he did not care much about his own life. He simply wanted to kill the Puig family and nothing more. He attempted to strike once with a crossbow but was caught by the guards and was condemned to the galleys. Hugo found work at the Jewish wine cellar, before Mar’s demise, she asked her Jewish friend, Jucef, to take care of Hugo.

Hugo learned the craft of winemaking from the best in Barcelona. He worked hard at his job and had taken an interest in Jucef’s daughter, Dolca. They secretly met each other at the vineyard and shared a special relationship. Dolca’s best friend, Regina, too lustfully stared at Hugo at times. She attempted to woo him, but Dolca did not let her succeed. She warned Hugo that Regina was not a good woman and must never be trusted. Even though Dolca and Hugo were in love with each other, they knew their romance was impossible. She was to be married to another Jewish man. They made love, knowing their ill-fate. Hugo was even ready to convert, but it was almost impossible then.

One day, the Christians entered the Jewish neighborhood and ransacked the place. They murdered the men and raped the women. Hugo was able to save Regina and return her to a safe place. He searched for Dolca and found her on the stand where every Jew was allowed to either convert or face death. Dolca chose death; in the chaos, her mother was murdered as well. The King’s men entered later and stopped the brutality. The main man, “bald-faced,” had escaped, and only ten Christians were punished. Hugo helped the Jews to find “bald face,” and he was ultimately hanged to death.

Years later, the name of Hugo Llor was known by one and all for his exquisite wine. He took care of the Jewish vineyard. Meanwhile, he had not seen his sister Arsenda for quite some time. She had taken the veil, and he was not allowed to meet her. Though later, it is revealed that she was raped by a member of the Church.

The sisters maintained that the Devil had impregnated her and the offspring was the Evil One. Regina was now a medical professional who helped with women’s abortions. But instead of killing the baby as she was asked to, she handed her to Hugo. Hugo raised the girl as his own with the help of his slave, Barcha. The past knocked on his door, as he received a message from Bernat, who he thought had died in abandonment. He was now a famous corsair and was popular for his trades in the sea. He sought help from Hugo once again, to seek revenge on the Puig family.


How Did Bernat And Hugo Avenge The Death Of Sir Arnau Estanyol?

When Hugo decided to keep his enemies close, he accepted the job of a cellarman at Puig’s palace. It was his only way to learn about Robert Puig’s sea trade routes and inform Bernat about them. Since he could not read and write, he sought help from Regina. Regina was now married to a doctor, but she still loved Hugo. Whenever her husband was away, she met with him, and they made love. Regina wrote his letters for him, and he kept informing Bernat about the ships. Bernat attacked Puig’s ships and caused him tremendous financial harm. They were in search of the informant, and they did not trust Hugo completely. They kept their eyes on him. The slaves were asked to communicate the wrong routes if anyone enquired, and Hugo fell for the trap.

After confirming the route in his letters to Bernat, he overheard that the routes were false. To save Bernat’s life, he traveled to meet him. They met after years, and with Hugo’s help, they were able to take over Puig’s ships once again. This frustrated Roger Puig, and he was confident that Hugo was responsible for his misfortune. He locked him in and tortured him to confess. Hugo did not give up.

Meanwhile, Regina convinced Lady Puig to release Hugo. The King was impressed by Hugo’s wine, and he too spoke for the cellarman. Hugo was released, but Roger Puig could never trust Hugo.

Revenge was finally served after the death of the King. Hugo had collected every letter that Roger Puig had sent to the enemies of the new King, Ferdinand. He had conspired with Anton Luna and had murdered the Archbishop of Zaragoza. They even planned to kill King Ferdinand. Bernat had supported King Ferdinand to usurp the throne, and he was announced as Admiral of the Royal Army. The letters were proof of Roger Puig’s treason, and he was punished by Bernat. He was thrown into the hands of the citizens of Barcelona, and the common people attacked him at the first instance. As he struggled to save his life, Bernat advised his men to rip his heart out of his body.

While there was finally peace, the same cannot be said about Hugo’s personal life. Regina blackmailed Hugo into marrying her. She was baptized, and therefore her marriage to the Jewish doctor was annulled. She did it all for Hugo, but Hugo had already promised to marry his friend, Jofre’s daughter, Eulalia. She blackmailed him with the letters she wrote for him. To protect his life, he agreed to marry her. But Regina always wanted to be a part of royalty. She slept with Roger Puig, hoping to earn a noble title. Therefore, when Robert Puig was sentenced to death, she lost her ground. She later left Hugo, especially after he saved the slave girl, Caterina, and announced her freedom. Regina continued to torment Hugo’s life for as long as she could.


‘Heirs To The Land’ Ending Explained: What Happened To Merce? 

Bernat promised Hugo that he would find a suitor for his daughter, Merce. But the more they got to know each other, the more they fell in love. Bernat asked Merce’s hand for marriage, and a royal wedding was arranged. She gave birth to her son and named him Arnau. Their happily ever after was disrupted when Merce left the palace to meet Caterina. She was kidnapped and could not be found. From various informants, Hugo learned that if one could find Regina, they might be able to find Merce.

Regina was now a Christian nun, and she was the one to reveal Merce’s truth to the Bishop. She was the daughter of the Devil, and, therefore, was not suitable to be the wife of the Admiral. The Church was responsible for the disappearance of Merce. When Arsenda disowned Merce as her daughter, she propagated the idea that Merce was the Evil One. Bernat felt betrayed as he thought Hugo was Merce’s birth father, but now that the Church said that the Devil was the father, he had no other option but to annul his wedding. He remarried, but his wife, Marta, despised Arnau. The moment she became pregnant, she wanted to get rid of him.

Hugo desperately searched for Merce but had no success. After Bernat reported Regina to the authorities, she was sentenced to spend the rest of her life in a tiny cell. Hugo asked her one last time where she was, and Regina replied that she had jumped from a cliff and died. Hugo believed it and drank away his sorrow. Caterina did not lose hope. When she heard that Regina was gradually losing her mind, she took that opportunity to question her about Merce. She finally confessed the truth and informed them that Merce was alive and was kept in a dungeon.

Hugo rushed to save her, she had been brutally raped several times. It took her days to recover. She tried to meet her son but was forbidden. She could not help herself when she was informed that Arnau was being poisoned by his stepmother. They planned a way to help the child escape. Carefully, Arnau was saved and sent to a convent where Arsenda lived. Arsenda had accepted Merce as her child after she witnessed her offer prayers to the Almighty. She realized that the one she considered pure evil was actually a devoted young woman. Arsenda took Arnau in and prayed to the Lord to punish her for not accepting her truth and jeopardizing the life of Merce.

Bernat searched for Arnau and captured Merce, knowing that she was responsible for the disappearance of his son. Merce confessed the truth; she informed him that his wife was poisoning their son, and she did it to protect Arnau’s life. Bernat reached the convent and brought home his son. He wanted to seek revenge on Marta and her father, who had conspired with the evil plan.

The Queen interfered and ripped him off his title by the order of King Alfonso since he was not suitable to lead their men any longer. Bernat was killed by his wife’s men. Meanwhile, Merce had to pass the Judgment of God. She had to walk on live coal to prove her innocence. Merce steadily walked on the burning floor and kissed the cross. The people, the bishop, and the Church finally accepted that she was not possessed by the Devil and could be a part of society.

In the end, Bernat was murdered when he attempted to attack the Destorrent family. In his will, he named his son, Arnau, as the heir to all his property, and Merce was given the responsibility of taking care of their son till he turned 20. He gifted the vineyard that belonged to the family of Jucef Crescas to Hugo to help him settle his life. He asked Marta Destorrent to mourn his death for one year without any other right than her maintenance during that year. Caterina, Hugo, Arnau, and Merce lived a happy life. Hugo introduced the craft of winemaking to his grandson.

“Heirs to the Land” is a sequel to the series “Cathedral of the Sea” that dealt with the life of Bernat’s father, Arnau Estanyol. The contrast between the two friends/brothers, Hugo and Bernat, was an interesting aspect, considering how both the mind and the body helped in seeking the revenge they had been after for years. With multiple characters and various subplots, Heirs to the Land” manages to bring it all together in the end.


“Heirs To The Land” is a 2022 historical drama series directed by Jordi Frades.

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Srijoni Rudra
Srijoni Rudra
Srijoni has worked as a film researcher on a government-sponsored project and is currently employed as a film studies teacher at a private institute. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Film Studies. Film History and feminist reading of cinema are her areas of interest.

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