Unspeakable Sins, the 18-episode Netflix crime thriller, manages to keep you hooked because of its fast pace and also because of the many events and developments taking place every moment. It is the story of the Martinez family, who found themselves in a mess when their patriarch, Claudio, was kidnapped. It was then that the family’s dark secrets started to come to light, and it wreaked havoc on the lives of those involved in it. So, let’s find out what happened in Unspeakable Sins season 1, how things ended for the family members, and if they were able to overcome the conflicts that came their way.
Spoiler Alert
Why did Helena want to leave Claudio?
The Martinez family was probably the most affluent and influential one in the entire Mexico City region, but that didn’t mean that everything was fine between them. Claudio Martinez, the patriarch, didn’t like his son, Octavio, one bit. He demeaned him at every opportunity. I agree Claudio might have had his own reasons for treating his son that way, but being the head of the family, he should have known better. Octavio felt that he amounted to nothing, and all his life, he felt a pressure to prove his worth to his father. Livia, on the other hand, was Claudio’s favorite child, even when she made it pretty clear that she was ideologically opposed to him. She wanted her father’s company to be more ethical and moral in their approach, and not only reduce its environmental footprint but also incorporate more sustainable practices. Helena was Claudio’s second wife, and she had a son named Fer from another man. Fer’s biological father (a politician named Rafael) had abandoned Helena, as he didn’t want the world to know about his affair with her. Claudio was not a very good man; just like Octavio, he treated Helena in the worst possible manner. Claudio physically abused Fer and his mother multiple times, and he was the one who had made him consume drugs for the first time. Fer ended up an addict, and the poor boy was in a desperate situation. Fer loved his mother, and he just wanted to find a way to get Claudio out of the picture and save his mother’s life.
Helena and Claudio had been partners in crime, and so the latter felt obliged to keep her under close watch. Also, Claudio was a dominant man, and he was quite obsessively attracted to Helena. He didn’t want to let her go, and that was probably his biggest mistake. She was not happy with him; she definitely felt caged with him, but still, she had to put up with his rude attitude, and she had realized that until and unless she took a bold step, there was no way out for her or her son, Fer. Helena met a male escort named Ivan, and she fell in love with him. Ivan was everything that Helena had desired, and with him around, she felt a very strange sense of accomplishment. She was at that stage of her life when she had realized that material wealth couldn’t make her feel happy. It was companionship that she craved, and she did not hesitate to cross all moral boundaries with Ivan. Everybody around Ivan (especially Fedra, his agent) told him that Helena couldn’t be trusted, but as it is said, love is blind. Ivan was just not able to assess the situation logically, and he let his heart lead the way. He was willing to take that leap of faith, despite knowing that if Claudio came to know about it, he would have to bear the consequences.
Who kidnapped Claudio?
Helena decided to take charge of things, as she knew that sitting idly and not taking any action wouldn’t help her cause. She knew about Claudio’s secrets and his dark fantasies, and she decided to use them against him. She told Ivan to meet Claudio and pretend that he was a journalist who wanted to do a story about him focusing on his next project, Sal y Mar. Helena knew that Claudio was attracted to young, good-looking men, and she decided to use that against him. The plan was that Ivan would lead Claudio to believe that he was also attracted to him. Helena wanted to record Claudio getting intimate with Ivan and then use it against him. So the trap was laid, and as expected, Claudio took Ivan to his cottage with the intention of getting intimate with him. Unfortunately, Claudio found out that there were hidden cameras installed in his bedroom, and he lost his cool. He attacked Ivan and asked him to tell him who the mastermind was. But then something strange happened that night. Claudio went missing, and nobody knew if he had gone somewhere out of his own free will, if he had been murdered or kidnapped.
Claudio’s right-hand man, Antonio, who was with him at all times, had also been shot, and he too didn’t have any clue about what had happened to Claudio. Obviously, Ivan became the prime suspect, but soon it came to be known that he had nothing to do with Claudio’s disappearance. Sofia, the pregnant police officer in charge of the case, for the longest time, felt that Ivan and Helena together had murdered Claudio, but the story was not as simple as it seemed. We got to know that Antonio, the security chief of Claudio, had kidnapped him, and though he had his own reasons to torture Claudio, he was not acting alone. Antonio’s father had spent his entire life serving the Martinez family, and Claudio never treated him respectfully. Moreover, Antonio liked Livia, and he had already imagined a life with her. Livia entertained Antonio; she also liked him, but I don’t think that she had ever thought about marrying him or running away with him. Soon, Sofia and her subordinate, Bernitez, found out that Antonio was up to something. They tracked his movements and figured out where he was keeping Claudio.
Meanwhile, Octavio found himself stuck in a mess, as his father’s partner, Magic, had lent a huge amount of money to Claudio. Magic believed that Octavio had something to do with Claudio’s disappearance, but soon he came to know that it was not true. Magic had a plan in mind in order to get his money back. He asked Octavio to fake his father’s death so that the board of directors would unfreeze his accounts and let Octavio have access to them. Octavio found himself in a complicated situation, as he had announced to the world that his father had been killed, and he had even organized a proper funeral. But then Claudio was rescued by Sofia, and the world was shocked. The blame obviously fell on Octavio, and people believed that he wanted his father dead, which was why he spread the lies about his death. Octavio knew he couldn’t make others understand how Magic had blackmailed him. Nobody knew for the longest time that it was Fedra, a woman who used to be a part of Claudio’s elite circle, who was behind the entire kidnapping. Fedra was the one through whom Ivan got his clients. She treated Ivan as her son, probably because she wanted to fill the void she had in her life after her son’s death. Ariel, Fedra’s son, loved Claudio, and he desperately wanted a future with him. Claudio also liked the boy, but he had no intentions of making his relationship public or being with him. Claudio threatened Ariel to let him be if he didn’t want his compromising videos to be leaked in the public forum. Ariel didn’t know how to deal with everything, and his grief led him to take his own life. Fedra always blamed Claudio for the loss, and she wanted revenge, which was why she planned to kidnap Claudio and made him suffer. Apart from orchestrating the entire kidnapping, Fedra had also taken the video recordings that Claudio had with him, where some very influential people of the town were seen indulging in their sexual fantasies. She knew that if she leaked the videos, the blame would fall directly on Helena and Claudio, and it would destroy their lives. Fedra’s daughter, Ximena, was also a part of the plan, and she helped her mother in whatever way she could.
Did Helena kill Claudio’s first wife?
Claudio’s first wife, Cristina, had died under mysterious circumstances, and though people had doubts about Helena’s involvement in it, there was no concrete evidence to prove her guilt. So, back in the day, Claudio started seeing Helena, and even though he maintained that he had a strictly professional relationship with her, Cristina knew what her husband was capable of doing. One day, Cristina had an argument with Helena, and things got a bit heated. Fer, who was quite young at the time, hit Cristina with his bike, and she accidentally fell and succumbed to her injuries. Helena knew that even though she or her son did not have any intention of killing her, the people wouldn’t believe a word they said. That’s when Claudio came and found out what had happened. He decided to throw Cristina’s dead body in the lake and make it look like an accident or an act of suicide. Cristina was heavily inebriated at the time she got hurt, and so even the medical reports couldn’t find any incriminating evidence.
Surprisingly, Claudio had the video clip of the entire act. The man had a habit of recording such stuff, which he knew he could use later to get leverage over people. He had this underground cellar where he used to invite politicians and other influential people to satiate their twisted sexual fantasies. They believed it to be a safe space, but they didn’t know that they were being recorded. Helena knew everything, as she had found the control room from where Claudio kept a watch on everybody. That recording where Cristina died was used by Claudio to force Helena to stay with him. He coerced her to leave Ivan, and she didn’t have an option, because she didn’t want the life of her son to be spoiled. So, answering the question, Helena didn’t kill Cristina, but the situation was such that, if Claudio wanted, he could have pinned the entire blame on her and Fer.
Why did Arcadia kill Ximena?
Fedra and Ximena weren’t able to keep their secret hidden for long. They had compromising videos in their possession, and one by one they leaked them, which completely ruined the lives of those exposed. The first victim was the district attorney, Pablo. His video got leaked, and his entire life was turned upside down. Arcadia, his wife, was a very orthodox woman, and she just couldn’t believe that her husband was involved in such unethical activity. Pablo felt that it was Helena who had leaked the video, and so he went to confront her. In a fit of rage, Pablo pulled the trigger, and Helena got gravely injured. He knew the consequences of doing so, and he didn’t want to bear all the embarrassment. So he ended up taking his own life in Helena’s office, and his wife, Arcadia, just couldn’t make peace with the situation. Helena was in the hospital when another video was leaked, and that’s when it became very clear to Arcadia that she was not the one who was behind it. Ivan came to know about Fedra’s involvement as he broke into her house and saw his own video with Helena on Fedra’s laptop. Ivan had every reason to believe that it was Fedra who had gotten Claudio kidnapped. Fedra treated Ivan like her own son, and she didn’t want him to bear the consequences of what she was doing. But directly or indirectly, his life too was affected, and she couldn’t do anything about it. Fedra wanted to keep Octavio close to her, and she wanted to win his trust, as she knew that she could use him as a pawn in the near future.
Octavio had had a falling out with his father, and Fedra was smart enough to know that she could take advantage of his vulnerable situation. But in the process, she’d fallen for Octavio. He was her son’s age, and she knew that their relationship could become problematic for her later, but she didn’t have any control over her feelings. Octavio, after spending a night at Fedra’s house, found a hidden camera in the bedroom. Fedra had planted it when he had come to meet her for the first time, but she had no intention of using the recording once she realized that she had fallen in love with him. But obviously it was hard for Octavio to believe her after he saw that hidden camera. With the information Ivan and Octavio had discovered, Fedra’s cover was blown. Even Claudio came to know about what she was up to, and he threatened to kill her if she didn’t hand over the videos. Meanwhile, Livia anonymously messaged Arcadia and told her that it was Fedra who had leaked her husband’s video. Arcadia, not able to handle her emotions, came raging to Fedra’s house and shot at her. Though Fedra survived the attack, her daughter, Ximena, died in an attempt to save her. Arcadia was found guilty by the court and put behind bars. Fedra was charged with leaking the videos, though the court couldn’t find any evidence that directly linked her to Claudio’s kidnapping.
Who Killed Claudio? And why?
In Unspeakable Sins’ ending, someone broke into Claudio’s house and slit his throat. Claudio was not able to survive the attack, and the news of the hotel magnate being killed spread like wildfire. Claudio had a lot of enemies, and so Sofia and the entire police department had multiple suspects while investigating the case. But it was revealed that neither Fedra nor Octavio had anything to do with the murder, as it was Helena who had killed him. The man was threatening to leak the video where Fer had hit Cristina with a bike and she succumbed to her injuries. He blackmailed Helena using that video and told her that she needed to leave Ivan and come and stay with him. Helena had a hard time believing it; she loved Ivan, and she just couldn’t forget about him. Also, she wanted to protect her son, and so she decided to take the grave step. Ivan had no clue about it, but then later, Helena told him everything. That’s when he became a part of the plan, and he helped Helena get rid of the murder weapon.
Meanwhile, after Magic and Antonio were killed by Claudio, Magic’s men were constantly after Octavio, as they wanted to seek revenge for their boss’s demise. One day, Magic’s right-hand man, referred to as the Lawyer, broke into Octavio’s home with the intention of killing him. Livia was also with Octavio at that point in time. Octavio somehow managed to get the better of the Lawyer, and he killed him to save his own life. Octavio was quite sure that it was the Lawyer who had killed his father, and the authorities, in the absence of any other evidence, decided to believe that. So Helena and Ivan didn’t have to do so much to cover their tracks or find a way out, and they just let the narrative play by itself. Helena did go and meet Fedra once everything was over, in prison. She told her that she had taken revenge for her son’s death, and she had made sure that Claudio suffered in those last moments. Fedra felt satisfied, though her revenge was still not over. She used her contacts to get Arcadia transferred to her cell, and she decided to teach the woman a lesson for killing her daughter. Ivan and Helena decided to start afresh and move to Los Angeles together with their children.
Who Put The Hidden Camera In Ivan And Helena’s Room?
Unspeakable Sins season 1 ended on a cliffhanger, making it apparent that Ivan and Helena were not out of trouble yet, as there was somebody who was spying on them. Ivan had a wife named Rebecca, and for the longest time, Helena didn’t know about her. Ivan didn’t have any intention of misleading Helena, but he just felt that he would tell her about Rebecca when the time came. Rebecca and Ivan’s marriage had fallen apart, and the latter did not have any intention of being with her. Rebecca had a son from another man, named Pato, and Ivan had grown very fond of him. He cared for the child like his own son, and he wanted to be there for him, as he shared a very close bond with him. Fer also got to know that his biological father was a politician named Rafael. If Rafael would have wanted, he could have chosen to not talk to Fer at all, but he wanted to make things right between him and his son. He knew he had been the worst father, but he wanted to change that. Fer and Rafeal’s relationship improved drastically, and they decided to stay in touch with each other. Ivan and Helena moved to their new house, and they were quite happy with how things had panned out for them. Ivan could meet his son, and Helena knew that Fer was healing from within.
But then there came another twist at the end of Unspeakable Sins season 1. There was a hidden camera in Ivan and Helena’s bedroom, and somebody was keeping an eye on them. After everything, they would have thought that they were free and clear, but it was not so. Claudio had messed with the wrong people, so it could be one of his enemies, somebody who would have been affected by Magic’s death. Maybe it was somebody who was close to Antonio who wanted to take revenge on Ivan and Helena. But I have a hunch that it was somebody close to Helena and Ivan, somebody who they didn’t expect to betray their trust. It could be possible that Livia had hidden the camera in their bedroom. She had made it pretty clear that she had fallen in love with Ivan, and probably even after knowing that he was with Helena, she was not able to get over him. Livia and Octavio had purchased Helena’s stake in the company, and they made sure that she was fairly compensated. But that didn’t mean that Livia had made peace with the fact that the man she loved had chosen somebody else over her. So it’s likely there was an obsessive side to Livia that we didn’t know about. Another possibility is that someone might have seen Helena when she tried to kill Claudio, and they wanted to take advantage of the situation and blackmail her. If there is a season 2, we might get to know who this person was and what he/she wanted from Ivan and Helena. I believe Ivan and Helena’s delusions of having a normal life will break very soon, and they will once again find themselves stuck in a perilous situation.
