Amazon’s Red Queen Ending Explained (2024)

Warning: Spoilers for Red Queen season 1.

Amazon Prime Video's dark mystery-thriller Red Queen season 1 is one of the best Spanish-language TV shows featuring twists and turns until the end. Based on Juan Gomez-Jurad’s best-selling novel of the same name, Red Queen (Reina Roja in Spanish) follows Antonia Scott and her partner Jon Guiterrez as they rush against the clock to catch a ruthless kidnapper. Antonia, the most intelligent woman in the world with an IQ of 242, is part of an extremely exclusive group called Red Queen that investigates the most gruesome crimes the public never hears about.

When Alvaro Trueba, the son of the powerful banker Laura Trueba, is brutally murdered by an unknown assailant, Antonia is brought in to investigate who is behind the crime. The calculated and sadistic manner in which Alvarez was killed is a clear sign that the murderer will strike again. So, when Carla Ortiz is kidnapped, the unknown assailant’s identity is revealed as Ezequiel, a man who believes that children always pay for their parents’ sins. As the series progresses, the stakes of finding Ezequiel are raised when Jorge Scott, Antonia’s son, is also kidnapped. Antonia has to find him before it’s too late.

Red Queen's Ending Explained

Antonia Figured Out Ezequiel's Plan

In the season finale of Red Queen season 1, Antonia finally figured out that Sandra wasn't Fajardo's daughter and that Ezequiel had kept Carla and Jorge hostage in the tunnels beneath Madrid. When Antonia goes into the tunnels, she discovers the bombs that Ezequiel had set up, which cements her belief that the murders and kidnappings were simply a cover for what Sandra was planning. All along, Ezequiel had planned to lure Antonia out, so she could kill her and take out part of Madrid with the explosives.

Thankfully, Antonia manages to disarm the bombs and engages in a shoot-out with Sandra. Sandra finally confesses that she has been taking orders from someone more powerful than her, which finally helps Antonia put the pieces of Mr. White’s involvement in the mystery. Sandra ultimately decides to trigger the bombs when she accepts that Antonia has outsmarted her. Antonia is reunited with her son and, together with Jon and Carla, the group returns to safety.

Sandra’s Plan In Red Queen: Why She Wanted To Kill Antonia Scott

Nicholas and Sandra Fajardo Were Ezequiel

During Red Queen’s first episodes, Antonia assumed that Ezequiel was one person, but she eventually discovered that Ezequiel was actually two people –– an ex-police officer named Nicholas Fajardo and his daughter Sandra Fajardo. Sandra was receiving orders from a higher power who turned out to be Mr. White, the man who had been tormenting Antonia from the time her husband was shot and was hellbent on killing her. The murder and kidnappings were simply a ruse for Sandra’s real plan, which was killing Antonia and bombing most of Madrid.

Although Sandra was incredibly brilliant in her own right, the murder and kidnappings were too meticulously planned for them to be solely her idea. Every clue that she left for Antonia had been carefully crafted from the very beginning, which added to the fact that she had someone even smarter than her pulling the strings. Unfortunately, the series does not reveal why Sandra went along with Mr. White’s plan or why she was willing to go through with killing Jorge.

What Were Laura Trueba And Ramon Ortiz Hiding In Red Queen Season 1?

Alvaro Trueba Was Still Alive

At the center of Red Queen season 1’s mystery was what Ramon Ortiz and Laura Trueba were hiding. Their secrets were so dark that they were willing to let Ezequiel torture and kill their children. However, whatever Ramon was hiding was not really revealed. The best guess is that it had something to do with his workshops. Fajardo also blackmailed Laura, but she remained tight-lipped about what he really wanted. All she could reveal was that he wanted something impossible.

In the end, Antonia figured out what Laura was hiding, but it wasn’t the secret that Ezequiel was blackmailing her for. Laura’s son was still alive and Ezequiel had accidentally killed her assistant’s son. The two teenagers were of a similar age and build, so it was easy to make that mistake. However, there is a possibility that killing Laura’s assistant’s son was not a mistake. Ezequiel had carefully planned everything and making such a mistake seemed inconceivable to Antonia.

Why Nicholas Fajardo Let Jorge Scott Go In Red Queen's Finale

Fajardo Wasn't Comfortable With Killing A Child

In Red Queen’s season finale, Sandra ordered Fajardo to kill Carla and Jorge, but he decided to let him go. Fajardo blackmailed Laura Trueba and Ramon Oritz, brutally murdered Alvaro Trueba, and kidnapped and tortured Carla Ortiz, but he couldn’t bring himself to kill Jorge Scott because he was just a child. Despite all the cruel things that Fajardo had done because of his love for Sandra and his belief that children had to pay for their parents’ sins, killing a child turned out to be his limit.

Throughout Red Queen, Fajardo did everything Sandra asked of him even when he wasn’t comfortable with it. However, his loyalty to her was beginning to waiver due to Sandra keeping secrets about her plans from him. Fajardo might have been uncomfortable with killing Jorge, but he still wanted to do right by his fake daughter by murdering Carla. Before he could finish Carla off, Jon tackled him, but it was ultimately Carla who shot him and escaped with Jon and Jorge.

Mr. White Is The Real Mastermind In Red Queen

Mr. White was working with Ezequiel

In Red Queen, Mr. White is one of the most interesting characters because of his mysterious identity. As the most intelligent person in the world, Mr. White is the only one capable of being the mastermind behind the murders and kidnappings that Ezequiel committed. There is a possibility that Mentor could be Mr. White since there was a scene of him in Red Queen season 1’s ending that showed him taking the red pills that Antonia also uses to keep her hallucinations of monkeys under control.

Despite Antonia figuring out Sandra’s plan and stopping her, there are some loose ends in Red Queen season 1’s ending that perfectly set up Red Queen season 2. Antonia still does not know who Mr. White is or why he wants her dead. Red Queen season 2 can be an opportunity for that mystery to be solved. Further, Sandra’s body was not found, which might mean that she faked her death. The second season of Red Queen can explain what happened to Sandra and if she is still working with Mr. White.

Red Queen

Thriller

Cast

Vicky Luengo , Hovik Keuchkerian , Alex Brendemühl , Nacho Fresneda , Emma Suarez , Eduardo Noriega , Urko Olazabal

Release Date

February 29, 2024

Seasons

1

Streaming Service(s)

Prime Video

Writers

Amaya Muruzábal , Salvador Perpiñá

Main Genre

Thriller

Creator(s)

Amaya Muruzábal