Netflix’sSara - Woman in the Shadowsweaves a complicated tale of conspiracy that sees its detectives solving a murder over the course of the show’s six episodes.Sara - Woman in theShadows’cast of characters is composed of an odd grouping of secret agents, police, and civilians, allowing different members to excel in their own ways. While the group may have initially been drawn together through the death of Sara’s son, they soon find themselves involved in something even darker.

The Italian series weaves a mystery and crime drama together, creating something that feels akin to otherpopular crime showswith its own unique spin. Sara herself is an imperfect lead character, but her journey and skills are compelling and allow audiences to root for her. As the series progresses, Sara is able to move on from her son’s death, but the death of Teresa’s partner, Sergio, forces her to reenter the dangerous world of espionage. Like othergreat thriller shows, nothing is quite what it seems in Sergio’s case, butSara and her team eventually learn the truth.

Sara-Woman-in-the-Shadows- Erasdmo Genzini

Vigilante And His Men Were Behind Sergio’s Death

Vigilante Was Tied To All The Series' Crimes

Sara - Woman in the Shadowsis set up as though Sara’s son’s death is the main mystery that will be solved. However, the truth of his case is quickly resolved as Sara learns that he was cheating on his partner, Viola, and the woman he was sleeping with was also cheating on him.That man then hit Giorgio with his car in order to make sure none of the truth got out, but Sara found him and killed him in the same manner.

Unfortunately, Sara’s old co-worker, Teresa, got Sara’s hit-and-run on video, and she forced her old Secret Service Agency colleague to return to work to find out what happened to her boyfriend, Sergio. Thus, Sergio’s case is the truly important one in the series, especially when he turns up dead. While audiences had already seen that Sergio was kidnapped by two men and tortured for information, we did not know exactly who those men were until the final episode, when it became clear thata man named Vigilante had been pulling the strings.

Tarallo giving a speech

Sergio had been working with a journalist named Eduardo to compile all the evidence against Tarallo and was going to expose him.

Vigilante and his men had learned that Sergio was investigating his boss, Tarallo’s, ties to organized crime and to a plot to force immigrants out of the country. Sergio had been working with a journalist named Eduardo to compile all the evidence against Tarallo and was going to expose him. This was made even more complicated by the fact thatSergio was also dating a woman named Rachele, whose father worked for Vigilante as well. Her confession to her father that she was worried about Sergio’s actions was what started the chain of events that led to his death.

Viola with her baby

Lembo Was Secretly Working With Vigilante

Not only does theNetflix showreveal that Vigilante was behind Sergio’s death and the attack on Eduardo, butSara and Teresa also eventually realize that Vigilante had been involved with their own agency all along. The series includes flashbacks to when the women first joined the Secret Service Agency, which include moments of their boss, Massimiliano, speaking to his boss, Lembo, about a potential attack that he wanted to stop.

At the time, the attack did not seem connected at all, but years later, Sara learned the truth. Lembo was working with Vigilante all along, making sure that the criminal got away with everything that he did in order to maintain control over both politics and crime in Campania. Though Lembo eventually shuts the agency down to try to prevent Teresa from learning this,both women ultimately find out, with Sara confronting Lembo and Teresa finding and killing Vigilante.

Sara - Woman in the Shadows Netflix TV Show Poster

Tarallo’s Connection To Vigilante Explained

Tarallo’s Campaign Was Funded By Vigilante

Enrico Vigilante was the thread that wove its way through each of the different suspects inSara - Woman in the Shadows, as even the politician, Tarallo, was connected to him. Sergio’s boss,Tarallo, was running for election in Campania on a very conservative platformthat gained traction on the issue of immigration. Sara, Teresa, and Pardo eventually learned that Tarallo was paying immigrants and refugees to confess to crimes they had not committed to force them out of the country.

Understandably, his stance on the issue made him contentious even before Sergio and Eduardo exposed him for working with criminals. However, even Tarallo himself did not know the real reason that Vigilante was positioning him to win the election. Vigilante actually wanted Tarallo to win because it would allow him to build a nuclear power plant. Tarallo eventually came to Vigilante to express his reservations about whether the constituents truly cared about nuclear power.Vigilante saw this as Tarallo backing out of his deal and promptly had him killed.

What Viola’s New Baby Means For Sara’s Future

Sara Was Given A Chance To Start Over

Sara’s daughter-in-law, Viola, is introduced in episode 1, and the two women have a very contentious relationship at the beginning of the series. Because Sara was never in her son’s life, Viola saw Sara as a heartless mother and did not want to have anything to do with her. Over the course ofSara - Woman in the Shadow’s six episodes, however,the two women gradually formed a bond, with Viola opening up about her life with Giorgio and Sara allowing Viola to help with the investigation.

Sara and Viola’s relationship was arguably the most compelling and emotionally complex part of the series, and their ending was very satisfying. Understandably, Viola was skeptical of Sara at first, buttheir shared honesty gave them a bond that allowed Sara a fresh start. After Viola gave birth in the final episode, it was clear that the two women would remain close in the future, giving Sara the chance to be a good grandmother despite never being a good mother.

The Real Meaning of Sara - Woman In The Shadows' Ending

Sara Was Changed By Her Experiences After Her Son’s Death

At the beginning ofSara - Woman in the Shadows, Sara is a somewhat difficult character to like. She seemingly does not have anyone close to her in her life, and walked out on her son without explanation. Though she only becomes involved with him again after his death, the series does see Sara get a redemption arc. She realized that she was not the mother her son needed, butshe did choose to make an effort with her daughter-in-law, and that is what truly changed her the most.

Beyond the complex conspiracy plot, the series reflects on how the characters treat each other and how that shapes their lives. The majority of the characters live very secretive lives that other people can only imagine. As a result, they do not trust those around them, and this is especially true for Sara. Despite her initial reservations, she finds that she likes Pardo and Viola’s company. What’s more, Sara finally listening to the message from Massimiliano signifies that she has found her peace inSara - Woman in the Shadows' ending.