The end of Season 1 of Suburræterna is a cliffhanger. Multiple plot threads remain unresolved, and viewers are left with as many questions as answers. If you’re a bit overwhelmed or reading this as a quick recap before a potential second season, this is what you need to know.
The main players in the series are Alberto (formerly Spadino) Anacleti, Amedeo Cinaglia, Ercole Bonatesta, Damiano Luciani, and Angelica Sale. I’ll go through them one by one, explaining their goals and where they’re at by the end of the first season.
What Happened to Alberto/Spadino?
Alberto is a major recurring character from Suburra: Blood on Rome, which saw him entering a self-imposed exile. In the three years between the series, he’s built a new life as a DJ and event organizer in Berlin with his partner, Mesut. The massacre of his family in the first episode of Suburræterna sees him return to Rome. Once there, he is caught up in the new struggles, stepping into the role of de facto head of the family thanks to his bloodline. A significant part of his story is about the push and pull between his two lives.
Near the end of the series, the Anacleti camp is attacked by the Lucianis. Amid the chaos, Alberto is confronted by Angelica, who believes that he is responsible for killing her best friend, Nadia. Alberto talks her down, foiling the intentions of the attack. Afterward, he is fooled into believing that Cinaglia betrayed him and chooses to confront him. However, Cinaglia forces him to realize that both of them have been played by Ercole. As a result, Alberto decides that he has done far more harm than good since arriving and begins to leave. However, his nephew, Victor, gives him cause to believe in himself and his mission again. Ultimately, he chooses to stay to support Victor in their attempts to reclaim everything that has been taken from the Anacletis, with Mesut arriving to be with him.
What Happened to Cinaglia?
Meanwhile, Cinaglia’s main struggle through the season was to find a way to acquire the funds to build a city-defining infrastructure project, The New Colosseum. After being foiled by Cardinal Nascari’s failure to reclaim control over the Foundation, he arranged a deal with Ercole, whereby the two of them would form a business partnership to get the project over the line. His intention was then to provide Alberto with the opportunity to kill Ercole.
However, the confrontation between Cinaglia and Alberto meant that the former never made it to the meeting between himself, Ercole, Cardinal Tronto, and the notary. In his absence, they signed the deal, with the project now apparently solely and wholly in the hands of Ercole.
What Happened to Ercole?
While that may seem like a straightforward victory for Ercole, that’s not actually the case. Although he has succeeded in his central goals of becoming custodian of the stadium and neutering Cinaglia’s influence in the City Council, he has made enemies along the way. Chief among them is his grandfather, Vito, who has been a loyal supporter of the Anacleti family for more than 30 years.
Recognizing his inability to control his grandson and fearing what may come of his continued disloyalty, Vito sends men to kill him. However, Damiano arrives just in time to run the van off the road and kill Ercole’s assailants, strengthening the bond between the two men. Later, after Ercole signs for control over the stadium project, he visits his grandfather in his grocery store. Following a brief discussion about their family history, Ercole garottes Vito in the final scene.
What Happened to Damiano and Angelica?
Angelica is Alberto’s ex-wife, who has since remarried Damiano. The two hold lingering discontent with the Anacleti family for not being held in as high regard as they believe they should be. It’s this discontent that spurs them to initiate the massacre that begins Suburræterna.
By the end of the season, however, discord has begun to seep into their relationship. Damiano believes that Angelica still has feelings for Alberto, while Angelica rebels against Damiano’s lie that Alberto was responsible for Nadia’s death. Angelica packs her suitcases. Damiano finds her on the beach, and she tells him that, contrary to what he thinks, he is the one unable to escape the past and the fact she is leaving him. Before the scene can reach a resolution, gunshots ring out, and Damiano is pulled away to protect the rest of his family. Despite his efforts, his brother, Cesare, is shot. However, we never find out the outcome, leading to one of the most frustrating cliffhangers of the entire season ender.
With that, you’re up to speed on all of the major conflicts and beats at the end of Season 1 of Suburræterna. It’s a lot to keep in mind, but with luck, we should see some of these hanging threads resolved in a second season.
