La Palma ending explained: Does the family survive?

La Palma is a disaster series directed by Danish film director Kasper Barfoed, from a screenplay by Lars Godmestad and Harald Rosenlow Eeg. It was released on Netflix on December 12, 2024.

The series chronicles a family and thousands of tourists stuck on La Palma island as a volcanic eruption threatens their lives. They must get out of the island to safety to survive, but there aren't enough resources or time.

In the end, Fredrik gets to the safe zone through a boat, while Sara gets there on a helicopter, finally uniting with her family.

La Palma was created by Martin Sundland and produced by Glenn Lund, with Greve Alsos and Hege Fjeldskar serving as the executive producers with Lund. The main cast includes Sofie Lock Naess, Anders Baasmo, and Alma Gunter among several others.

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers for the series. Reader's discretion is advised.

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Who noticed the impending disaster first?

A Norwegian family of four, Jennifer, Fredrik, and their kids Sara and Tobias went to La Palma island for their annual vacation. To their immediate delight, they got a room upgrade with an amazing view. However, there is a word of volcanic eruption on the beautiful island.

Marie and Haukur, two researchers noticed that there was a crack in the mountain, which meant that a disaster of epic proportions was lurking around. Their claim was dismissed by the local research head, Alvaro. He was concerned about giving out potentially inaccurate information to the world and asked Marie and Haukur to come back with solid proof.

It became clear that the volcano was going to erupt in a matter of hours, resulting in a deadly tsunami. Alvaro ordered Marie to escape the island with her brother Erik.

The two of them had lost their parents in the 2004 tsunami. On the other hand, Jennifer's brother in Norwegian foreign affairs gave her classified information about the disaster beforehand to give her and the family a chance to survive.

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Erik's compassion gets him killed in La Palma

La Palma focused on sibling relationships, including Sara and Tobias, Jens and his sister, and Marie and Erik. Jens discovered a potential safe zone formed by the collision of two waves, though its safety was uncertain.

The authorities withheld this information, fearing incorrect details could have serious geopolitical consequences for Norway. However, after a press conference was postponed, Jens revealed the coordinates of the safe zone on camera.

Erik and Marie escaped from a police station, and Erik, out of mercy, freed a criminal to give him a chance to survive. The siblings found Fredrik, who had lost hope, but Erik’s mention of a boat to reach the safe zone reignited Fredrik’s will to live.

Tragically, the criminal followed them and shot Erik dead. In desperation, Fredrik killed the criminal with a rock and took the boat to the safe zone with Marie.

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Does Sara make it out to safety in La Palma?

Sara got out of line to board the plane out of the island to find her friend Charlie. Her mother Jennifer tried to stop her but she told her to trust her and stay on the plane. But when Sara did not come back on time, Jennifer along with Tobias got off to find her.

On the other hand, Sara found Charlie and boarded the plane, but it was too late for Jennifer and Tobias to get back on the flight.

After the plane crashed, Sara woke up and found Charlie unconscious. With the help of a flight attendant, Sara gave Charlie mouth-to-mouth respiration and brought her back to consciousness. The girls got to the safe zone with the help of a helicopter and Sara was reunited with her family.

After surviving the disaster, Fredrick and Jennifer would probably get closer and Charlie would start to cherish her relationship with her family.

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Stay tuned for more news and updates on La Palma and other movies and TV series on Netflix.