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The Secret of the River season 1 released in Oct 2024, originally titled El Secreto de Río is a new Spanish-language drama series from Mexico. Written by Ernesto Contreras and directed by Armando Casas, it is available to stream on Netflix.
This series blends mystery and thriller elements while challenging societal prejudices. It follows childhood friends Erik and Manuel (now Sicaru), who share a dark secret from their past.
The plot centers on the accidental death of a predatory man, Sergio, and explores themes of friendship, identity, and prejudice in a small village in Oaxaca, focusing on Sicaru.
As The Secret of the River season 1 concludes with eight episodes, viewers are left with gripping revelations and suspense.
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Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from The Secret of the River season 1. Reader discretion is advised.
What was Erik and Sicaru's secret in The Secret of the River season 1?
In The Secret of the River season 1, the story began with Erik and Manuel becoming friends in their childhood, living in a small village in Oaxaca. Manuel, who later identifies as Sicaru, faces discrimination for his non-conformity to traditional gender roles.
Manuel was not a stereotypical boy; he was soft in a way that confused the people around him about his gender identity, which led to discrimination from Erik's father, along with other people in the village who saw it as a disease. Despite this, the two boys formed a deep bond.
Their lives took a dark turn during a village wedding when they accidentally killed a man named Sergio, the groom, who was trying to assault Manuel. During the fierce struggle between the two kids and a drunk adult, Sergio slipped, hit his head on a rock, and fell into the river. Terrified of the consequences, the boys decided to keep the incident a secret.
As years pass, their lives change, but the secret lingered. Sicaru (formerly Manuel), returned to the village after many years, soon after her arrival tension and unresolved feelings occur as they start receiving some envelop claiming somebody knows their secret.
As the others in the village, including Erik's father, despised Manuel because of the non-conformity of his gender, even if Erik and Manuel try to explain the death and how it was not their fault, the hate toward Manuel would never let them see the truth.
Who revealed Erik and Sicaru's secret?
As The Secret of the River season 1 approached its end, Erik received a mysterious envelope with his name on it. Inside, he found a bracelet that belonged to Sicaru, a reminder of their shared past. Shocked, Erik contacted Sicaru, and the two met by the river to discuss the resurfaced secret.
Meanwhile, Erik’s wife, Paulina, noticed his strange behavior just after Sicaru's arrival and soon discovered a letter exposing the truth about their involvement in Sergio’s death. The secret was ultimately revealed by Ana, Sergio’s widow, who had been manipulated into sending the letter by the corrupt police chief, Braulio.
The story behind the bracelet and the envelope
The bracelet and envelope played a significant role in The Secret of the River season 1. After hearing about Solange's death, Manuel (Sicaru) returned to her village (Oaxaca) as a woman. The villagers reacted negatively just like before, and Erik felt confused and kept his distance. Perhaps his father's lessons came into play.
During Erik and Manuel's quarrel with Sergio, Manuel's bracelet was left with Sergio's dead body. An officer discovered the truth, but when it came time to arrest them, he understood their reasons and realized he would have done the same if it had happened to his daughter. He then returned the bracelet to Manuel.
After years Erik received an envelope with Sicaru’s bracelet from the day of Sergio’s death, leading him to meet Sicaru at the river to discuss the matter and to confront if it is a sort of threat. Later, Paulina read a letter that wrongly claimed Erik and Sicaru were involved in the murder.
In the end, it’s revealed that Sicaru sent the bracelet to reconnect with Erik, not as a threat. Meanwhile, Ana, who was grieving over Sergio's death, was misled by Braulio into thinking that Sicaru killed him.
Who are the Muxes and how they helped Manuel to find his identity
Ana, grieving for her late husband Sergio, received false information from Braulio, who suggested Sicaru killed him. Unaware of the truth, Ana filled with anger wrote a threatening letter to Sicaru. Later, Paulina shared the truth with Ana, after learning the truth from Paulina, Ana started to heal by burning Sergio’s photos and accepting his darker side.
When Sicaru returned to her village, she hoped to stay in her grandmother’s old house but found a boy named Emiliano, or Emi, living there. He seemed to be a victim of abuse by a man named Felipe, who claimed to be his brother. Sicaru learned that Felipe was a kidnapper involved in a child trafficking ring with the corrupt police chief, Braulio.
Sicaru, with the help of the Muxes, tried to rescue Emi, but Braulio threatened her to be quiet. Ultimately, the villagers learned the truth about Braulio and got him arrested. Meanwhile, Felipe attempted to hurt Sicaru but can't as Emi shot him in self-defense, injuring him badly while saving Sicaru.
Emi then became a Muxe, and Sicaru adopted him. Misunderstandings between Sicaru and Erik were resolved, and the story of The Secret of River season 1 ended on a positive note, highlighting friendship and social acceptance.
The future installment of the series is still shrouded. However, The Secret of the River season 1 is exclusively available to stream on Netflix.
