'Invisible City' Ending Explained: Who was the flaming head monster and will Eric come back to life in Season 2?
WARNING: Spoilers for ‘Invisible City’
“Mythology is not a lie, mythology is poetry, it is metaphorical. It has been well said that mythology is the penultimate truth — penultimate because the ultimate cannot be put into words. It is beyond words; beyond images; beyond that bounding rim, to what can be known but not told...” Literature professor Joseph Campbell once said.
Sketching out Brazilian mythology, ‘Invisible City’ beautifully paints a world of fantasy that springs the figment of imagination to life. Like a scene straight out of a horror movie, the series begins on a tragic night when two men trek through a dark rainforest. “We only shoot what we eat, Mr Antunes,” the young man warns the elder one. When he ignores the warning, a mythical creature with a flaming head and backward feet attacks him with a blazing spear. What follows is a complex tale of riddles and secrets.
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What if the folklore was real?
A number of monsters and devils — from the humanoid crocodile Cuco to wish-granting Saci — will keep you hooked and make you ponder upon that thought. Name Isac (Wesley Guimarães), the Saci is shown to be a one-legged boy wearing a red cap. Perhaps, one of the most alluring characters is the shape-shifting warthog spirit guardian. Then there's a singing mermaid, a Tapire-iauara, and the famed Curupira.
Over the course of seven episodes, Eric (Marco Pigossi) — an environmental police officer — hunts for the bizarre connection between the mysterious appearance of a dead river dolphin on a Rio de Janeiro beach and the death of the his beloved wife. Eventually, he gets closer to dark secrets and an unfathomable end. If you are wondering how the mystery was solved, we have the answers for you.
How did Gabriela die?
An anthropologist and conservationist, Gabriela (Julia Konrad) sends a video message to her husband, Eric, when he doesn't turn up to a party. Soon after, the party is halted when a raging fire disrupts the celebration and Gabi heads to the woods. Something mysterious ensues and by the time Eric arrives, he finds Gabi dead, with her eyes white. Their young daughter, Luna, is traumatized and can't fathom what really happened.
After Gabi's death, Eric falls into a pithole of his grief. A month later, when he gets back to his job, he decides to hunt the killer and find out the reason for her death.
What was the river dolphin?
The second episode ‘There Is No Turning Back’ shows Eric discovering a washed-up pink dolphin. Confused as to how it turned up there, Eric feels it is connected to Gabi's death. While Eric is hellbent to find out the reason for the river dolphin's death and why all the fish are dead, Camila (Jéssica Córes) turns up there and reports to her senior Inês (Alessandra Negrini) that she couldn't return the dolphin's body to the water. Soon after, Tutu (Jimmy London) is given the task to locate the corpse.
Back at home, Eric researches the legend of the river dolphin. When he gets it to the veterinary forensics lab, the expert isn’t there and he has to drive back home with it lying at the back of the truck. It doesn't take him long to realize that the tragic events make up for something more than a simple murder-mystery.
Who was the flaming head devil?
A grisly, hairy, and backward feet creature comes into the picture as the series is about to end. Named Curupira, the short, red-haired boy in mythology is a demon who inhabits the forests, creating illusions and producing a high-pitched whistle to scare and drive victims to madness. The creature preys on poachers and hunters and is a guardian of the forest, who uses his special feet to create footprints that confuse hunters.
Titled ‘It's Much Bigger Than Us’, the final episode shows how Eric almost loses himself and has his soul sucked out when Camila whispers: “I know you're in there.” However, a call from his daughter, Luna (Manuela Dieguez) brings him back to the real world.
What happens to Eric in the end?
Just before the episode is about to come to a close, Eric and Camila have a face-off with the fiery-headed monster. Eric gets up on his feet with his white eyes and tries to regain all his energy to fight the devil. Inês (turns into a fluttering butterfly) comes to him singing “sleep, little baby” and sits on his eyes.
The final scene shows how Eric has a vision about Luna being empowered by the monster. When Gabi comes to check on Luna, she hugs her and her soul is sucked out. It is then that Gabi freezes to death. The haunting vision of Gabi's death makes Eric kill himself. In the next scene, he finds himself inside the water along with Gabi but she tells him, “Eric, you still have quite a journey left ahead of you. It's not your time yet. You are one of them.” Finally, the devil takes Eric with him and Camila and Inês follow.
What will happen if there was another season? Will there be some clarity on the future of Eric? And what really happened to Luna? Well, only time will tell.
Catch all seven episodes of ‘Invisible City’ once it premieres on Netflix this Friday, February 5, 2021.