'ZeroZeroZero' Finale: Betrayal, death, shift in power reveal industry’s volatility and bring show full circle
Spoilers for 'ZeroZeroZero' Episode 8 ahead
In 'ZeroZeroZero' Episode 8 we see how the lives of the key players have changed since we first met them. Don Minu (Adriano Chiaramida) in Italy, Manuel Contreras (Harold Torres) in Mexico and Emma (Andrea Riseborough) and Chris Lynwood (Dane DeHaan) from New Orleans. They had turned into puppets that are controlled by the greed to earn money, gain power and influence. Each of them experienced loss and betrayal that influenced their choices and led them to where they landed in the end.
Manuel finally confessed the truth about killing Chiquita's husband to her. Before confessing, he had tried to break up with her citing the newborn baby girl's safety. He said he wouldn't be seeing her ever again because that would make her daughter unsafe. He only spills the truth when Chiquita is not convinced. The only time Manuel had been away from work, was when he was with her. That was when he lost one of his lieutenant and Manuel is not ready to face such a loss ever again.
The minute he breaks up with Chiquita, he leaves the hospital with his men, all set to rain bullets at the Leyras who are partying with their guests. Manuel succeeds in taking control over the entire cartel from the brothers after shooting them down just in time to receive payment from Emma, who spoke to Jacinto Leyra, right before he was shot. She was told to come to his manor to settle up, but she is unaware of who she is going to be doing business with in the future when she agrees.
In the meanwhile, we also see how Curtiga continues to blackmail Stefano into setting up a meeting with his grandfather. He wants Stefano to use this as an opportunity to kill his grandfather in return for Lucia and Mico since he failed to stop the shipment from reaching Don Minu. When Stefano does arrive at the meeting, he comes face to face with Emma and that's when we begin to find out how she arrived at the hotel in Casablanca to find Chris gone and Amina tied up in the room.
When she arrives at the place where Chris was left behind beaten and bloody, Emma is unable to accept and the way she expresses her grief shows how she holds herself responsible. She doesn't portray it through words but her actions speak louder. Just as her father had said though, Emma is strong; so she gets on a flight to Italy to meet Don Minu. She tells him how Stefano killed her brother and if Don Minu wanted the shipment he would have to give Emma his grandson. Don Minu, who has always put his business before family agrees. After all, he had made tough decisions in life that ensured his position as the head of the Italian Ndrangheta.
He is unaware of why Stefano betrayed him but promises his grandson that his family will not be harmed. So, Lucia and Mico are rescued by Don Minu's men while both the Curtiga family and the Bellantone family gets killed. For now, the unrest within Ndrangheta has calmed. Don Minu, however, will not be any less suspicious of people next to him.
Once Emma saw Don Minu kill his grandson, she handed him the container number that held the shipment and also received the payment. It is after this that she arrives in Mexico to close up the business deal which takes us back to Manuel. She finds herself being accompanied by armed men to meet Manuel and there are dead bodies strewn around. Once she meets Manuel, she is seated between the dead bodies of the Leyra brothers. Without batting her eye, she hands over the $32M and even sets up a future shipment requirement in place. She heads out alone, with a smile on her place.
The finale of 'ZeroZeroZero' portrays Don Minu, Emma and Manuel's life that will define their future. It shows how the business of smuggling drugs across borders involves the lives of many and one wrong move, by even one person involved can change the lives of many for the worse.
Stream episodes of 'ZeroZeroZero' on Amazon Prime Video from March 6.