In the Mud ending explained: Gladys Guerra's final choice and rise as La Quebrada's queen

All 8 episodes of Netflix's latest Argentine drama, In the Mud, dropped on August 14, 2025.

Created by Sebastian Ortega- also known as En el barro- this spin-off series of El marginal is set in the La Quebrada prison. It delves into the prison life of Gladys Guera la Borges and a group of female inmates, as they overcome the hardships and fight against the tribes for their survival.

The prison drama ends not with freedom but with a crown of all sorts. The final moments flip expectations, cementing Gladys "La Borges" Guerra as the new ruler of La Quebrada, even as her long-awaited release was within reach.

Here's what happened in the In The Mud finale episode.

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In the Mud ending explained: Gladys chooses power over freedom

Netflix's Argentine prison drama In the Mud does not end with freedom but with survival.

For much of the series, Gladys walks a line between self-preservation and moral restraint. But the finale pushes her into a choice: kill her rival Amparo or walk out of the prison gates the next day. Cancer, grief for her husband, and months of brutal politics push her past the point of caring about the release.

Amparo, on the other hand, became vicious. Even though she was sick after the fight and after picking out Olga's eyes, she seemed too determined to inherit Zurda's role. She encouraged her prison mates to do drugs, but her reign was cut short by Gladys.

Gladys's showdown with Amparo is raw and vicious; a physical manifestation of everything these women have lost. Gladys wins but stops before delivering the final blow. She drags her body to the prison chief Antin - a calculated move showing that she's in control now. In doing so, she trades her shot at freedom for undisputed dominance. She walks out injured, in pin-drop silence, but with a smile on her face.

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In the Mud ending explained: Marina's trial and transformation

While Gladys ascends, Marina (sort of) clears her name in the case of her boyfriend's murder. Her past-manipulated and exploited by her boyfriend and his brother-becomes key evidence. Luna Lunati, a crossover character from El marginal, uncovers proof that Marina was a victim and not a murderer with a little help from her ex cop friend.

Even though the charges are still valid, the court announces,

"Miss Delorsi, given the circumstances, for the time being your status will transition from that of a person under investigation to that of a formerly charged defendant."

But freedom doesn't erase scars. Prison alters Marina's sense of self. She returns to her troubled mother, tougher but not healed.

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In the Mud ending explained: What happened to China, Cecilia, and Yael's daughter?

China, once La Quebrada's most sought-after model, loses everything after a violent attack leaves her permanently scarred. She clings to her pride until it costs her life. Her stabbing in the finale serves as a stark reminder of how quickly alliances dissolve in prison.

Meanwhile, Gladys plays the informant feeding Antin the evidence of Cecilia's baby trafficking operation. She confronts Cecilia in the finale episode of In The Mud episode,

"Like that young prison guard Alan Rossetti. He just found out where he came from. You thought his mother would never say a word, but you were wrong. You underestimated a mother's love searching for the truth. Your housekeeper confessed that you handed her a baby that was just a few hours old."

"That baby was Alan, the son of an inmate that everyone forgot about. So many women were forced to hand over their children- women like Noelia and like Patricia, and now the evidence is in Antin's hands."

Cecilia's twisted logic-born from a childhood tragedy, doesn't earn her sympathy. Antin seizes the scandal as political leverage by removing Cecilia from power. He declares:

"I, Sergio Antin, am summoned here to La Quebrada Penitentiary Centre in Buenos Aires in the name and representation of His Excellency, Governor Andres Faccia, with complete and substantial power and ad-hoc witnesses to instruct the summary proceedings that may correspond with written documentary testimonial, incontrovertible and insurmountable evidence, proceeding consequently to the dismissial ipso facto and in situ of Ms. Cecilia Moranzon, for serious non-compliance of her duties while as an official and director of La Quebrada Prison."

Additionally, Dr. Soriano was also detained for human trafficking. And Rosetta? Zurda eventually kills Rossetta, the nun, during the closing shots in In the Mud

Meanwhile, Yael chooses to give her daughter, Brisa, to the governer's wife, Eugenia. It's a bittersweet surrender as Brisa will grow up knowing her mother and her heritage, but without Yael's presence. It's a rare moment where a character prioritizes a child's safety over personal attachments.

Zurda, once a major player inside spirals after a personal tragedy and a guard's assault, halts all the illicit business in defiance of Amparo, triggering unrest across the prison. Her revenge against her attacker is personal and not strategic. It's a moment of raw defiance, but one that strips her remaining power.

All episodes of In the Mud are streaming on Netflix.

Also read: In the Mud: Release date news, cast details, streaming details, and more about the upcoming Netflix crime drama

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