Netflix's latest Mexican thriller, 'No One Saw Us Leave', centers on a mother's struggle to reunite with her children. It explores how parental kidnapping can impact a child's mind. The series is based on Tamara Trottner's autobiographical novel Nadi nos vio partis. Yes, you read that right, it provides a glimpse into the author's childhood.
At the center of the series is Valeria Goldberg, a mother of two who teams up with a former Mossad agent and private investigator, Elias, to recover her children, Isaac and Tamara. Why? Her husband, Leo Saltzman, takes their children away based on his family's advice and moves around Europe after they discover that Valeria was having an extramarital affair with his brother-in-law, Carlos. He took the children across the globe, including France, Italy, and South Africa, before finally reaching Israel.
Back in Mexico, Valeria was shunned by her community for her choices. Her influential in-laws took every possible step to ostracize her. But Valeria didn't back down despite the backlash. In Israel, Valeria finally gets a hold of her husband and children, and she seems ready to fight for them in the Jerusalem court. But until then, Leo had successfully brainwashed the children against their mother.
Will Valeria gain custody of her children, or will Leo win the case and take the children? Keep reading to find out what happens next on No One Saw Us Leave.
No One Saw Us Leave ending explained: Valeria tries to communicate with Tamara and Issac
Episode 5 of No One Saw Us Leave begins with Valeria trying to communicate with Tamara, but she runs away. This clearly indicates that Tamara now believes her mother abandoned them. In such situations, it's always the children who suffer the most and are often neglected. Valeria then confronts Leo and asks him what he tells their children about her. She also asks for Issac. Leo stops her and assures her that the children are doing fine. Valeria tells him there will be a trial in Jerusalem, and she intends to take her children no matter what.
In the next few scenes, we see a flashback of what happened after Leo discovered Valeria's affair. Before the trial, Valeria meets Issac and Tamara. While Issac doesn't even want to talk to her, Tamara, initially hesitant, sees her toy giraffe, Josephina, and begins to open up to Valeria. Later, we observe Issac playing with the telescope that Valeria brought.
When Valeria meets the lawyer, he suggests tarnishing Leo's reputation and claims that he is an alcoholic. Valeria insists that he isn't and states she cannot stoop so low. Meanwhile, Leo tells the truth about Valeria to their children. He explains how Valeria never stopped searching for them, and it was honestly the most beautiful and emotional scene of the series, as Leo explains in simple words to Isaac and Tamara about the trial and Valeria's affair.
No One Saw Us Leave ending explained: The trial in Jerusalem
Before the trial, Leo tells Valeria that he told Isaac and Tamara the truth that she never stopped searching for them. Valeria admitted that she testified that Leo is an alcoholic because she had no other way to explain it. Leo also felt sorry for Valeria for losing her child to Carlos. The courts in Jerusalem ask Leo and his children to return to Mexico for the custody case. However, they grant the children permission to stay at the Ein Tamar kibbutz until the end of the current school year.
Instead of keeping the children at the kibbutz, Leo takes them with him. When Valeria hears the news, she worries that Leo might run away with the children again. It turns out, Leo is tired of escaping and living like a hostage with his kids. He dreams of giving them a stable and healthy life. The disagreement between Samuel and him is obvious, and he no longer wants to play by Samuel's rules.
No One Saw Us Leave ending explained: Who gets the custody of Issac and Tamara in the end?
When Carlos receives a tip about where Leo and the children might be, he takes Valeria, Elias, and the police to storm the property. When the police enter the room, they find Leo and the children. Leo insists on speaking with Valeria. Then, Leo tells the children to go to their mother, Valeria. It's a heartfelt moment, the result of Valeria's relentless fight, the reunion, and Leo's ultimate sacrifice for his children.
Leo willingly hands over custody of the children to Valeria in the end. The episode ends with the message,
"Issac and Tamara did not see Leo for the next twenty years. Valeria and Carlos stayed together for the rest of their lives until Carlos'death in 1997."
All episodes of No One Saw Us Leave are available to stream on Netflix.
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