The second season of the Argentine prison drama In the Mud (En el barro) arrived on Netflix and delivered a explosive finale that completely reshaped the power dynamics inside La Quebrada prison. The season ended with a violent uprising led by Fabiana “La Zurda” (Lorena Vega) that successfully dismantled the iron-fisted control of La Gringa Casares (Verónica Llinás), but the victory came at a massive cost and left the prison in a state of uncertain calm. For global audiences who have been following this gritty spin-off of El marginal, the final episodes answered major questions while setting up new conflicts for potential future seasons.
The Rise of Gringa’s Absolute Control
Throughout the second season, viewers watched La Gringa consolidate her power inside La Quebrada in ways that made previous prison leaders look almost lenient. After the chaos caused by Amparo “La Gallega” Vilches (Ana Rujas) in the first season, Gringa emerged as the undisputed ruler of the prison’s underground economy. She didn’t just control the inmate population—she systematically took over every illegal operation, including the business that La Zurda had built over years behind bars.
Gladys Guerra de Borges (Ana Garibaldi) found herself back in prison after making poor decisions following her brief taste of freedom. The woman known as “La Borges” returned to a very different La Quebrada, one where Gringa’s word was law and even veterans like Zurda had been stripped of their power and influence. The season made it clear that Gringa ruled through fear, violence, and an absolute refusal to share control with anyone.
The Kidnapping That Changed Everything
The tension reached its breaking point when a failed illegal deal orchestrated by corrupt forces outside the prison led to the kidnapping of Diosito Borges’ son—Gladys’ grandson. The powerful criminal Aquino (Osmar Nuñez) took the child to recover his losses, forcing Gladys to make impossible choices. She agreed to work with Gringa, who allowed her to mobilize Zurda’s women for robberies on the outside as part of a plan to rescue the boy.
This temporary alliance created a fragile peace, but everyone watching knew it couldn’t last. Gladys was using Gringa’s resources, and Gringa was using Gladys’ desperation. Meanwhile, Sergio Antín (Gerardo Romano), the corrupt official pulling strings from the outside, explicitly warned Gladys not to cause problems for the new director, Beatriz Lanteri (Inés Estévez), who had returned to run La Quebrada.
How Zurda’s Uprising Unfolded
The final episode delivered the moment fans had been waiting for. As Gringa moved to attack Gladys directly, La Zurda orchestrated a perfectly timed prison revolt. The uprising wasn’t random chaos—it was a calculated strike against Gringa’s forces. Zurda’s people moved swiftly, targeting Gringa’s inner circle and systematically dismantling the control structure that had kept the entire prison under her thumb.
In the brutal confrontation that followed, Gringa’s daughter was stabbed and killed—dying in the same violent manner that had become Gringa’s signature way of dealing with enemies. The death was personal, visceral, and sent an unmistakable message that Gringa’s reign was over. Zurda, who had spent the entire season humiliated and stripped of her power, finally got her revenge.
What made the uprising particularly effective was its timing. Zurda struck exactly when Gringa believed she was in complete control, exploiting overconfidence that had made the ruling faction careless. The revolt didn’t just remove Gringa—it demonstrated that no single person could maintain absolute power in La Quebrada forever.
The Aftermath and Power Vacuum
With Gringa’s rule shattered, the prison entered a new phase. Antín intervened personally to prevent a full-blown scandal that would expose how badly things had spiraled out of control. In a move that surprised no one familiar with his character, he protected Zurda from being blamed for the deaths and violence. Antín wasn’t interested in justice—he was interested in maintaining his own position and keeping the prison’s problems from attracting outside attention.
But Antín’s interference went further. He prevented Gladys from completing the exchange with Aquino and then murdered Aquino’s son. In a twisted move, Antín tried to frame Gladys for the killing, essentially handing her to Aquino on a silver platter. However, Aquino saw through the lies. The veteran criminal knew Antín was manipulating events and refused to take the bait. He left Gladys alone and instead directed his vengeance at Antín himself.
This sequence of events was crucial because it showed that while the inmates had changed the balance of power inside the prison, the corrupt system outside remained fully operational. Antín was wounded but not eliminated, suggesting his influence would continue to cause problems.
Where Key Characters Ended Up
The season finale provided closure for several character arcs while leaving others wide open. Nicole García (Eugenia “La China” Suárez) and Soledad “Solita” Rodríguez (Camila Peralta) managed to escape during the chaos. Their fate remains unknown, creating an obvious thread for future episodes if the show continues. Will they be recaptured? Will they build new lives outside? The show deliberately left these questions unanswered.
Gladys forgave Yael Rubial (Carolina Ramírez) for her earlier betrayal, demonstrating how much the character had evolved. In the first season, betrayal was an unforgivable sin. By the end of season two, Gladys understood that survival in La Quebrada required different calculations, and holding onto old grudges only created more enemies.
Beatriz Lanteri officially returned as director of La Quebrada, bringing some semblance of official order back to the prison. But the most intriguing development was the return of Piquito (Juana Molina) to the facility. Piquito continues to fake madness, and her presence raises major questions. The third season could finally reveal her true story and explain why she chooses to remain in prison while pretending to be insane.
The Symbolism of Zurda’s Victory
La Zurda’s uprising wasn’t just about revenge—it was about reclaiming dignity. Throughout the season, viewers watched her lose everything she had built. Gringa didn’t just defeat her; she systematically erased Zurda’s influence and made her a nobody inside the walls where she had once been a power broker. The revolt represented a refusal to accept that fate.
The death of Gringa’s daughter carried particular weight because it mirrored the violence Gringa had used to maintain control. In the brutal ecosystem of La Quebrada, power flows through violence, and those who use it must eventually face it themselves. Zurda understood this reality and acted on it when the moment arrived.
What This Means for the Inmate Population
With Gringa gone and Zurda back in a position of influence, the prison’s social order has fundamentally shifted. The “tribes” that control different aspects of life inside La Quebrada must now renegotiate their relationships. Zurda has proven she can organize effective resistance, but ruling is different from rebelling. Whether she can maintain stability or whether new challengers will emerge remains an open question.
The season made clear that peace in La Quebrada never lasts. The final shots showed the prison calm, but the underlying tensions that drive conflict—shortages of resources, corrupt officials, personal vendettas, and the basic human need for dignity in dehumanizing conditions—haven’t disappeared. They’ve simply gone underground, waiting for the next trigger.
The Role of Outside Forces
One of the show’s strengths has always been its refusal to pretend that prisons exist in isolation. The second season finale reinforced this by showing how Antín and other corrupt figures continue to manipulate events from outside. Even when inmates win battles inside the walls, they remain subject to decisions made by people who view them as disposable.
Aquino’s decision to target Antín rather than Gladys was significant because it showed that even powerful criminals recognize when they’re being used. Antín thought he could play both sides and eliminate problems by framing Gladys. Instead, he created a new enemy for himself while leaving the inmates more united than before.
Fan Reactions to the Ending
Social media has been buzzing with reactions to the finale since it dropped on Netflix. Viewers have particularly praised Lorena Vega’s performance as Zurda, noting how she conveyed years of frustration and humiliation boiling over into decisive action. The uprising scene has been widely described as one of the most satisfying moments in Argentine television this year.
Many fans have also expressed shock at Gringa’s daughter’s death, noting that the show continues to refuse easy happy endings. Even in victory, the characters experience loss and violence. The cycle never truly breaks—it just changes form.
Discussions about a potential third season have intensified, with viewers analyzing every detail of the finale for clues about where the story might go. The returns of Piquito and the unresolved escape of Nicole and Solita have generated particular speculation.
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Streaming Details for Global Audiences
In the Mud Season 2 is available for streaming now on Netflix in multiple regions worldwide. Viewers in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and India can watch all episodes with subtitles or dubbing options. The series runs approximately eight episodes, making it accessible for weekend viewing.
For those who haven’t seen the first season, Netflix offers the complete series, allowing new viewers to start from the beginning and understand how Gladys, Zurda, and the other inmates arrived at this explosive moment. The show’s connection to El marginal adds additional layers for fans of the larger universe, but In the Mud works perfectly well as a standalone story.
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