A night meant for celebration ends with a death, sending a promising law student’s life into a spiral. The Innocent begins its tense Spanish thriller story with a mistake that echoes for years. The first episode, which came out on Netflix on April 30, 2021, shows how a single violent moment can change everything for a man trying to build a normal life.
The series is based on a book by author Harlan Coben and was directed by Oriol Paulo. It stars Mario Casas as Mateo “Mat” Vidal, whose journey from a prison cell to a happy future gets brutally interrupted.
A Deadly Fight at a Nightclub
The story starts with a flashback. A young Mateo Vidal is at a club with his brother, Isma. He is a bright law student ready to leave the party, but an encounter with a woman changes his plans. This leads to a confrontation with her boyfriend, Hugo, and his friends. What begins as an argument quickly turns into a physical fight.
In the chaos, Mateo pushes another man named Dani. Dani falls, and his head strikes hard rocks on the ground. The incident is sudden and shocking. Mateo is arrested at the scene. His trial ends with a conviction for negligent homicide, and he is sentenced to four years in prison. This moment defines his life for years to come.
Building a New Life After Prison
After serving his sentence, Mateo is released. His life outside is difficult. He struggles to move past his guilt and the social stain of his conviction. His parents died in a car crash while he was in prison, leaving him with little family support. His brother, Isma, gives him a job as a paralegal at his law firm. It is here that Mateo has a second chance at happiness.
He meets a woman named Olivia Costa, and they fall in love. Mateo is honest with Olivia about his past, and they decide to build a future together. Tragedy strikes again when Isma suffers a stroke and passes away, but Olivia stays by Mateo’s side. The couple seems to overcome their past struggles. Several years later, Olivia learns she is pregnant, bringing them great joy. They move to a bigger house to prepare for their new family. For the first time in a long time, Mateo’s life looks peaceful and full of promise.
Sinister Coincidences and a Disturbing Text
The peace does not last. Shortly after moving into their new home, Mateo sees Hugo, the man from the fight at the club. Even more unsettling, Hugo and his partner Eva are now their new neighbors. This feels like more than a simple coincidence to Mateo, stirring up old fears.
The tension escalates when Mateo gets a text message from a woman named Sonia. She says she needs to talk to him urgently. Viewers soon learn that Sonia is the mother of Dani, the man Mateo accidentally killed. When Mateo meets her at a museum, their conversation is strange and intense. Their meeting is also being watched. As Mateo drives away from the museum, he is followed.
Olivia’s Disappearance and a Mysterious Threat
The central mystery of the episode kicks into high gear when Olivia travels for work. After Mateo drops her off at the airport, he loses contact with her. He receives a worrying message from Olivia about a strange man, and then her phone goes offline. Frantic, Mateo calls her hotel, only to be told she never checked in.
While driving and desperately trying to find Olivia, Mateo gets a video call from an unknown man. The man shows him a video of Olivia sleeping in a bed, and then delivers a direct threat. He tells Mateo he knows about his “dark past”. The call ends with Mateo’s car being deliberately hit. A bald man gets out of the other car and points a gun at Mateo, but when he pulls the trigger, the gun is not loaded. This is clearly a message—a show of power and control designed to terrify him.
Confused and scared, Mateo hires a private investigator named Zoe to help him find Olivia and figure out who is targeting him. The threats make him question everything about his new life.
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A Confusing Phone Call and a Bag of Cash
Just as Mateo begins his search with Zoe, he gets a phone call from Olivia herself. She sounds completely normal, asking about his day as if nothing is wrong. This conversation leaves Mateo, and the audience, deeply confused. Is Olivia in danger, or is she part of the scheme against him?
The final scene of the episode provides another major clue. It shows Olivia alone in a room, holding a large bag filled with cash. This shocking image raises immediate questions. What is she involved in? Is she being forced to participate in a plan, or is she acting on her own? Her calm demeanor on the phone contrasts sharply with this secret, suggesting a complex web of lies.
This ending sets up the central mystery for the rest of the limited series. Mateo must untangle what is real and who he can trust as he searches for the woman he loves.
Where to Watch The Innocent
The entire first season of The Innocent, consisting of eight episodes, is available to stream exclusively on Netflix. The series is rated TV-MA. The first episode has a runtime of 51 minutes.
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