Warning: The following article contains major spoilers for the Netflix limited series Griselda

Summary

• Griselda's paranoia leads to betrayal, resulting in her downfall.
• Marta overdosing invites Rafa's revenge in the end of Griselda, ultimately resulting in the death of her children (and likely her own death).
• Griselda's pursuit of wealth and power ultimately leads to her tragic ending.

Netflix's limited series Griselda tells the story of crime boss Griselda Blanco, including her tragic ending. Throughout the six episodes, Griselda (Sofía Vergara) rises to prominence in the Miami drug scene, ultimately claiming power, wealth, and what she believes to be security. However, by Griselda's final episode, "Adios, Miami," everything the Godmother had built begins tumbling down around her. This all starts with the party she throws for her husband, Darío Sepúlveda (Alberto Guerra), and Griselda's belief that one of her people is an informant.

In the finale of Griselda, the titular queenpin's paranoia leads to several of her loyal friends turning against her. She is put in an even tougher spot when the girlfriend of her colleague and rival, Rafa Salazar, overdoses and dies while alone with Griselda. Knowing that Rafa and the Ochoa brothers will think she murdered Marta, Griselda turns herself in to police, who would only be able to nail her with superficial drug charges. Prison would keep her out of her enemy's hands, and her children would be safe with Rivi Ayala—but it doesn't work out that way.

What Happened To Griselda Blanco & Her Family At The End Of Griselda

Though Griselda was right that police couldn't charge her with the countless murders she was guilty of, detective June Hawkins cleverly determined that she could report the crime lord's minor son as having been kidnapped by Rivi Ayala. This leads to the man's capture, and Griselda's children are left unprotected. Miraculously, Rivi finds a way to discredit himself as a witness through a sex scandal with the Assistant DA so his testimony doesn't result in murder convictions for Griselda. So, she faces seven years in prison rather than life.

Griselda arranged for the murder of her husband, Darío, so her youngest son, Michael, was reunited with his brothers Dixon, Uber, and Osvaldo. The plan in Griselda was for the titular character to reunite with her sons after her prison release. However, just before her sentence was up, Detective Hawkins visited Griselda and informed her that all but Michael had been murdered. Though it's never stated who was responsible for this, it's implied in Griselda that Rafa Salazar had waited until just before Griselda was finally reunited with her children to take them away from her.

The end of Griselda sees the Godmother still in prison, imagining that she is on the beach with her boys, carrying out her usual ritual of tracing the scenery with her cigarette. Before the credits roll, the text on the screen explains that Griselda returned to Medellín, Colombia, where Michael was living with his grandmother. Though little was shared about what her life there looked like, it's revealed that Griselda was assassinated in 2012 at the age of 69.

Rivi’s Arrest & Sex Scandal Explained

Even after being arrested, Griselda outsmarted the police by ensuring that she could only be charged with drug crimes. However, Detective June Hawkins managed to find and arrest Rivi, forcing the man into a corner with the promise that he would get the death penalty if he didn't testify against his boss. This would mean that Griselda would take the heat for all the murders she had ordered, and rather than staying safely in prison out of Rafa's reach for a few years, she herself would likely be sentenced to death. However, Rivi found a way around this problem.

While in prison, Rivi was assigned the assistant District Attorney as his handler, meaning he could call her at her office whenever needed. He took advantage of this resource to seduce the woman, who didn't realize that her line was recorded at all times. Rivi and the assistant DA engaged in phone sex, and when the DA discovered the recorded phone calls, Rivi could no longer be considered a strong witness. With only a biased testimony, Griselda couldn't be charged with murder, and both she and Rivi escaped the death penalty.

Why Griselda Turned Herself In To Police

Throughout Griselda, the notorious Godmother had no intention of going to prison, and she went to great lengths to keep this from ever happening. However, after Marta Ochoa's death, Griselda recognized that prison was a safer alternative to dealing with Rafa Salazar and the Ochoa brothers. She ran away to a motel in Los Angeles, California, and hunkered down with her kids until Rivi informed her that Rafa had discovered her location and was on his way. Then, Griselda sent her kids away, called the police, and told them where to find her.

Of course, Griselda being in prison would only keep her safe for so long, and it did even less to protect her kids. Vergara's character in Griselda had intended Rivi to keep her boys safe, but thanks to Detective Hawkins, he was arrested as well. Ultimately, Griselda's plan only delayed the inevitable. Rafa still got his revenge by murdering Dixon, Uber, and Osvaldo, and though it's difficult to say who murdered Griselda in the end (she had several enemies), it can be assumed that it had something to do with him.

How Marta Ochoa Died (& What It Meant For Griselda’s Fate)

Griselda's downfall started with her paranoia in Griselda. Her fear that one of her people was betraying her led Griselda to order reckless strikes on people like Chucho, leading to the deaths of innocent people, which only further incentivized the police to take her down. Faced with this reality and her guilt over the death of Chucho's son, Griselda tried to burn off some steam by getting high with Rafa's girlfriend and sister to the Ochoa brothers, Marta Ochoa. Unfortunately, Marta suffered an overdose and collapsed on a glass table, leading her to bleed out.

Marta's death wasn't Griselda's fault, but after the display at Darío's party, she knew that Rafa and the Ochoa brothers wouldn't believe this. Ultimately, Marta's death was the nail in the coffin for Griselda's fate. She and Rafa had never been on excellent , and the death of his girlfriend was more than enough to ensure that he would never do business with Griselda again. To add insult to injury, the Godmother stole all of Rafa's cocaine before fleeing to California. In a major way, this series of events is what led to not only Griselda's imprisonment but the deaths of her children.

The Real Meaning Of Griselda’s Ending

Griselda's story serves as a cautionary tale of the dangers of the never-ending search for wealth and power.

Netflix's Griselda is based on the real-world Miami crime lord Griselda Blanco, and there is a reason such stories are often adapted to the screen. Though there are several differences between the events of Griselda and the criminal's life, her story serves as a cautionary tale of the dangers of the never-ending search for wealth and power. Early episodes of the Netflix series saw Griselda aim to give her children the best life possible, and she said repeatedly that all the horrible things she did were for them. However, in the end, she lost them anyway.

The final scene of Griselda sees the Godmother in her prison garb, imagining that she is sitting on the beach watching her children play in the sand. This is a reflection of all she had wanted—to be at peace with her family. However, in truth, Griselda had achieved this long before she went to prison. At the time, it just wasn't enough. The journey for money, status, respect, and power saw the Godmother's downfall at the conclusion of Griselda, and this is where such roads always lead.