Burning Body, a Spanish Netflix drama, takes us in a captivating story inspired by real events from 2017. While it begins with a true story, the series takes creative liberties to craft a fictional version of events. Rosa Peral, the central character, is a deeply flawed individual who is implicated in the death of her partner, Pedro Rodriguez. She, along with her lover, Albert Lopez, takes the drastic step of killing Pedro to remove him from the picture. While this event is based on reality and Rosa and Albert are now in prison for their involvement in the crime, the story is remarkably complex and perplexing, leaving us puzzled about what truly transpired. However, by blending reality and fiction, Burning Body offers a unique perspective that leaves us wondering where the line between truth and imagination truly lies.
Spoilers Ahead
Recap Summary: What Happens In The Series?
The series Burning Body centered around Rosa Peral, a policewoman who used to work for the Barcelona Police Department. Rosa’s life revolved around her work and her daughter, Sofia, whom she lived with alongside her parents. Things took a turn when Rosa had a heated argument with her then-current partner, Pedro, who abruptly disappeared. Surprisingly, Rosa didn’t appear particularly upset about her absence. Instead, she headed out partying with her colleague, Albert Lopez, whom her daughter, Sofia, strongly disliked. Rosa desperately tried to reach Pedro through text messages but received no response. Even Pedro’s friend’s attempts to contact him went unanswered. Then, a shocking discovery near Foix Reservoir shocked the entire community. A torched car was found, reduced to ashes, but a peculiar metal screw from the victim’s spine hinted at prior surgery. Investigator Ester Varona launched an investigation and visited Rosa, informing her of this grim finding. Rosa was devastated to learn that the burned victim was Pedro, her lover.
However, the series offered us some glimpses into the truth. It gradually became evident that Rosa was the one behind Pedro’s murder. Returning home after a party one night, Rosa and Albert covered Pedro’s lifeless body before disposing of it in the forest and setting it ablaze. But in a twist, Sofia, Rosa’s daughter, stumbled upon the gruesome scene, witnessing some bloodstains on the floor of the basement. The narrative also revealed Rosa’s tumultuous personal life. She had been divorced from Javi, another police officer working for Mossos, which had led to a bitter custody dispute over Sofia. These complex relationships that Rosa had were interconnected with the murder mystery, keeping us on the edge of our seats.
How Did Rosa And Javi Break Up?
Rosa’s personality is driven by desire and greed, often leading her to make choices that may serve her immediate needs without considering their consequences. She’s shown a capacity for manipulation, using her outward charm to her advantage. She began her career as a stripper, known for her seductive charms. Her life took a turn when she met Javi and fell in love. They decided to live together and even tried for a baby. In the midst of this, Rosa joined the police department. However, a scandal shook her life as she had an affair with Manu, a fellow officer. Manu broke off his engagement to be with Rosa, but she refused to commit to him. In revenge, Manu shared an intimate photo of them, causing Rosa to be ostracized and isolated in the precinct. She fought back but was blamed for sharing the photo herself.
Rosa had to change precincts, where she met Albert, and they started dating. While Javi initially left her, they later reconnected, got married, and bought a house together. Rosa also had an affair with Pedro, a traffic guard, during her marriage. Javi sensed her Infidelity and pursued his own extramarital relationship with Carmen. Eventually, Javi left Rosa on Christmas night, leading to their divorce. However, Javi remained an obstacle in Rosa’s quest for sole custody of their daughter. To tarnish his reputation and ensure he couldn’t get custody, Rosa, with Albert’s help, temporarily had Javi arrested.
Pedro was quite impulsive when it came to love. After falling for Rosa, he became deeply obsessed with her. His Impulsiveness even got him into trouble at work one day when he lost his temper and beat a teenage boy for speeding. This incident resulted in problems in his professional record. Without hesitation, he ended his relationship with his girlfriend, with whom he had a young son, to be with Rosa. Pedro’s intense infatuation with Rosa led him to make impulsive decisions, like putting an engagement ring on her finger, without much thought about her character.
How Were Rosa And Albert Arrested?
Rosa’s life took a sinister turn after the mysterious disappearance of her partner, Pedro. Initially, she claimed, he had been missing since May 2nd, but Inspector Varona began uncovering unsettling details. Pedro had seemingly vanished since the day Rosa last saw him, and this raised suspicion. Varona delved deeper, scrutinizing Rosa’s profile and even searching her home. In the basement, which was recently painted, she found some blood droplet stains that raised her doubts. As the investigation progressed, Rosa’s relationship with Albert came to light. Desperate to divert suspicion, Rosa initially attempted to pin the murder on her ex-partner, Javi. However, scrutiny of Javi’s call records quickly ruled him out as a suspect. Varona’s focus then turned to Rosa and Albert. In a prior incident, when Albert and Rosa patrolled an area, Albert showed aggressive behavior that tragically led to the Death of a vendor who had injured Rosa in her leg. It was revealed that Albert had pushed the vendor forcefully against a wall, causing fatal consequences. Rosa had been present during this incident, and rather than reporting Albert’s actions, she chose to testify in his favor. Her testimony protected Albert from facing more severe legal consequences for his violent behavior.
Ultimately, Varona, suspecting that Rosa and Albert were the only legitimate suspects who had seen Pedro on the day he disappeared, decided to arrest them. Both vehemently denied any involvement in Pedro’s murder initially, but their stories later changed. In a bid to prove their innocence, Rosa shifted the blame onto Albert, painting him as the true perpetrator, while Albert pointed fingers at Rosa, claiming she was the mastermind behind the crime. Both of them secured strong legal representation, but the weight of evidence began to stack against Rosa. Even her own daughter, Sofia, provided an account to Javi’s recent wife, Carmen, stating that she had seen blood spots on the floor. The court found enough evidence to support the theory that Rosa was the perpetrator, with Albert as her accomplice.
What Actually Happened The Night Pedro Was Killed?
In a pivotal moment during the court proceedings, Detective Ester Verona presented her conclusive findings that shed light on the fateful night of Pedro’s murder. Rosa had previously claimed that she had last seen Pedro on May 2nd. As Varona investigated and talked to her parents, she came to know that Rosa had involved them in a false narrative.
It appears that Rosa, growing increasingly impatient with her troubling relationship with Pedro, decided it was time to end it once and for all. She could have just left him, which would have been far easier than the choice she had made. But Rosa Peral, as portrayed in the series, had extremely violent inclinations of killing someone without any valid purpose. Feeling trapped in her circumstances, she executed a sinister plan with her lover, Albert. Rosa drugged Pedro, and after he fell unconscious in their basement room, Albert arrived to finally put an end to his life. He killed Pedro and took his lifeless body in a car to the forest near a reservoir. He burned the car along with Pedro to cover up the crime.
As part of their cover-up, Rosa and Albert had also kept Pedro’s phone. On May 2nd, after Pedro had already passed away, Rosa sent texts to various individuals, posing as Pedro, to create an alibi. She meticulously crafted a scenario in which Pedro had last visited Javi’s house, insinuating that they had a fight and ultimately implicating her ex-husband in Pedro’s death. However, Rosa’s carefully constructed plan turned out to be a failure as it became evident that Javi was not at home on that particular night.
Did Rosa Win The Case?
The conclusion of Burning Body delivered a harsh outcome for Rosa Peral and Albert. The majority of the jury, eight out of nine members, found them both guilty. All the evidence was against Rosa, who didn’t even have one strong piece of evidence to prove her innocence. Consequently, they had no option but to accept their punishments. Albert received a twenty-year prison sentence, while Rosa faced a more severe penalty of 25 years due to her romantic connection with Pedro.
Rosa attempted to secure bail, but her request was denied. However, she finally reunited with her daughter, who had been under Javi’s care. Her daughter, who had grown up, deeply wished for her mother to come back, and Rosa made her a promise that they would soon be together.
Burning Body dives into the eerie depths of complex human behavior. Rosa’s character, with her charm and manipulation, shows how she uses her looks and gender to her advantage. Pedro’s impulsiveness and intense love demonstrate how strong emotions can lead to significant consequences. Meanwhile, Albert’s loyalty and aggression reveal the complexities of love pushed to its limits. As we follow their journey, we see that these characters aren’t just good or bad; they’re shaped by their choices and circumstances. The series prompts us to think about the complexities of human psychology and how relationships can change dramatically under pressure. However, it’s important to remember that the series is a fictionalized version of events, and we don’t know the whole truth of what really happened. So, when judging these characters, we should consider how they are portrayed in the series without assuming it’s a complete reflection of reality.
