Caught Ending Explained: The Twists

You might have been left in shock after watching Netflix’s six-episode series adaptation of Harlan Coben’s Caught, which dropped on March 27. From start to finish, the thriller is packed with jaw-dropping twists that will leave your head spinning.

Still trying to make sense of the finale? Here’s a comprehensive breakdown of everything that went down. The Story of Ema Garay and Her Investigation. The series takes place in the picturesque town of San Carlos de Bariloche, located in Argentina’s Patagonia region.

Ema Garay, a well-known journalist, is recognized for her reputation in exposing criminals. In her latest investigative pursuit, she targets a predator who lures teenage girls through an online game. To catch him, Ema and her team create a fake profile to pose as a teen girl.

They plan a sting operation in a local park: she will carry a fuchsia backpack, and he will bring a gift. When the sting operation fails, the predator contacts the fake profile, apologizing and claiming the girl never showed up.

He proposes another meeting, but with the police unable to assist, Ema and her team decide to take matters into their own hands. Soon, it’s revealed that the prime suspect is Leo Mercer—a well-respected member of the Bariloche community, and, in a shocking twist, the same man Ema had recently slept with.

Ema posts a video confronting Leo, questioning why he would attempt to meet with a young girl and whether he intended to harm her. However, she is unaware that Leo is innocent. He explains that he showed up at the house because he received a desperate video call from 16-year-old violinist Martina Schulz, begging for help.

Facundo’s Vengeance and Leo’s Assumed Death

Things take a darker turn when Facundo, the father of the girl Leo is accused of assaulting, appears at the meeting place and shoots Leo in the neck, causing his body to fall into the river.

Facundo is charged with murder, Leo is presumed dead, and Martina mysteriously disappears, becoming an important missing piece in the evolving mystery.

Martina’s Body and the Truth Revealed

Eventually, Martina’s body is found in the woods, and with each passing episode, Ema gets closer to uncovering the truth, which soon becomes tangled in corruption and privilege. Below, we delve into the series finale’s key moments, addressing questions like who killed Martina.

Why Did Marcos Frame Leo?

It’s eventually revealed that Leo was framed by his childhood friend, Marcos Brown. Thirty years ago, the two of them broke into the Briguel family’s mansion—one of the most influential families in Bariloche—because Marcos believed he could steal a badge that would link the Briguel family to the Nazis.

He planned to use this information to help his father, who was in a land dispute with the Briguel family. During the break-in, they were confronted by Margarita, a housemaid working for the family. In the chaos that followed, they damaged a chandelier, and the shards cut Margarita severely.

As Leo ran off into the bushes, Margarita managed to grab Marcos’s leg, causing his capture. To avoid further trouble, Marcos’s father had to sell their land.

Years later, after being fired from his company in Buenos Aires for corruption, Marcos returns to Bariloche, seeking to reclaim his family’s lost land, now owned by Leo’s Fronteras Foundation. When Marcos asked Leo to set up a trust for the foundation’s land with the help of Fran Briguel, Leo refused.

Undeterred, Marcos approached Fran directly, who arranged a private flight for him to Buenos Aires, the same flight Martina was on to meet Fran.

How Did Martina Get Involved With Fran Briguel?

Martina started posting videos online that grew increasingly sexual. She gained a large following that sent her money, including Fran. He flew her to Buenos Aires to record a live video for him in a hotel room, but she insisted there would be no physical contact.

Unfortunately, Fran broke that rule, and he asked Marcos, who was staying at the same hotel, to calm Martina down and take her elsewhere. Martina confides in Marcos, revealing that Fran had tried to touch her, and asks him to help her report the incident.

But Marcos, eager to keep things quiet, dissuades her from going to the police. Instead, he takes her to a bus station, intending to send her home. There, Martina recognizes him through Leo, as she lives next door to Leo’s ex, Juliana, and her son, Armando.

Recognizing the connection between Martina and Leo, Marcos sees a chance to manipulate the situation to his advantage. To frame Leo and regain his family’s land, Marcos sends an anonymous email to Ema, posing as a minor who’s reporting abuse.

This email contains the username of the predator that eventually leads Ema to the park, making her suspect Leo.

Did Marcos Kill Martina?

In Episode 6 of Caught, Marcos’s and Martina’s relationship is examined. While nothing sexual is explicitly shown, the way Marcos interacts with Martina suggests there may have been something more between them. Ema meets with Marcos by the lake near Leo’s foundation and asks him to help her report Fran.

During their conversation, Ema receives a call from her coworker Vicky, who reveals that Marcos is not a scapegoat from his previous company, but rather a known scam artist exposed in Buenos Aires.

Vicky also informs Ema that the foundation’s land won’t be auctioned, as it’s being returned to its original owners—the Brown family. The only remaining person is Marcos Brown.

Ema activates her phone’s recorder and begins interrogating Marcos, asking him about his involvement with his former company and why he needed to frame Leo to claim the foundation’s land. When she questions him about killing Martina, Marcos reacts angrily.

He denies being a murderer, then unexpectedly picks up a rowing oar and strikes Ema over the head. After Ema regains consciousness, she finds herself in danger as Marcos tries to drown her in the lake.

She grabs a stone and hits him on the head, knocking him back long enough for her to scramble to shore and retrieve her phone. Ema then broadcasts a live video, exposing Marcos and revealing his attempt on her life.

Marcos’s Final Moments

Marcos flees, calling his wife to explain his side of the story, insisting it was all a misunderstanding. He begs her not to check her phone until they can speak in person. Moments later, he deliberately crashes his truck into a logging truck.

Who Killed Martina?

At Martina’s memorial, Ema notices a photo of Martina wearing a bindi at a house party. Upon closer inspection, she recognizes drawings by Armando in the background. She visits Armando’s house, where his anxious mother is preparing to take him to his father’s home.

Before Armando leaves, Ema confronts him with the photograph. Eventually, Armando confesses that he was the one with Martina on the boat the night she disappeared. The flashback reveals how the two connected at the party and later ended up at Armando’s house, where they had sex.

However, later that night, after seeing the video of Leo being framed, Martina calls Marcos to demand answers about what had happened. Armando, sensing something is wrong, knocks on the bathroom door and asks Martina if everything is okay.

He then pulls up the viral video on his phone and confronts her about Leo. Martina admits Leo is innocent and reveals she was framed. Furious and confused, Armando loses control and pushes her down the stairs, killing her accidentally.

When Armando’s mother, Juliana, returns home, she finds Armando holding Martina’s lifeless body at the bottom of the stairs. In panic, they dispose of the body and later plant Martina’s phone at Leo’s campsite, finding his hiding spot.

Juliana pleads with Ema not to tell anyone, insisting it was an accident. However, overwhelmed with guilt, Armando steps forward, deciding to confess to the police.

Who Raped Camila?

Authorities eventually arrest 38-year-old Fabián Ramos in Neuquén after he attempted to rape a young woman in a hotel. The woman managed to escape and call for help, allowing other guests to intervene and stop the attacker. Ramos is later identified by multiple victims.

Is Leo Alive or Dead?

Ema meets with Facundo, who shares that his lawyer managed to reduce his murder charge to attempted murder. Faced with the lingering question of why Leo’s body was never found, Ema confronts Facundo.

The police had told her the river’s current would have carried it into the lake, but when she visited the site, she noticed the river bends before reaching the lake, making it plausible that someone could climb out and disappear into the woods.

“I need to know if Leo is alive,” she says. “And you know more than you’re letting on,” Facundo assures her that if Leo is alive, he’ll return. If not, they’ll both have to accept that. In the shocking final scene, Leo is seen alive and well in the mountains, riding a horse with five other people, each on their horse.

“I’m getting pretty bored just staring into space,” one woman says, with a man adding, “I’d love a few more nice mates.” Leo smiles and responds, “Let’s go. We should start heading back.” Given everything Leo endured, his choice to leave Bariloche makes sense.

After all, his reputation was ruined by false accusations and the relentless media frenzy. The final scene shows him riding through the mountains with a group of strangers, signaling that he’s starting anew. Yet, the ending leaves us with more questions than answers: Where is Leo now?

Who are these people with him? And how did he survive? Though Caught is listed as a limited series, the cliffhanger leaves open the possibility of a second season—anything’s possible.