Summary
Episode 6 brings a brilliant ending as it provides a full-circle storyline to end one of the arcs. However, the series manages to leave a little behind, giving the prospect of a third season that no one will complain about.
This recap of Netflix’s Bitter Daisies season 2, episode 6, “Being Harsh is a Kindness” — the ending explained — contains spoilers.
Read the review of the second season.
We’ve come a long way since season 1, but you can tell the writers were planning for this — it’s a grand finale — it’s twisted in revenge; it’s wonderful to watch.
Episode 6 opens with Eva in her red room again. She tells the psychiatrist that she can’t get through the door in the red room, but she knows what is inside. The psychiatrist tells her she needs redemption as she feels guilty for her sister’s death. Eva asks what if she’s done something that goes beyond forgiveness. The story then flits to the present, and the news is reporting Eva Mayo as the daisy killer after killing Chief Inspector of the National Police Raúl Salgado.
The real investigation
But the ending of Bitter Daisies season 2 flips on its head rather quickly.
Laura is interviewed in the police station regarding Eva. She tries to make it a quid quo pro, so she gets information for an article. However, the superintendent is not playing games. He wants to know as much as possible about the Soror Foundation. Laura then learns that Chief Inspector Salgado is not dead — it was faked, so the culprits believed they were off their case. They are working with Eva.
Finding the location of the party
The main theory is that Lazarus is settling scores against the Lily. Eva thinks this is the beginning, with Lazarus trying to take over. Laura believes Eva was getting framed for the crimes because she saw the recordings of Murias. They want to know who bought the painting — if they know who purchased it, they’ll be able to figure out where the seventh Lily party is. Privately, Eva tells Salgado that one of the girls in the paintings is Rebeca, Mauro’s daughter — she insists it isn’t a revenge mission.
The real Laura
Bitter Daisies season 2, episode 6 brings a sublime twist that triggers the most eventful moment of the series.
It’s revealed that Laura is working for Lazarus and uses Eva to do her dirty work. While Laura speaks to Emilio and subsequently kills him, Miranda spots familiar handwriting while waiting for Laura and suddenly asks for backup. When he checks out the other car, Laura shoots Miranda cold in the head. She calls Lazarus, explaining that she’s handled Emilio and wants to know what to do with Eva. Laura rings Eva and tells her to get away from Salgado; she says it’s a trap and Miranda just tried to kill her. Eva knocks out Salgado as she fully believes Laura. Eva looks for Laura; as she does, she’s knocked out unconscious herself.
Laura used Eva
Episode 6 sees Laura reveal her twisted plot.
When Eva wakes up, Laura reveals that she works for Lazarus — after Murias, she was sent to find out who the Lily was, but she was only able to find Paulo, the pawn, which is why she used Eva. She knew Eva wouldn’t let Rebeca die, even if her father killed her sister. Laura fed off Eva’s thirst for revenge. Eva gets angry, realising Laura killed all those people. Laura tells Eva that Lazarus does not want to kill the Lily, but he just wants to take it over. She then tells Eva that she will kill her and make it look like she was the murderer; she starts hanging Eva with a rope. But as she does, she’s stabbed by the serial killer.
Receiving bad news
As for the police, they have reached a crossroads — they suspect they know the seventh Lily party’s location, but they have no authority to raid.
Salgado asks the Superintendent where the response team is. He learns that Miranda is dead, and he’s devastated. Scenes show his wife receiving the news, and it’s a depressing moment for Salgado. The Superintendent tells Salgado that they haven’t got permission to raid the seventh Lily party, which frustrates the Inspector. He insists that they have to go, and if they screw up, he’ll take responsibility.
Justice or revenge?
Bitter Daisies season 2, episode 6 brings the most satisfying moment of the series — it’s a “fuck violent men / rape-revenge” montage. The writers really thought about how this scene is going to work.
Eva weighs it up — justice or revenge while playing with the remaining pieces on her jigsaw — she chooses revenge.
Eva is in disguise as she enters the seventh Lily party. The party begins with the girls being raped as wealthy men take advantage. Eva walks around slowly, watching the events unfold and eventually, she finds Rebeca. She takes off her mask and ties a man on the slab. She tells the men there’s one thing they can’t buy — hatred. One of the abused women stabs a man repeatedly that kicks off a series of events; the camera shows different areas of the party, with men receiving violence from the girls. Eva walks among the girls, and men are scattered all over the floor — the revenge is complete.
The debrief
The police debrief what happened at the party — fifty-two men dead. Among them is Fidel Suances, a famous lawyer — Salgado states he was the top person in charge of these parties — everyone called him the Lily. The Superintendent explains that this isn’t justice; it was an execution. Salgado agrees, explaining that this is a war, and Lazarus has clearly won the battle.
Salgado explains that Eva’s body was found burned in a place where they’d get rid of the girls’ remains. A necklace helped identify her. Interpol confirmed that Laura is an assassin of Lazarus. The attention turns back to the remaining men that are alive, highlighting how they will always be known as rapists, murderers and paedophiles — on that list is Judge Moreiras.
This truly is the calm after the storm.
An emotional moment with the parents
Predictably, Eva isn’t dead and returns home to her parents. Her father says she’s technically dead and that she needs to be careful. Eva tells her it still isn’t over. When she sees her mother, she strokes her face, and it’s an emotional moment.
The ending
Eva meets her psychiatrist, and she asks again, what if she’s done something that goes beyond forgiveness. The psychiatrist tells her that forgiveness is nothing more than learning to live with who we really are. Eva thought she’d find forgiveness once she found the Lily, which irks the psychiatrist; she explains that Fidel wasn’t the Lily — he was a frontman, a supervisor. Eva insinuating that the psychiatrist is the Lily. Eva notes she was at the Murias last time but wasn’t at the seventh party. Suddenly, the psychiatrist realises it is Eva.
As part of the full-circle twist that ties season 1 with season 2, the physciatrist justifies her actions stating she tried to help some of the girls and that her ex-husband was fine being Lazarus’s little lapdog which is why she swapped him with Fidel. The psychiatrist asks Eva to join her, but as she continues to talk, she chokes and collapses — Eva has poisoned her to death. Eva leaves a daisy on top of her, bringing a symbolic moment to the series. Carlos rings Eva and tells her he’s sending her a passport and is transferring the funds from the foundation. As the episode ends, the daisy crimes continue — the serial killer still thrives.
Bitter Daisies season 2, episode 6 brings a brilliant ending as it provides a full-circle storyline to end one of the arcs. However, the series manages to leave a little behind, giving the prospect of a third season that no one will complain about.
