Summer Heat ending explained – who leaves and who stays on the island?

By Jonathon Wilson
Published: January 21, 2022
0
View allNext Article
Summer Heat ending explained - who leaves and who stays on the island?

This article contains major spoilers for the Summer Heat ending. You can read our spoiler-free season review by clicking these words.


In many ways, Summer Heat is your typical teen drama — perhaps even more of one than usual. While it has its share of archetypal characters, none of them really develop all that much, and the predicaments they find themselves in are low-stakes. Still, since there are a fair amount of characters, there’s also a lot of stuff going on, and if a second season is to happen, there are plenty of threads left to tug on and unravel (should anyone be interested). So, that’s what we’re going to break down here.

Summer Heat ending explained

The first season is largely about growth. In it, several strangers come together and become firm friends in a haze of hormones and the idyllic setting sun. Many mistakes are made, some bigger than others, but the show is ultimately about learning to move on together, as family and friends, and you see this reflected in a lot of the different character dynamics and subplots.

On some level, the season ends with a reset. As they did at the very beginning, the team assemble, and Maresia says he needs their help. That’s how things started, and though things have changed in the meantime, that’s also how they end. Maresia, in particular, has been central in Yasmin’s arc, and her acceptance of him as her father was one of the major ongoing storylines of the season.

So, too, was Yasmin’s love life, and despite veering, she seems to be official with Miguel and equipped with a better understanding of his anxieties and fears. The other major romantic subplot was shared between Helena and Leo, though despite a pregnancy “scare”, it didn’t amount to much beyond a trite coming-of-age angle.

After bottling it with the surfing scout, Rodrigo is appointed as the resort’s new manager, determined to prove that he’s not just in the position because of nepotism. Conrado already left the island, and Diego announces he will be too, in order to continue studying medicine. But Diego at least got his big moment, overcoming his lingering trauma over the death of his brother and making good on that lifeguard license. With Catarina out of the picture, their relationship was a non-starter, so you can understand his decision to leave.

Yes, Catarina is gone, led away in handcuffs after the whole fraud debacle, and it’s really this subplot that provides the most justification for a follow-up season. Since she sent a voice note to Yasmin explaining that she recognizes she was wrong but hopes to get the chance to explain someday, it’s clear there’s more to her story if Netflix is interested in commissioning it. I think there’s a solid foundation for a continuation here, but we’ll have to wait and see what the future holds.

You can stream Summer Heat exclusively on Netflix. Do you have any thoughts on the Summer Heat ending? Let us know in the comments.

Endings Explained, Netflix, Streaming Service, TV - Ending Explained
View allNext Article