By Rashmi Goel
The End: Did Zoa Escape Eden?
Daniel Benmayor and Menna Fite direct "Welcome to Eden", a Spanish thriller from 2022. Featuring a voguish production design and accomplished writing, this series not only holds your interest but keeps you on the edge of your seat with twists and turns that add to the mystery, thereby taking you on an engaging ride. We have no time to waste, so let's delve into the events that happened, and find out how a place that was supposed to be the definition of paradise, ended up being a nightmare to all those who visited.
What Was Eden?
Life was not easy for Zoa. She used to live with her 15-year-old sister, Gabi, after her parents separated. As a drug addict, her mother had never been a responsible parent to both girls, while her father enjoyed casual flings and had no time for them. Gabi and Zoa were basically left on their own. Zoa wasn't depressed, but her environment was not exactly conducive to her happiness. A text message from an anonymous source reached Zoa. Zoa got hooked. Her first message asked, “Are you happy?”. Eventually, she got an invite to a party on a remote island called Eden after answering the unknown messenger. Despite her doubts, the promotional video sent to her was extremely enticing. Blue Eden, a drink currently being marketed, was launching in the market, and a few lucky individuals were privileged to be there. Judith, Zoa's best friend, also attended the party with Zoa. In spite of the invitation clearly stating that none of the invitees could bring anyone else, Zoa took a chance and thought she could discuss Judith with the organizers. After arriving at a place that looked like a warehouse, it didn't seem like a good location for a party. On the way to Eden, Aldo, who was also figuring things out, joined them. They were then led inside by a drone, adding to the strangeness of the whole setting. The other guests had already arrived. Throughout it all, a sense of obscurity pervaded, and there was something odd about the whole thing. All of them were taken to a dock where a liner awaited them. Everybody was told that they couldn't bring their mobile phones with them by the security guards, who were completely masked. In order to attend the celebration of a lifetime, Zoa was granted permission to take Judith along. They all boarded the ship together and began their journey.
In Eden, What Were Astrid's Hidden Agendas?
A party begins, and soon the invitees are informed that five lucky people will be selected to try the new drink. Among the test subjects, Africa, Zoa, Aldo, Charly, and Charly tried the Blue Eden. Following consumption of the drink, they experience hallucinations. After waking up the next morning, they find that everybody has left the island except them. Zoa was stunned by Judith's departure. Judith reappeared and guided them into the forest. It was Astrid and Erick, the organizers of the party, who were waiting for the invited guests, together with all the other island employees. None of them understood how they could have been left behind. The boat would return in a day or two due to extremely bad weather, following which they were allowed to leave the island. It was Eric and Astrid's desire that they be able to experience Eden's hospitality and make them privy to their philosophies and intentions, which prompted them to build a settlement on this remote island. The invitation for Astrid's party was sent to 100 people she carefully selected. This trip to Eden wasn't so much about launching a drink as it was about bringing people together. Among the 100 people, Astrid decided that she wanted to choose five to live permanently on the island with her and her husband, Eric, so she discussed with him the likely candidates. It was decided based on the type of behavior each of them exhibited. According to Astrid's team at Eden, the person's likelihood of staying on the island was determined by parameters they used. It wasn't poor management that left Zoa and the others stranded on the island, but rather a well-thought-out plan that kept them there. Astrid's reasons for choosing five people and persuading them to stay were still unclear, but one thing was certain: situations were not as friendly as she had portrayed them.
There was no ship coming to take them, Aldo figured. Despite his agitation, the others don't think there was any foul play. In spite of her seeming soft-spokenness and gracious nature, nobody would assume she could run an extremist cult, based on her appearance. The benefit of the doubt was granted to her. Five people each occupied a module together, and they shared space with some others. Surprisingly, the residents of Eden seem to know really specific and personal things about the five of them. While Zoa tries to clarify Judith's situation with the residents, nobody is able to help her. Despite the dubious circumstances, only Aldo could see through the ill intentions, and everybody else seemed to be enjoying the visit, which frustrated him even more.
Every morning at Eden, the residents participated in a practice called "Evaluation." Residents shared their feelings and internal conflicts with others. Zoa is chosen that day, and she speaks. An odd thing happened during the evaluation. Zoa's mother, being a drug addict, unsuccessfully fulfills her responsibilities and does not care or love her, Astrid subconsciously instills in her mind. Her aim was to make her feel that her own parents did not value her. The plan was to subject them to a kind of brainwashing, where she first would make them miserable about their lives and turn them against their people, then give them an alternative, enticing them to lead a life on the island, and providing a sense of belonging. In order to make Zoa repeat that her mother didn't love her, Astrid tells her that she didn't love her. In this way, she influenced the psychology of the people and made sure that they would act according to her whims and fancies.
Having not heard from Zoa, Gabi was getting tense at home. The lack of communication from Zoa's end made Gabi feel that something was amiss. Despite telling her father, he was too busy to pay her any attention. Due to the fact that it was Gibi's birthday, she was paranoid. According to the delivery man, her sister Zoa sent it to her. Additionally, she received a message from Zoa stating that she would not able to attend her 16th birthday since she needed some time off. In order to ensure that the close relatives of those five people on the island didn't call the authorities after their sudden disappearance, Astrid and her team sent her a birthday message and a birthday cake. In Zoa's evaluation, she called Gabi, "a little squirrel." Because she had said that to Astrid and others during that evaluation, the message that Gabi got addressed her in that manner as well. The boat never came, and the five were stranded on the island.
Could Nico have been lying to Zoa? Was there a rebellion planned?
As Aldo got restless, he wanted a way to leave the island. Those around him had not reached that point. Zoa had fallen for Nico, whereas Ibon fell for Alma. Aside from Charly, Africa was too engrossed in her own thoughts to see any signs that would lead to danger. It was their last night on the island, so Astrid told the five that the boat would arrive the next day, so they had organized a party. This seemed too good to be true to Aldo. Their intention was to hide their cruel intentions by giving false hope. In the midst of all the socializing, fun, and exploring of new bonds at the party, Aldo was making a run for his life. He hid in a boat, assuming that the crew would be able to bring him to safety. However, that did not happen. In the boat, Aldo was killed after Astrid learned of it. It seemed to Gabi that there was something fishy about the whole situation. Considering that she knew her sister, it was highly unlikely that she would not contact her. Instead of solving her problems, she only made them worse by calling her mother, unable to think of any other choice. The first person to sign the legal contract was Africa, as she had decided to give up her life as an influencer and stay on the island. A subconscious force compelled her to stay with Erick because she and Erick shared an intimate bond. Even Ibon suffered a similar fate, as he decided to remain. Ibon's father received a message assuring him that his son was safe and should not worry. In the end, Ibon's dad hired a private investigator, Brisa, to look into the matter. Gabi contacted someone who had visited Eden with Zoa, but as he wasn't among the five selected people, he was sent back. To learn more about Zoa, Gabi went to San Sebastian.
Charly talks about his traumatic childhood during the Evaluation session. During the session, he blames himself for losing his sister. During a dive, she drowned, and he had never been able to forgive himself. As Zoa realizes that she is trapped on the island, she loses her cool as no boat is coming to save them. To reveal a secret to her, Nico takes her to a cave on the island. There, he shows her the body of Judith, who was her friend. Zoa is devastated to see her childhood friend bruised, and seeing the bruises on his face breaks her into pieces. As part of their plan to scare Zoa, the authorities wanted to show Zoa the dead body. Bel, a local resident, had been planning a rebellion for a very long time. Astrid wanted Claudia to join her, but after losing Fran, who was killed by Astrid for violating the rules and showing signs of anarchy, Claudia was apprehensive about engaging in affairs that involved going against Astrid and Erick. When Bel learns that Astrid has eliminated Aldo, she is angry. It had taken her a long time to determine whether Zoa was worthy enough to join the movement. Zoa, who acted blindly in trusting Chico, is warned by Bel to beware. Astrid and Erick devised a strategy where newcomers were instructed to develop romantic relationships with residents so that they would have a reason to stay on the island. The "Links" were the people who attempted to build relationships with the newcomers. It was Chico and Alma's goal to do that. Chico's every word was orchestrated by Astrid and Erick, but in the process he did end up developing feelings for Zoa, which caused him conflict.
When Zoa took Ibon to see the corpse of Judith, it had disappeared. Her description of the body kept in a boat reminded Ibon of a painting he saw inside one of the rooms on the island when he was with Alma. Patinir had painted a painting called "Landscape with Charon Crossing the Styx." Astrid wanted to draw a metaphor by keeping Judith's dead body on the ground, as Charon, the Greek god of the underworld, was responsible for taking the dead. Although Astrid wanted to scare Zoa, she became more curious as to what the truth was. Chico said Zoa was showing signs of rebellion. At the last moment, Astrid convinces Zoa to give her one last chance to win her loyalty. Astrid had already decided to get rid of her, but Zoa persuades her otherwise. Zoa realized that they must play along with their "links" so that nobody would suspect them. Charly finally persuades Mayka to give in. ayka and Charly share an intimate moment, but Charly realizes that she may not truly love him, but only wanted to be a link between them.
During the anniversary celebration of Erick and Astrid, Astrid is forced to make a grave mistake due to an untoward situation. Erick and Astrid were speaking onstage when the projector showed a clip that said, "Death to Astrid." Astrid was horrified, and she was insistent on punishing someone even if the real culprit wasn't caught. Despite not having conclusive evidence that Claudia did it, the inner committee unanimously decided that she would be killed. Even Claudia accepted the act without a fight, but deep down Astrid knew there was someone else behind it.
Ending Explained- Was Zoa Able To Escape From Eden? What Did Africa Find In The Secret Passageway?
Astrid's life was threatened by an unknown individual. Neither Bel nor Claudia was at fault. Following the completion of a ritual in which they walked on burning coal, the newcomers became part of the cult. Astrid had agreed to let Bel keep an eye on Zoa, and Bel was happy about that. Changing from the "Link" to a separate room has made Chico feel insecure. Zoa's mother's house was investigated by the private detective hired by Ibon's father. Zoa knows that the underwater caves are their only choice if they wish to leave the island. They could hop on a boat and escape if they found one of those. During the night, an anonymous assailant attacks Erick and Astrid. After Erick is stabbed, Astrid takes her to a woman named Nuria and a young boy named Isaac, who live in a discreet location on the island. The kid was the same kid Zoa had once seen in the middle of the night but assumed was a hallucination in her mind. Isaac is a skilled physician, and he makes sure that Erick survives his injuries.
On the island, loyalties were changing. The rebellion was gaining strength. Chico felt insecure as Bel and Zoa grew closer. Zoa, Charly, and Ibano were now being helped by Bel. As Brisa's investigation progressed, she found Gabi. Gabi attempted to gather information about Eden from David after he was contacted by Gabi, who was put at ease by Astrid's men when they found out they had both met. The island was set to receive another batch of 100 people. To ensure that Gabi was also sent to Eden, Gibi revamped her personality. Charly, Zoa, and Ibano were assigned duties in the upcoming party, but Africa was not. When she was left out, she believed that if Erick was there, she wouldn't have been treated that way. Now Erick was not present at the scene since he had been stabbed and was getting his treatment from Isaac. Rebeka didn't want Astrid to tell anyone on the island about this information. Africa trespasses into an area that is only open to those with three stars. Upon finding the secret passageway, she discovered a room with a complex technological setup. Despite not knowing what the consequences of pressing a button on a machine would be, she does it anyway. The moment she pressed it, it activated an antenna and sent a signal into outer space. Issac and Nuria were treating Erick in their cabin when the antenna was placed outside the cabin.
In the meantime, Bel had ordered diving suits. They were supposed to be used by Charlie, Zoa, and Ibon to escape. Zoa tries to escape, but Ulises catches her. Luckily, Ibon arrives just in time and kills Ulises. When Zoa notices something that shocks her, they hastily swim towards the boat. She recognizes Gabi in the newest batch going to the island. Zoa had no choice but to take action. When she sees her innocent sister jumping off the boat, she freezes. Despite risking her life to save her sister, Gabi had no idea that her sister was on the verge of escaping the god-forsaken Eden.
Will There Be A ‘Welcome To Eden’ Season 2?
"Welcome to Eden" Season 1 ends on a cliffhanger and leaves us with many questions unanswered. All things considered, the following are the questions that would probably be answered in Season 2 of ‘Welcome to Eden’:
- Our planet is being impacted by rapid climate change, which Astrid and Erick were worried about. Although they had resorted to sustainable practices, they were unable to make the rest of the world do the same. Hence, were they looking for an alternative and was that the reason they put high-tech equipment in place that allowed them to send signals to outer space?
- Are Zoa, Charly, and Ibon escaping or returning to the island to help Bel fuel her rebellion and save Gabi and others?
- How did a young boy learn to perform such complex medical procedures and what was the significance of Nuria and Isaac in the grand scheme of things?
- Besides concern about climate change, did Erick and Astrid have a spiritual motivation, as Patinir's painting revealed?
- Besides Bel, Zoa, or another rebel, who stabbed Erick?
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