WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Season 1 of Trese, now streaming on Netflix.
Netflix's Trese holds many dark secrets as Alexandra Trese, a supernatural investigator, tries to stop a war brewing between the paranormal underworld and humanity. In Manila, the disgraced Mayor Santamaria ends up in jail for human trafficking and other crimes tied to monstrous gangs, breaching the accords Alexandra's father set up years earlier to ensure creatures and mankind could exist in peace.
However, as Santamaria continues to wreak supernatural havoc in prison and get suicide bombers on the outside to cause damage, Alexandra teams up with General Villar and the military to take him out once and for all. It's the only way to save the Philippines, which leads to a wild finale that rocks everything Alexandra knew.
Alexandra Discovers the Real Enemy: Talagbusao
Santamaria is actually working with Nuno, an Earth elemental who Alexandra thought was her informant. Both want to burn the country so Nuno can get rid of rival monsters, while Santamaria would get to rebuild the place in his image and make money. However, when Alex blows both of them up using the Fire elemental known as Santelmo, General Villar reveals he's been pulling their strings.
His army turns on Alexandra and her mystical bodyguards, Crispin and Basilio, but she has allies of the occult too in the form of Maliksi, a horse-like comrade, and the Wind Twins. Unfortunately, Villar's skin comes off to reveal he's Talagbusao, the god of war and the father of the bodyguards. He was sealed away by Alexandra and her father, Anton, years ago but now he's back. Humanity's knack for war empowered him and a cult has returned him to finish the job.
Talagbusao Has A Big Secret
Talagbusao was playing all these villains in Trese, whispering in their ear so they would create death and destruction. He left his sons behind for Alexandra to raise because he knew once her own father died, they'd become undetectable as the villain's eyes and ears. He entrances them and they hold Alexandra down as the god confirms he needs her to complete the mission.
Alexandra is a teen of prophecy, destined to cast judgment on the world and allow Talagbusao to raze and rebuild it. It's a cycle he always enacts, and he tries to break Alexandra's faith by confessing Anton's accords were false. She had a twin who was meant to be the ultimate destroyer, but Anton, after mystical research, killed her, lied about her being stillborn and turned the sister into Alexandra's blade. Anton later played the supernatural gangs and reshaped the prophecy so no one would touch Alexandra -- and to manipulate destiny to keep Talagbusao sealed.
How Alexandra Stops Talagbusao
Trese reveals Alexandra has been playing possum, though, using her own magic to break the brothers out of their father's hold. She's more pissed than usual as the god killed Guerrero, the police captain who was like a father as well, and as the Chosen One, she starts cutting up the god with her blade. The twins help out, as well as her other allies, and it culminates with her using dragon's blood to open a rift.
Alexandra pulls Talagbusao in and seals him once more, hopefully for good. She returns to the Earthly realm and while everyone recovers, she heads to the Balete: a mystical tree where she had her trials to become the person destined to rule the Underworld and, ironically, where a civil war occurred over the accords, costing Anton his life.
There she sees her family, including her deceased mother, Miranda, and all who protected her, remembering how much she loves them. Despite Anton's secrets, the Trese protagonist hasn't stopped believing in the power of these people.
Trese stars Shay Mitchell, Griffin Puatu, Nicole Scherzinger, Carlos Alazraqui, Manny Jacinto, Matt Yang King, Steve Blum, Eric Bauza, Darren Criss, Jon Jon Briones and Lou Diamond Phillips. Season 1 is streaming on Netflix.
