Locked Up (Vis a Vis) Season 1 Recap & Review
Macarena Ferreiro, a naive young woman, ends up in Cruz del Sur prison after being manipulated by her boss—who she was also having an affair with—into committing corporate fraud. Macarena is totally unprepared for prison life. She’s soft, privileged, and out of her depth. Survival becomes her main focus. She quickly learns that Zulema, a cold and ruthless inmate, runs the place. Zulema sees Macarena as weak but useful.
Word gets out that Zulema knows where a huge stash of stolen money is hidden. Everyone wants in, including inmates, guards, and people outside the prison. She starts out innocent, but slowly adapts to survive—becoming more cunning and hardened. Macarena’s family—especially her father and brother—get involved trying to protect her and find the hidden money. It doesn’t go well. They get tangled in violence and crime.
She’s constantly scheming to break out. Macarena gets pulled into one of her escape attempts, leading to chaos. Many of the guards are corrupt or violent. Power games play out between staff and inmates, and justice is almost non-existent. Ends with a dramatic escape attempt. Macarena is no longer the same person—she’s tougher, colder, and much more dangerous.
Ending Explained
The season ends in full chaos. Zulema, Macarena, and two other inmates (Casandra and Saray) escape during a prison transfer. Zulema orchestrates the whole plan, manipulating everyone to make it happen.
Macarena’s shift
By the end, Macarena is no longer the naive girl we met in Episode 1. After everything—violence, betrayal, family loss, being used by guards and inmates—she starts thinking and acting like a criminal. Zulema’s influence has changed her.
Even though Macarena gets dragged into the escape unwillingly at first, she makes a choice to go with them—a signal that she’s done playing the victim. She’s stepping into survival mode, on her own terms now.
Zulema’s master plan
Zulema’s escape wasn’t just about freedom. She wants to recover the money she stashed before getting arrested. Macarena, unknowingly, holds a key piece of that puzzle—information or leverage Zulema needs.
Macarena’s family
Meanwhile, her family is in deep trouble. They tried to find the hidden money to pay her bail and protect her, but got involved with dangerous criminals. Her father is killed, and her brother is on the run. The family’s collapse is complete.
Season 1 ends with Macarena literally and figuratively on the run. She’s crossed a line. She’s not innocent anymore, and there’s no going back. The show shifts from a prison drama into a cat-and-mouse crime thriller moving forward.
Locked Up (Vis a Vis) Season 2 Recap & Review
Season 2 picks up right after the escape. Macarena, Zulema, Saray, and Casandra are fugitives. They’re all after one thing: the stolen money Zulema hid before prison—over 9 million euros. But alliances fall apart quickly.
Early on, Casandra is killed in a shootout with police. It’s the first big death of the season and sets the tone: no one is safe.
Season two is all about Macarena and Zulema clashing. Zulema sees Macarena as a threat and tries to manipulate or eliminate her. But Macarena keeps growing stronger, more strategic, and less trusting.
Zulema wants the money for herself and will double-cross anyone to get it—including Saray and Macarena.
Her family suffers badly this season. Her father is dead. Her brother Román is being hunted. Her mother is desperate. The criminals chasing the money—like Egyptian gangster Hanbal Hamadi (Zulema’s ex-fiancé and a ruthless killer)—start targeting them directly.
Román and the mom end up in danger multiple times as they try to help Macarena while staying out of the crosshairs of Hamadi and the police.
Most of Season 2 revolves around finding and claiming the money, which Zulema hid in a cemetery. Macarena figures out part of the secret and eventually beats Zulema to it—but that only makes things worse.
Hamadi finds out, hunts them down, and things get bloody. Zulema’s betrayal leads to a major showdown.
Eventually, Macarena and Zulema are caught and sent back to Cruz del Sur. The escape is over, but their war continues behind bars.
New Prison Director
A new character arrives: Altagracia, the brutal head of security. She rules with violence and religious fervor. She’s not corrupt like the previous staff—she’s worse: sadistic and self-righteous.
This makes the prison even more dangerous for Macarena, Zulema, and everyone else.
Final Episodes: Major Shifts
- Macarena turns the tables on Zulema, manipulating her for once.
- Zulema loses control of her empire inside the prison.
- Saray finds herself isolated after betraying both sides.
- Rizos (Macarena’s love interest for a time) and other inmates start picking sides.
By the end of Season 2, Macarena is no longer surviving—she’s playing the game. She still wants out, but now she knows how the system works. She’s sharper, colder, and in control of her fate, even if she’s still locked up.
Locked Up (Vis a Vis) Season 3 Recap & Review
Macarena, Zulema, Saray, Rizos, and others are transferred to a new prison: Cruz del Norte. This place is even more dangerous than Cruz del Sur.
Why? Because it’s run by Chinese mobsters, specifically the Hong Kong Triad, with the prison management turning a blind eye. Violence, drugs, and human trafficking are part of daily life.
Zulema’s Power Play
Zulema starts from the bottom in this new prison but quickly sets her sights on taking control again. She’s surrounded by new enemies and doesn’t trust anyone, including Macarena.
Her biggest rival? Akame, the ruthless leader of the Triad gang inside the prison. Zulema has to navigate this criminal underworld carefully—or get crushed.
Macarena Breaks
Macarena suffers her worst season yet. She’s raped by a prison guard (Altagracia’s subordinate), isolated, and manipulated. This trauma pushes her into full mental and emotional collapse. She shuts down. She withdraws. Eventually, she slips into a coma after a brutal beating and a suicide attempt.
For a large chunk of the season, Macarena is barely conscious—her story goes quiet while others take the lead.
Saray’s Struggle
Saray is trying to be a mother. She gave birth in prison and wants to keep her baby, but the system fights her at every turn. She faces impossible choices between loyalty to her daughter and survival in a violent, corrupt place.
Rizos and the Resistance
Rizos turns into more of a freedom fighter. She sees through the Triads’ power structure and tries to expose the abuse happening in Cruz del Norte. But that puts her in danger.
She also struggles with the emotional fallout of Macarena’s breakdown and fights to hold onto her humanity amid the cruelty.
Altagracia’s Transformation
Altagracia goes through one of the most surprising arcs in Season 3. Once the brutal enforcer, she starts questioning her loyalty to the system after witnessing too much injustice.
She switches sides and ends up helping Zulema and the others. It’s a redemption arc—but not a full one. She’s still dangerous, but now she’s aiming her power at the right targets.
The Ending: Shifting Alliances
- Zulema and Altagracia team up to take down Akame and the Triads.
- A riot breaks out.
- The prison spirals into total chaos.
- The women start fighting not just to escape—but to dismantle the entire corrupt system.
Locked Up (Vis a Vis) Season 4 Recap & Review
Macarena wakes up from her coma early in the season. She’s not the same. Weaker physically, but colder and more calculating. Her trauma has changed her. She wants revenge—not redemption.
She slowly regains strength, but emotionally, she’s already crossed a point of no return. She’s not trying to survive anymore. She’s trying to win.
Zulema vs. Macarena – Round 4
Zulema and Macarena start off allied but end up enemies again. Their relationship has always been love/hate—this season, it’s mostly hate.
Both women want out. Both want control. But they’re no longer compatible. Macarena doesn’t want to be Zulema’s shadow anymore. She wants to run her own game.
By the end, their paths split in a way that feels final.
The Main Threat: Sandoval
Dr. Sandoval, the twisted prison director from earlier seasons, becomes the main villain. He’s worse than ever—power-hungry, sadistic, and obsessed with controlling the women in Cruz del Norte.
He manipulates guards, tortures inmates, and builds a reign of terror. No one is safe. He becomes the symbol of the broken system the inmates want to destroy.
The Resistance Rises
- Altagracia leads the internal rebellion against Sandoval, continuing her redemption arc. She’s fierce, loyal, and unafraid to get her hands dirty.
- Saray fights to stay out of trouble so she can reconnect with her daughter.
- Rizos is still emotionally wrecked over Macarena and struggling to find purpose.
- Goya, a previously comedic side character, steps up as a leader, showing unexpected depth and loyalty.
Big Moments
- Zulema stages another prison riot to create chaos and leverage for her escape.
- Sandoval’s crimes are exposed, but he’s slippery. He manipulates everyone, from the system to the staff.
- Macarena plots a final escape, using everything she’s learned over four seasons.
- Zulema sabotages her.
Deaths & Losses
- Several side characters die in violent confrontations.
- Sandoval’s reign finally ends—he’s killed, brutally and deservedly.
- Macarena, broken by everything, walks away from the game.
- Zulema? Still scheming. Her story isn’t quite over (and continues in Vis a Vis: El Oasis).
The Ending Explained: Sandoval vs. Everyone
Dr. Sandoval becomes the ultimate villain of the season—abusive, manipulative, and completely power-drunk. He sexually assaults inmates, abuses his authority, and tries to crush anyone who opposes him.
But the women—led by Zulema, Macarena, Altagracia, and others—finally rise up and take him down. In a brutal, justified killing, they end his reign of terror. It’s not justice through the system. It’s survival justice—prison-style.
Macarena’s Transformation Complete
Macarena wakes up from her coma earlier in the season, but the emotional recovery never happens. By the end of Season 4, she’s cold, strategic, and hardened—nothing like the innocent woman from Season 1.
But after the riot, revenge, and bloodshed, she realizes she doesn’t want to keep playing the game. She’s done. Not broken, but finished. She walks away from Zulema, the prison politics, and everything that turned her into what she became.
This is Macarena’s exit from the series.
Zulema’s Ending: Still a Snake, Still Standing
Zulema, always the survivor, ends the season alive, powerful, and untouchable. She doesn’t get redemption—she doesn’t want it. She thrives in chaos, and she’ll keep scheming.
She and Macarena part ways for good. Their twisted, intense bond ends with quiet understanding: they can’t co-exist anymore.
Zulema’s story continues in the sequel series Vis a Vis: El Oasis.
Altagracia’s Full Redemption
Altagracia goes from brutal guard to full-blown ally of the inmates. She plays a key role in the uprising against Sandoval and helps bring down the corrupt power structure. She finally uses her strength for something right.
What It All Means
Season 4’s ending isn’t clean or happy—it’s about consequences and evolution:
- Macarena gets out, but she lost parts of herself.
- Zulema stays behind, unchanged and unrepentant.
- The corrupt system collapses, at least in that prison.
- The women take power, but at great cost.
Review
”Vis a Vis” (known as “Locked Up” in English) is a Spanish television series that has garnered significant attention for its gripping portrayal of life inside a women’s prison. The show has been praised for its intense storytelling, complex characters, and unflinching depiction of the challenges faced by inmates.
Critical Reception:
Critics have lauded the series for its strong performances and fast-paced narrative. Rebecca Nicholson of The Guardian described it as a “tremendously silly and fantastically taut thriller that carries itself at a breathless pace.” Martin Howse from Entertainment Focus highlighted the show’s raw portrayal of prison life, stating, “This is violent – brutally so – and very graphic in its portrayal of life in a women’s prison. But utterly brilliant at the same time.”
Season 2, in particular, received high acclaim, boasting a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics noted that “the badass ladies in yellow face new and higher stakes in a second season injected with an extra dose of tension, a sharp plot and awardable performances.”
Audience Reception:
Viewers have echoed these sentiments, often drawing comparisons to other prison dramas. One IMDb user remarked, “Orange Is The New Black has nothing on this must-watch Spanish thriller… the acting is excellent and the character work is superb.” Another viewer highlighted the show’s addictive nature, stating, “This show will grab you and suck you into this world as it’s so intoxicating and tremendously captivating.”
Character Development:
A standout aspect of “Vis a Vis” is the evolution of its protagonist, Macarena Ferreiro. Initially portrayed as naive and defenseless, her transformation throughout the series has been a focal point of praise. A Tumblr user noted, “What really won my heart over with this show was Macarena’s evolution during her time in prison… her eventual dominion of Cruz del Sur in Season 2 was intensely satisfying.”
Comparisons and Distinctions:
While “Vis a Vis” has drawn comparisons to the American series “Orange Is the New Black,” many critics and viewers emphasize its unique approach. Unlike the comedic undertones of its American counterpart, “Vis a Vis” leans heavily into thriller and drama genres, offering a darker and more intense narrative.
Conclusion:
Overall, “Vis a Vis” has established itself as a compelling and gritty drama that delves deep into the complexities of prison life. Its blend of suspense, well-developed characters, and unflinching storytelling has resonated with both critics and audiences alike, making it a standout series in its genre.
