The Final Problem Ending Explained: Who Is The Real Killer? Does The Killer Get Convicted?
The Final Problem is a 4- part Spanish limited series that dropped on Netflix on 25 September 2026. It is based on the novel El Problema Final by Arturo Pérez Reverte. Set in the 1950s the story unfolds in a small isolated island Santa Agueda off the coast of Mallorca. Here’s the full ending explained.
Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Final Problem, Spanish limited series.
The Final Problem Plot
Set in early 1959 a storm forces a bunch of tourists to take shelter in an ultra luxury hotel on an island Santa Agueda off the coast of Mallorca, Spain. Thirteen unsuspecting guests get trapped with all modes of communication to the outside world cut off due to the storm.
Their peace is shattered when a young English tourist Elisa Mander is found dead by what appears like a suicide. However an ageing actor, Benjamin Basil- famed for playing Sherlock Holmes- smells foul play and brings his erstwhile on screen detective instincts to play. Two more murders complicate the plot even further. Basil reluctantly takes up the case and pieces together clues to finally catch the killer.
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The Final Problem Spanish Series Ending Explained: Who Is The Real Killer?
In the final episode Benjamin Basil invites Adela Figueroa to a film set which is the exact replica of the luxury hotel where the murders happen. The events of the hotel on the island of Santa Agueda are being filmed with Basil playing the lead and Francisco Foxa (Basil’s Dr. Watson like aide in the island resort) writing it. Benjamin Basil stages the first murder scene in an exact replica of the hotel’s original storeroom and explains how the murder was staged as a suicide. He explains how the orange shawl, the chair near the door, the rope and the absence of sand near the entrance were all actual clues that he had ignored earlier. He recreates how the killer had used the orange shawl from outside the door to pull the chair in position from the gap below the door. He further explains how the rope was deliberately weakened to make it appear like it had snapped and hence the fall had proved fatal to the victim. This recreation of the murder scene unsettles Adela Figueroa and the viewers.
Basil delays the plot as it unravels slowly, further adding to Adela’s unease. He invites Adela to dinner at a restaurant and here he exposes Adela as the killer/ culprit. The real twist comes when it is revealed that Adela is actually Elisa Mander! Having swapped her identity with the original Adela! Elisa is jealous of Adela’s wealth and resentful of her waywardness. She serves as her assistant and when opportunity comes she swaps identities with Adela.
How Did Elisa Kill Adela?
Elisa strikes Adela on her temple with a stool and hangs her by a rope using the storeroom’s pulley system. This makes everyone believe that it’s a suiside and the culprit walks free making everyone believe Elisa is dead.
Why Was Dr. Seruya Killed?
Elisa murders Dr. Seruya to stop Basil from getting closer to finding the culprit. Dr. Seruya finds discrepancies in the suside and figures out that the rope has been tampered with. But he keeps the information to himself for his selfish advantage. Although killing the doctor was not part of the original plan Elisa kills him to stay safe and keep her identity from being busted.
Why Was Klemmer Killed?
Basil further goes on to reveal that Elisa’s husband John was a pilot during World War 2. John was shot down over Dresden and later imprisoned. John’s attempt to escape with a few other prisoners fails and his fate meets with a death sentence. As fate would have it the execution order was signed by Hans Ludwig Klemmer. Post war Klemmer went scott free and started living a normal life. This made Elisa bitter and killing him was the ultimate revenge for her.
How Did Basil Expose Elisa’s Identity?
Basil finds Elisa’s RAF identity card and figures out what she was before becoming Adela. Interestingly Basil observes the fingers of Adela and deduces that they belong to someone who works as a typist. Totally unbecoming of Adela’s affluent background.
Why Does Elisa Want To Kill Basil?
Elisa, an aspiring actor, was one of Basil’s many love interests/ victims from the past. Basil initially encourages her ambitions and promises Elisa auditions and a break in films. He uses her to satisfy his lust and eventually betrays her by shunning her and refusing to take her calls. This leaves Elisa devastated and broken.
Encountering Basil in the hotel triggers old memories and fires an urge for revenge in Elisa. Also Basil’s presence created a problem for Elisa because of his skills of deduction. She knew that he would eventually piece together clues and expose her. Therefore Elisa leaves an inebriated Basil in the garage with the car engine still running. So that the smoke from the exhaust will eventually kill him.
When she returns to retrieve her RAF identity card she realises Basil has had his escape plan in place.
Therefore their final confrontation becomes more about confronting their painful past rather than a detective versus a culprit.
Why Does Basil Forgive Elisa In The End?
Despite having enough evidence against Elisa to turn her over to the authorities he lets her go. He gives her a second chance on the condition that he can still use the evidence against her if she gets back to her killing ways. Even though Basil knows Elisa’s actions are not justified yet he believes that somewhere what he had done to her in the past has drawn Elisa to this situation in life. He feels personally responsible for the part which hurt Elisa and led her to this.
The Ending Explained:
In the end both are shown reading Sherlock Holmes’ A Scandal in Bohemia. Drawing parallel to Irene Adler, probably the only woman who has outwitted Sherlock Holmes and who Holmes could simply not forget. Similarly Elisa knows the real Benjamin Basil and his weakness. Basil was indeed outsmarted by Elisa at the island resort. Likewise Basil knows Elisa’s true identity and past. They mutually agree to keep each other’s truth hidden.
Is There A Season 2 Of The Final Problem?
There is no hint of another season as this is a limited series and has a logical end. However, should there be an entirely new case and Basil gets pulled into it needs to be seen. Will Basil and Elisa cross paths is open to speculation. Watch out for this space!
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KioskNews shows a cleaned-up reading view extracted from the publisher’s page — the original always lives on their site, not ours.