The Killer’s Backstory & How Fernando Victoria Was Involved

Warning! This article contains spoilers for Netflix’s 1992.

Netflix‘s 1992 introduces one twist after another to finally reveal the truth behind the central murders and Fernando Victoria’s connection to them in its ending moments. Created by Jorge Guerricaechevarría, Netflix’s 1992 focuses on a widow, Amparo, and an alcoholic ex-cop, Richi, who form an unlikely alliance to solve the mystery behind a series of murders. Amparo puts her life on the line and sets out to solve the mystery because she believes her husband’s death was not accidental.

Richi, on the other hand, hops on the case because he sees it as an opportunity to redeem himself. The original Netflix TV show’s revelations portray it as a typical tale of revenge, where a killer sets out to punish his mother’s murderers. However, towards the show’s ending moments, it becomes evident that there is more to his actions than meets the eye. Since the final revelations in the Spanish Netflix show can be slightly baffling, a detailed breakdown of what happens in 1992‘s ending arc seems necessary.

Why Fernando Victoria Manipulated Victor Into Committing The Murders In 1992

He Did It To Save Himself From Bankruptcy

In 1992‘s finale, Richi suspects that someone is involved with the Flamethrower murders and that Victor could not have pulled them off alone. He recalls seeing a letter from the Rivas Guridi Attorneys film in Fernando Victoria’s mailbox, which suggested he was bankrupt. This helps him and Amparo realize that Richi might have used Victor to pull off the murders while earning monetary benefits from them. A flashback confirms that Richi met Victor around the same time he was going bankrupt. Seeing this as an opportunity to earn money, he plotted a sinister scheme.

After removing himself from a picture that featured all the members (Esteban Palacios, Jose Zamorano, Roberto Valcarcel, Domingo Granjero, and Fernando Victoria) of the 1992 Expo’s committee, Fernando showed it to Victor. He told him the committee members were responsible for his mother’s death and the cover-up and convinced him to kill them to avenge her murder. While Victor set out to seek vengeance by punishing the men who harmed his mother, Fernando secretly pulled all the strings from behind the scenes by sending threats to the committee members and demanding ransoms from them.

The Flamethrower Killer’s Real Identity & Motives Explained

Victor Becomes The Flamethrower Killer To Avenge His Mother’s Death

Victor’s backstory reveals that his mother, Margarita, was one of the three sex workers invited to a party by the Expo’s committee’s five members. However, one of the members of the committee, Esteban, who later became the minister, accidentally killed her. Realizing that the entire committee would get a bad name for the murder, they hired the Expo’s security head to help them cover it up.

Since Victoria and the other committee members needed money to pay the security head to cover up their crime, they plotted a scheme to get a paycheck from the government. They started by fabricating a story, claiming that an anonymous blackmailer was threatening to ruin the Expo if they did not pay him millions of dollars. When the government refused to pay up, they sabotaged a ship at the Expo by asking the security head to secretly plant explosives in it. To further convince the government that the blackmailer would not stop, they also asked the security head to burn down the Expo’s pavilion.

Before burning it down, the security head placed Margarita’s body inside it to erase all evidence of her murder. However, moments after the guard set the building on fire, Victor showed up and tried to get his mother’s body out of there. Unfortunately, he severely burned himself during the process and nearly died. Decades later, after Fernando visited him and encouraged him to seek revenge, Victor became the Flamethrower killer, serving the same fiery punishment to his mother’s killers that he had to endure when he was younger.

Why Victoria Warned The Minister Before Victor Killed Him

He Warns Him Because He Paid The Ransom

In the show’s final arc, the minister, Esteban Palacios, remains to be the killer’s final victim. Since the killer successfully murders all the other members of the Expo’s committee, Palacios fears he will meet a similar fate. Therefore, he borrows $3 million from his wife and pays up the ransom money, hoping that the killer will spare him once he is paid. Little does he realize that the money will go to Fernando, which will not stop the reall killer from his mission.

Although Fernando realizes that Victor will still kill Palacios because he wants to avenge his mother’s death, he shows some pity towards Palacios because, unlike the others, he pays the ransom. Therefore, Fernando calls Palacios and warns him moments before Victor shows up at his home to kill him. To Palacios’s dismay, the warning arrives a little too late. Before he can flee the scene and save himself from the Flamethrower killer, Victor breaks into his mansion and burns him to death.

What 1992’s Ending Means For Richi & Amparo’s Relationship

The Ending Hints They Will Eventually Get Romantically Involved

All ends well for Richi and Amparo after they manage to solve the overarching murder mystery. Amparo also manages to ensure that Richi breaks his streak of alcoholism and embraces being sober again. In the Netflix detective series’ final arc, Richi asks her if she would want to go out with him. Unfortunately, for him, Amparo tells him that she wishes to slow down a little and focus on herself for once.

She says she wishes to be single for a while but implies they can think about their relationship later. This suggests they might eventually explore a deeper connection once Amparo has stopped grieving for her husband. While she is at it, Richi can also rethink his life’s choices and focus on staying away from alcohol.

How 1992’s Ending Sets Up Season 2

1992 Is A Mini-Series

Since 1992 has been promoted as a miniseries, it seems unlikely it will return for another season. The show’s first installment also seems to have a well-rounded ending that leaves no loose ends. While it would be exciting to see Amaparo and Richi team up again to solve another murder mystery, 1992‘s future would depend on its performance on Netflix. For now, however, it is only a miniseries that will likely not get renewed for another installment.