Santo – Season 1 Episode 3 “O Pai” Recap & Review

O Pai

Episode 3 of Santo starts with Agent Cardona remembering a ritual he did a few years back. He also remembers his time while working undercover as part of Santo’s gang. This was before their first operation failed and he was working his way up the ranks in the gang. 

Agent Millán is frustrated with Chinche who keeps calling him to solve his problems. At work, they have a lead on Santo. A man killed two civil guards during a random routine traffic stop. He is arrested and they grill him to see if he will spill new information on Santo. They also bring his photo to Agent Cardona who is adamant he doesn’t know the man. I thought Cardona had gone back home but it seems he is still in Madrid… what changed his mind? 

Agent Millán brings Agent Cardona with him to join the house search of the suspect and to also get a chance to talk to him. The inspector in charge agrees and the suspect is startled upon seeing Cardona. He keeps asking what he wants from him and who sent him. He seems worried that O Pai sent Cardona and immediately starts apologizing. Cardona is also shaken as he can’t remember the man and wants to know how the man knows him. As Agent Millán takes Cardona away, the suspect is seen flying out of a window and dropping to his death. Did he commit suicide or was he pushed? At the end of the day, dead men tell no tales and we won’t be getting answers from him. 

Agent Millán takes Cardona back to the station and starts interrogating him again. They are trying to put pressure on him but Cardona is not barging an inch. He says he can’t remember and won’t give in to their threats. While at the police station, Cardona sees a picture of the place he was held hostage and the location pinned on it.

He decides to secretly visit the location to try and bring back his memories. His memories slowly start to come back. He begins by remembering when he and Barbara were held, hostage. Santo was somewhere in the house screaming and Barbara said that meant he was pleased. She tells him that Santo came to Madrid to see O Pai.

As it turns out, O Pai is Santo’s master and he taught Santo everything he knows. Barbara also confesses that she told Santo their whereabouts and that is why Santo got to them. She refuses to fully explain why she told Santo where to find them. 

On the other hand, Agent Millán is having a flashback of the day Mario was kidnapped. He knew Mario and his parents. He was having an affair with Mario’s mother who was married to Juan’s second in command. Mario’s dad had just found out about the affair. He was actually on his way to confront him about having an affair with his wife when he was shot. Did Agent Millán orchestrate the killing?

At present time, Agent Millán’s boss finds out that he threatened a suspect with a gun and forbade him to talk about the Norwegians. The disciplinary committee is opening an investigation on him. In the meantime, he and his partner Susi follow a lead and discover the remains of unknown kids. The forensic team establishes that the remains belonged to at least three children and only two were able to be identified.

Cardona comes to talk to Agent Millán and tells him what he remembers after visiting the place he was held, hostage. He remembers seeing O Pai but he wasn’t alive, Santo had his men bring his body. Santo was performing an ancient Dahomey ritual as the new leader. Agent Millán is convinced that Santo sacrificed the kids to O Pai.  

Later, Cardona goes home and receives an anonymous letter with his old necklaces and a message. However, we agonizingly don’t get to see what the message says.

The Episode Review

This was a dark episode, Santo is into dark rituals that involve decapitating kids. We still don’t know why Cardona decided to stick around in Madrid though, so hopefully the future episodes will elaborate. Is he hoping to recover his memories or find Barbara? I want to know what was written in the message too. Was it a clue?

Agent Millán is about to have his “closet” raided and I am waiting to see what dark secrets the disciplinary committee will uncover.