Freeridge Ending Explained: Breaking Down The End Of The Netflix Show

Netflix's "Freeridge" is a high-key dramedy full of low-key "supernatural" activity. A spin-off of the street-smart and sweetly silly "On My Block," it's a coming-of-age series set in the same Los Angeles neighborhood. "Freeridge" follows a group of teens who find an apparently cursed box at a yard sale. The show's beating heart is the bond between sisters Gloria (Keyla Monterroso Mejia) and Ines Salazar (Bryana Salaz). Plagued by miscommunication and their own fraught energy, Glo and Ines start the series fighting in the schoolyard and end it by starting what just might be a fight for their lives.

Life comes at you fast, and "Freeridge" is packed with twists and turns that come at you even faster. Its all-too-brief Season 1 offers viewers real curses, fake curses, fake-but-real-then-fake-then-real-again curses, and Zaire Adams' "It's A Brand New Dre" theme song. The show's zany comedy, breakneck pace, and heartbreaking exploration of grief add up to something that isn't afraid to punch its audience in the funny bone — or the feels. In short, there's a lot to unpack here. So why not pull a chair up to our tarot table? Mind the robot butler, make sure you don't knock over a random gnome, and avoid the gaze of the chip bowl with a face: We're here to break down the ending of "Freeridge."

By the time the "Freeridge" Season 1 finale arrives, Mariluna (Peggy Blow) is Gloria's bestie — and, unfortunately, probably dead. Before that fateful final shot, however, Gloria helps Mariluna realize it's never too late to lift your own self-imposed curses ... and draw incredibly lewd parrots.

Gloria helps Mariluna connect with her remaining family and clean up the rotten remains of the empty (but "Lethal Weapon 50th" fancy) life she chose over her beloved sister. Mariluna, in turn, listens to and takes care of Gloria. She's a mother figure to the girl, and helps her see the love around her that brightens up the dark. Though she showers Gloria with expensive treats, the real treasure is in the bond they share, which is best expressed through a warm hug and a (pink princess dress-clad) shoulder to cry on.

Gloria and Mariluna support each other as they deal with their sisters and themselves and learn to see their glasses as half-full. This is no easy trick: Mariluna feels she's lost her chance at happiness, Gloria's dad is dying, Ines is attempting to save and/or destroy Gloria's life at all times, and the box Mariluna was once so obsessed with turns out to actually be cursed. Possibly. We think. When Joker and his gang come for Mariluna and close the episode with a literal bang, it's extra-heartbreaking, due to the relationship she's developed with Gloria. And that's not even getting into the blank check that could have paid to save Gloria's dad — if it was signed.

Gloria and Ines love each other, hate each other, and, by the finale of "Freeridge" Season 1, might just love to hate each other. The telenovela-esque twists and turns of their relationship could tie any viewer's heartstrings in knots. Played to tragicomic perfection by Keyla Monterroso Mejia and Bryana Salaz, the sisters Salazar love hard and fight harder.

Watching these sisters get so close to actually communicating with each other, only to turn on a dime when either feels threatened, is one of the great frustrations of "Freeridge." We understand that Gloria feels disrespected by Ines, and Ines feels dismissed by Gloria. But dang, it hurts to watch these two battle each other whenever they hit a bump in the road — or a Trusty Rusty. The finale seems to apply the "one sister will be the downfall of the other" curse to Mariluna, but we're not so sure the not-so-fake curse doesn't also apply to Ines and Glo.

We've seen how deep their love runs for each other, and also how deep the divide between them can grow. Forget drawing blood on the playground: Gloria is absolutely lethal when she tells Ines she's the reason their mom died. And who cares about Ines' heart being in the right place when her mouth is all over Rusty's moments after he and Gloria fight? Hopefully, Cinnamon has a premonition about the show getting a Season 2, because we're pulling for these sisters to repair their broken bond.

What a tangled web the two homewreckers of "Freeridge" weave. We speak, of course, of wildly indecisive and insecure Cam (Tenzing Norgay Trainor) and high-octane and high-strung Demi (Ciara Riley Wilson). We don't mean to sound harsh, but the relationship rollercoaster these two embark upon provides almost as much drama as the possibly-cursed box.

These two make some truly bizarre moves in Season 1. Recall the moment Demi kisses Cam while he admits she made him question his entire life, or when Cam and Demi make out after Cam's boyfriend asks them to work out their problems. Yet Cam and Demi seem to figure out their relationship by the time the season finale rolls around. Demi owns her childhood dissing of Cam's sexuality, and delivers a true apology. Cam chooses to be single and work on his confidence independently, instead of through others' approval.

As Cam and Demi seemingly change their minds about themselves, each other, and their relationship with Andre, they talk through their problems. Even when their penchant for thinking out loud accidentally hurts the other person (or causes a bizarrely-timed kiss), Cam and Demi prove that botched attempts at communication made in the effort to truly express yourself are better than bottling emotions up tight and burying them deep inside. Amazingly, this keeps Cam, Demi, and Andre on friendly terms with each other by the end of "Freeridge" Season 1. Together, they'll all live to see another "Brand New Dre."

A lot of the "dark energy" characters experience on "Freeridge" isn't caused by a possibly-cursed box at a garage sale. Rather, it comes from the fact that they're haunted by the greatest curses of all: loss, loneliness, and insecurity. The laughs in "Freeridge" can be delightfully wacky, but a painful tune plays underneath every light-hearted moment. The show does a good job of balancing these tonal swings, and much of this success is down to the show's portrayal of teenagers coming to understand their own identities as they evolve .

Regardless of age, every main character on the show must confront the consequences of their own actions, and the toll that grief, growth, and other serious pressures take on them. What results is a tender and thoughtful take on nature, nurture, and trauma responses. The metaphor of the "cursed" box is especially effective when understood in this light. A whole life can't fit in such a small container, but we struggle to force ourselves into one anyway — with catastrophic (and sometimes comedic) results.

Episode 8 of "Freeridge," "Thanksgiving," is an emotional whirlwind. But does it reveal the truth about the possibly cursed box? There's some seriously plausible deniability at work. In Episode 1, "The Box," it seems like the box is cursed. But in Episode 7, "Karmic Coincidence," Mariluna clearly states that the box isn't cursed at all. She and Marisol just liked to play games with people and freak them out with the threat of a curse. So, the box is totally and completely fine ... or is it? The bruja Demi and Ines see in "Karmic Coincidence" tells the girls that the core four's faith in the curse helps make it real, just as their nonbelief makes it fake. Bruja Juanita also informs the girls that they may have brought on a new curse in the meantime. So, the box isn't cursed ... unless it is. Does your head hurt yet?

Netflix's Tudum blog claims the box isn't cursed, but we know a certain magenta-haired woman who might disagree. Of course, each character at least temporarily reverses the "curses" they're personally dealing with, whether or not the box is truly cursed. The gang feels stronger than ever in "Thanksgiving," when Glo gives a rousing speech about betting on the group, learning to trust, and taking Mariluna up on her generous offer. But then, the cursed shot rings out, plunging everything into ambiguity once more.

The "Freeridge" box curse might not be real, but TikTok witch Cinnamon's (Jami Alix) premonitions kind of are. Cinnamon's Wheat Thins-fueled fortune-telling in Episode 3, "Cinnamon," haunts the gang all the way through to the Season 1 finale.

Cinnamon's prophecy regarding something that must be broken to be fixed is understood in many different ways. It applies to the cursed box itself, for one thing. For another, Cam interprets it as being about him breaking up with Demi and being single. Then there's the fact that Cinnamon also tells Gloria that someone will die, and that one sister will bring another down. Honestly, that premonition can be applied in multiple ways. Moreover, Cinnamon also tells Gloria, "fortune favors the bold." This comes in handy when Glo decides to play Mariluna's game and possibly win 10 million dollars.

If everything Cinnamon says is correct-ish, it wouldn't hurt the "Freeridge" four to schedule some brow appointments and buy this TikTokker off with a lifetime supply of Wheat Thins. We have a feeling that when it comes to finding Mariluna's killers and the RollerWorld money, these kids are gonna need all the crystal visions they can get.

"Freeridge" explores the difference between surviving and thriving, and how often people mistake the former for the latter. For a show so comfortable with physical comedy and some truly corny slang, "Freeridge" proves to be just as adept at drilling down into the pressures life throws at us. A great (and lovably ridiculous) metaphor for equating excellence with endurance arrives in the bent-arm hang challenge, which is a point of pride for Gloria. We see Glo's first attempt in "The Box," watch her tell her Ghost Mom she's been practicing in Episode 4, "Dead Mom," and finally witness her success in "Karmic Coincidence." 

However, the bent-arm hang is a double-edged sword, thematically speaking. Gloria exhibits strength by doing what she's always done to survive — the hang via bent arm. But when she gets closer to Rusty (Michael Solomon), he gives her a new technique that might help. At first, she denies the new trick. But when the chips are down and the arms are bent, she gives the new way a shot. The result is that she beats her previous record. She's still winning by surviving the challenge, but this little innovation helps her truly thrive, and opens her mind to new possibilities.

This moment of finally accepting help with a challenge is mirrored in "Thanksgiving," when Glo finally (and tragically) puts her faith in herself and those around her — moments after tearing her sister an emotional new one — and takes Mariluna up on her offer. Be it in the gym or in the characters' hearts, this show explores what we can do when we believe in ourselves and have support — and amazing upper body strength.

For all its silliness, "Freeridge" also examines how and why people keep fighting the world around them — and sometimes, their own selves. Very few "Freeridge" characters rest easy. Gloria is exhausted by responsibilities she never asked for, but had to absorb when her mom died. Ines is weary of people only paying attention to her when she's disrespectful, as she longs to be taken seriously. Cam is worn out from interrogating his own sexuality and insecurity. Demi is sick of not being as relied on by her friends as much as she relies on them.

In short, this core four has a lot weighing them down, despite how buoyant their attitudes and comedic timing can be. While it can be heartbreaking to watch characters you love (and love to laugh with) go through the wringer, there's something seriously refreshing in the way "Freeridge" handles both emotional gut-punches and belly laughs. It feels a lot more grounded than ever-rewatchable sitcoms, and a lot less dreary than the average TV drama series.

"Freeridge" pulls this balance off primarily though Gloria and Ines' complex relationship, which grows more and more fascinating as it nears a stunning conclusion. They behave horribly towards each other, but there's also a lot of genuine love there. The finale indicates that these sisters have plenty of fight left in them — some of it aimed at each other, some of it pointed elsewhere.

He's handsome, charming, tender, and kind — so of course we must ask, what the heck is "Trusty" Rusty's deal on "Freeridge"? How did he think he could hide his gigolo life from Gloria and Ines? And why on earth would he indulge in a frantic make-out session with Ines on the heels of Glo learning the truth about his little business arrangement? It's called timing, Rusty. Look it up!

Not since Otis on "Sex Education" have we adored a sweet Netflix lead like this — and abhorred the ridiculous shenanigans of his heart. We always knew Rusty was a little too good to be true, but when he genuinely falls for Gloria over the course of Season 1, our questions become all but forgotten. While his presence is initially implied to be an aspect of the curse (a visiting demon, perhaps?) his behavior for much of the season is downright angelic ... until his secret is revealed and his tongue is loosed upon Ines.

To be fair, we know far more is going on with Rusty than meets the eye. Plus, he helps Gloria have a lot of fun this season before he smashes her heart, unsmashes it, then secretly smashes it again. We think this must be the product of some long-simmering secret struggle within himself. We hope Rusty has a long talk with the Manotaur in between seasons, so he won't feel such a need to front in Season 2.

Tio Tonio (J.R. Villarreal) is the unsung hero of "Freeridge," as well as its low-key villain. He isn't a literal killer like Joker and his crew, but he is out in these L.A. streets breaking hearts and taking names of cute boys who can flirt with his nieces. We just have one question: Tonio, how could you? If you hollered at your streaming device of choice when you learned he hired Rusty as a personal assistant and kinda-sorta-courtesan for Gloria, we won't judge. While Rusty's heart might be in the right place — he wants to ease some of Gloria's burdens and both sisters' grief — his wallet should have nothing to do with it.

Tonio doesn't face much reckoning for his misdeeds in the Season 1 finale of "Freeridge," and we too will let him pass — for now. Mostly, this is because he's suffering enough from his brother's illness, and because his scene with Miraluna's Hermès scarf is such a divine moment of comedy. Plus, Tonio really does want his nieces to be happy, even if he goes about helping them in ill-advised ways. Tonio may dwell in the pantry at the Salazar house, but he has a home forever in our hearts ... for now.

"Freeridge" is all about the power of prophecy, be it self-spoken or sought out in the stars, cards, or a cursed box that looks like it came from a Dollar Store. So, in the spirit of soothsaying, here are our premonitions for a possible "Freeridge" Season 2.

Mariluna might not be dead at all, but spend much of the season in a coma. Let's say Joker fires an almost-fatal blow and runs. The core four must then find Joker and the RollerWorld map before he can steal Mariluna's fortune. Ideally, Mariluna wakes up in the nick of time and describes the location of the treasure. Thus, the core four engage in a "Goonies"-style race against time for the loot — and, for Demi, her "wonky wink" love. In fact, we see "unburying treasure" being a great theme for Season 2.

Hopefully, the sisters will grow closer as they seek justice and cash on Mariluna's behalf — and perhaps also because Rusty will finally open up about his secretive family life. Like Cam, he needs to hit pause on the romantic intrigue to focus on personal healing. Maybe the sisters could help him solve a mystery regarding a possibly-cursed Trusty Rusty Doll? Javi could recover under experimental treatment paid for by a lucrative side hustle of Tonio's, but then decide to elope with his girlfriend. We can't say "Freeridge" will play out like this, but we like to think a happy ending is in the cards.