Glória Season 1: Plot Summary & Ending Explained? Who Kills Mia Orlov? Who Was Mia Orlov?

The Netflix series “Gloria” shows Portuguese politics during the Cold War. Joo Vidal, a young Portuguese engineer, is at the center of the conflict. Vidal fought in the Portuguese colonial war in Angola for two years while serving in the army. As a KGB spy, Vidal works for the US government’s Raret radio station in Glória do Ribatejo and conducts espionage operations. Vidal is a character who doesn’t want to choose either side. Although his job involves handling blood, Vidal goes to great lengths to keep his hands clean. Inner and outer compulsions are constantly fighting for Vidal’s attention. In the case of Joo Vidal, let us examine this more closely.

The Summary of The Plot of Glória Season 1

The engineer Joo Vidal comes to Glória do Ribatejo at the height of the Cold War to take on his new role as technical antenna coordinator for the radio station Raret. The American radio station was set up in the Eastern Bloc to receive broadcasts between the US and its allies (such as agents and embassies). Portugal is an ideal distance for receiving shortwave broadcasts from the east. For this reason, the United States uses its diplomatic contacts with the Portuguese government to operate Raret in Glória. In order to curb the anti-colonialist and communist tendencies in Portugal, Council President Professor Oliveira Salazar has turned to the West and asked for support.

Hénrique Vidal, Vidal’s father, is a minister in the Portuguese government who advocates anti-communist views. Vidal, however, ended up working for the Russian secret service KGB. Alexandre Petrovasky, a secret agent, meets Vidal in Glória and gives him his first assignment as an agent: he is supposed to sabotage an interview with Boris Barkow. Boris is a former Russian commander who has sworn allegiance to the opposition. In the interview, he urges his compatriots not to attack Czechoslovakia. Vidal seduces the telegraph operator Ursula to replace Boris Barlow’s tape with his own. As a result of the sabotage, Russian Warsaw Pact forces invade the Czech Republic and take Prague.

Vidal conducts several espionage missions to sabotage the American government’s efforts to defeat Russia in the Cold War. In between he kept asking about a former telegraph operator, Mia Orlov, who suddenly disappeared.

Who Kills Mia Orlov?

As soon as Vidal arrives in Raret, he goes in search of Mia Orlov. He informs his colleagues that he met Mia through a mutual acquaintance while studying. Goncalo (a friend and colleague in Raret) is the subject of his investigation because he has pictures of Mia and Goncalo. The photos show Mia and Gonzalo celebrating July 4th together. Vidal has the faintest suspicion that the two are having a love affair. When Gonzalo is threatened by Vidal, he reveals that Mia helped him with his drug addiction. Goncalo even reveals to Vidal that Mia lives near the Magos Dam in Magos, where they often party together.

Mia’s body is found in the river near the Magos Reservoir, not long after it disappears. Doctor Miguel assumes in the autopsy report that Mia died as a result of an accident. He later confirmed that she was killed by a flat object. Bill, a CIA agent, discovers Miguel’s collection of obscene pictures of women Mia has seen on him. Miguel is accused of murdering Mia by Bill. Miguel claims that Mia blackmailed him into poisoning Raret’s boss James Wilson and CIA agent Anne O’Brien, who live as a married couple in Gloria.

When Vidal first arrives in Gloria, he receives a photo of Mia from a communist sympathizer named Quim. Vidal burns the picture in his apartment. In a flashback, we learn that Mia Orlov was the Russian spy who recruited Vidal. A professional connection can be seen in the flashbacks as Vidal tells his co-workers that he had a romantic relationship with Mia. Their relationship remained a secret until the end.

The Ending of Gloria Explained: Who Was Mia Orlov?

Vidal teams up with Alexandre to find Mia’s murderer and fulfill her unfinished mission, namely the murder of American agents James Wilson and Anne O’Brien. Vidal is investigating Mia’s murder. The fisherman who recovered Mia’s body inform Vidal that he discovered a ring in her hand, suggesting that she was either married or engaged. Doctor Miguel hands the ring to Vidal. The ring is dated July 4, 1968. Vidal believes Mia got engaged that day.

Dr. Miguel is suspected by Vidal and Alexandre of murdering Mia because she knew his secret. Although Miguel denies the allegations, Alexandre has him killed. Vidal later finds out that Mia was depressed and may have attempted suicide. He goes to Dr. Silveira, the only psychiatrist in Gloria, to find out more. Vidal finds no medical records on Mia. He does find a tape of Sophia Ayres, the wife of Ramiro, Raret’s technical director, however.

Sophia has told Silvia that she is in love with Mia. The jewelry that Mia gave Sophie to her was something very special. Vidal invites Sophia to Mia’s old residence to solve the mystery of her death. Sophia tells Vadil that she knew Mia was a Russian spy and they planned to flee to Hungary together. However, on the day of her departure, Mia did not show up and Sophia believed that she had left her.

Vidal suspected Sophia’s husband, Ramiro, of killing Mia, but he had a solid alibi. The time of Mia’s disappearance coincided with the time when Ramiro was in Germany for training purposes. Engineer Parker from Germany tells Vidal that Ramiro was two days late. Vidal eventually concludes that Ramiro was the one who killed Mia. Sophia tries to escape from Gloria, but Vidal kidnaps her.

On the way to Mia’s house, Ramiro reveals to Vidal that he knew about the connection between Sophia and Mia. When Sophia threatened to leave him, Ramiro hit Mia on the head with a plate during an argument in her apartment. Although Sophia knew about Mia’s death and Ramiro’s murder, she still tries to protect her husband from the judiciary.

At the end of the series, Vidal kills both Sophia and Ramiro. Vidal makes it look like Ramiro killed his wife and himself. Alexandre is shocked when Vidal reveals to him that the murder of Mia was not a political assassination, but an ordinary crime of love committed by Ramiro.

Why Did Vidal Become a KGB Agent?

Alexandre asks Vidal to finish her plan and blow up the radio station. There are no Americans in the area when the radio is off. Instead of killing more people, Vidal Alexandre suggests blowing up the antennas. The KGB was more concerned with blood than an embassy, ​​so Vidal’s idea is rejected.

In an earlier scenario, PIDE smashes a communist cell and learns of an attack on Raret. PIDE follows the trail and arrests two communist Raret employees who are transporting explosives. However, the explosive device detonates and the agents are killed in the explosion. Vidal realizes that the car explosion was really a red herring. The explosives were detonated with a device that was not discovered at the crime scene. According to Vidal, the mastermind behind the car explosion was Alexandre, who has a dark target.

Vidal draws a conclusion: The KGB wants to murder CIA agents James and Anne. He discovers an explosive that the KGB has placed under the engine of James’ car. Vidal removes the explosives and takes it home. He places the bomb over RARET’s main power supply so that the explosives cannot harm anyone.

After the explosion, Vidal meets Mia in the old tower and says: “We can go now.” Vidal did not come to Gloria because of the KGB, but to save Mia from the KGB. Vidal was never interested in politics or the Cold War. He started working at RARET, mingling with the KGB, CIA and PIDE to convince the agencies that the KGB spy Mia Orlov was dead.

Is Mia Alive?

Alexandre explains to Vidal that practically everything we do in life is motivated by a strong sense of purpose. In a flashback, Mia asks Vidal about his desire to become a KGB spy and infiltrate Raret. She’s not sure if it was extortion or persuasion. Vidal doesn’t answer, but it is finally explained that Vidal was passionate about becoming a KGB agent. Not out of a national passion, but out of love.

Vidal’s rude behavior and worry about finding Mia’s killer show how much he loves her. He doesn’t care about local politics and is solely focused on finding Mia’s murderers. Vidal came to Gloria to show the Americans, Russians and Portuguese that Mia was no longer alive. After murdering Mia’s killer, he persuades Alexandre to stop looking for Mia.

Mia’s body was never shown to the public. Miguel confirms Mia’s identity based on her age, stature, clothes and watch. Mia had no relatives, so the CIA had no choice but to trust Miguel’s judgment.

Vidal organizes his own escape once the KGB and CIA suspect Mia is dead. Vidal’s father, Henrique, is informed by Goncalo that Vidal is a Russian agent. Henrique falsely accuses Goncalo of being a KGB agent to save his son, prompting PRIDE to arrest him. Henrique gives Vidal tickets to Brazil and gives him an escape route. He suggests Vidal fabricate a story or accident to convince the KGB that he is dead. Probably the RARET explosion was the story. Mia and Vidal decide to start a new life together in Brazil by changing their identities. Vidal’s crimes of passion had been planned from the start.