Deceitful Love is now available on Netflix. (Image via Netflix)

Deceitful Love season 1 ending explained: Is Elia’s love real or deceptive?

Modified Oct 11, 2024 14:21 GMT

Netflix’s latest romance drama, Deceitful Love, recently wrapped up its first season on October 9, 2024. The Italian miniseries, which features the likes of Monica Guerritore, Giacomo Gianniotti, and Denise Capezza, revolves around the characters of Gabriella and Elia, an unlikely couple.

While Gabriella is a wealthy hotel ownder in her 60s, Elia is half her age, and the series revolves around the various obstacles that they undergo in their relationship.

Deceitful Love's official synopsis on IMDb reads:

“It follows a relationship full of passion, with shadows and secrets, that challenges social conventions, family balances, and the role of motherhood in Mediterranean culture.”

The mini-series has a total of six episodes, and left things off on an interpretative stage. Gabriella’s sprawling family is seen to be utterly suspicious of Elia’s love for her, which leads to some climactic final scenes as viewers are left scratching their heads. Was Elia’s love real, or like Gabriella’s family suspected, it was all a ploy to gain access to her wealth?

As it turns out, while the series ends without answering the raging question about the veracity of Elia's love, some of his actions in the season finale suggest that he indeed had feelings for Gabriella.

Deceitful Love finishes with a stunning Season 1 finale

Deceitful Love kept viewers on the edge of their seats right from the start. Elia meets Gabriella outside her luxurious home when his car breaks down. Their relationship, right from the very beginning, appears uniquely suspicious, if only because Elia’s intentions are not known to the viewers right till the end.

Despite her initial hesitation majorly due to the age gap, Gabriella eventually falls for him. This leads to suspicion from a range of her family members, most notably her son Stefano, who believes Elia is only after his mother’s fortune. However, even after being warned by her family, Gabriella falls for Elia, if only due to her loneliness following the death of her husband.

However, in Deceitful Love's finale, their bond is tested to the limits. Stefano ends up pressing charges against Elia, due to which he is seen planning an escape with Marina, an ex-lover. However, despite having every opportunity to escape, Elia ends up staying behind and chooses to return to Gabriella, claiming that he had actually fallen for her.

Gabriella however, continues to remain skeptical, but is touched, and ends up testifying in the court proceedings in his favor. Further, Gabriella also learns of Elia’s pattern of abusive and manipulative behavior, in addition to similar antics that he had previously tried with other women.

Still, she remains committed to her lover and decides to not end the relationship. However, viewers are left struggling with their own questions. While it is never revealed whether Elia truly fell for Gabriella, his actions especially towards the end seem to suggest that he did develop actual feelings for her.

However, Gabriella’s family, particularly her daughter Giulia, seems to present an alternative interpretation. While Elia’s love might not be true, he did show up for Gabriella whenever she needed him to, who depended on him emotionally as well. She defends her mother’s right to happiness and claims that she will even be willing to pay Elia for his companionship if she has to.

However, Elia refuses and decides to stay back on his own accord. This happens despite the fact that he potentially faced imprisonment by staying back. However, in order to reconnect with Gabriella, he is shown willing to take the risk.

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Deceitful Love concludes with Gabriella refusing to marry Elia, as she claims that the institution in itself has grown tiresome for her. Gabriella claims that she will be willing to stay with Elia without marrying, and is even willing to take care of his and Marina’s newborn daughter.

Knowing that his child will be financially secure, Elia decides to stay back and agrees to move completely past Marina. This sets the series finale up for a mixed ending. Even if viewers are never told whether Elia had actually fallen for her, his actions suggest that he indeed has some feelings for his partner.

Further, his refusal to go with Marina despite sharing a child with her further backs this claim. Elia ends up staying behind with Gabriella, which, in its own way, also exposes the intricacies of love in Deceitful Love.

Deceitful Love is now streaming on Netflix.