Episode 1 of *The Dead Girls* opens in the sweltering heat of June 1960, in the dusty town of Mezcala. A young girl lies lifeless, her body pierced by a knife. The air is thick with tension and the scent of impending violence.
Fast-forward to 1964: Serafina, a wealthy and shrewd brothel madam, arrives in Mezcala with her entourage in tow. She is a woman of contradictions—parsimonious yet commanding, restless yet devout, her every move observed with a keen, almost predatory eye. Yet, beneath her pious exterior, she harbors a burning desire for vengeance.
Upon locating her target, Simon, a humble baker, her associates unleash a storm of fire and chaos, setting his establishment ablaze. Simon, though battered and bruised, manages to survive the inferno. Alongside Serafina, he finds himself apprehended by the authorities.
It emerges that their relationship is a tumultuous one, marked by passion and volatility. Simon, unable to endure Serafina's fiery temperament, had abandoned her three years prior. This act of desertion ignites a spark of fury within Serafina, prompting her to seek retribution by destroying his bakery. Her influence extends beyond the seedy underbelly of society; she commands connections within the Mexican military, a fact that explains both her formidable entourage and the licensed firearms they carry.
During Simon's interrogation, a cunning detective deftly maneuvers him into admitting his complicity in the 1960 murder. The confession hangs heavy in the air, a dark cloud over their already troubled past.
Subsequently, the origins of their ill-fated love affair are recounted by both Simon and Serafina to a visiting journalist, their voices echoing through the cold, sterile walls of their prison cells. Simon recalls their clandestine meetings in 1960, a time when their secret rendezvous followed a predictable, albeit thrilling, pattern. He insists that everything would have remained uncomplicated if they had adhered to their routine.
However, on one fateful night, their world spirals out of control. Their car, mysteriously repaired, allows them to linger longer than usual. In an attempt to reconcile after a heated argument, Simon agrees to join Serafina for lunch with her disapproving sister, Arcangela. The sisters vanish for an hour, and upon their return, they present Simon with a macabre gift instead of a meal—the lifeless body of a prostitute from Serafina’s brothel, the very girl whose murder had cast a shadow over Mezcala four years earlier.
A client had met a tragic end at her hands. If the incident were reported, the brothel would face certain closure. Urged by their shared plight, the sisters persuaded Simon to aid in disposing of the body in Mezcala. Subsequently, Simon and Serafina moved in together, their cohabitation lasting six months before Simon ultimately abandoned her.
In the women’s ward, Serafina vehemently insists that the widely circulated tale is a gross misrepresentation. The year is 1952, and the setting is Plan de Abajo. According to Serafina, Simon is a naive, timid, and culturally unrefined man, riddled with homesickness. Yet, there is an undeniable allure that draws her to him. When he steps into her bar, she seizes the moment, initiating their intimate connection. She proudly asserts that she was his mentor in all things—from the art of dance to the intricacies of passion.
However, after a year, Simon's demeanor begins to shift. His jealousy flares as Serafina continues to mingle with male clientele. His insecurity deepens, exacerbated by the fact that she outearns him. In an attempt to integrate him into her world, she offers him a position either as a pimp or a bodyguard. But Simon, driven by a sense of honor, declines both options.
The next voice we hear is that of Mrs. Skull, the brothel’s cook, who is also incarcerated. She describes Simon as a kind and gentle soul, albeit one frequently plagued by homesickness. Through flashbacks, we witness his repetitive cycle of departure and return. Exasperated by his constant wavering, Serafina resorts to bribing the Captain to apprehend Simon, intending to release him only after he has endured sufficient punishment. Mrs. Skull also uncovers that Simon’s arrest is legally justified; he is a deserter who fled mere months before his scheduled military discharge.
Ironically, the ordeal involving the deceased girl inadvertently strengthens the bond between Simon and Serafina. Now blissfully in love, Serafina orchestrates a romantic escape to Veracruz, financing the entire trip herself.
As December 1960 dawns, their journey commences without much turmoil. Yet, the oppressive heat soon takes its toll, sparking arguments between the lovers, which they manage to resolve. In a moment of vulnerability, Serafina confesses her profound love for Simon and extracts a promise from him that he will never leave again. In a bold declaration of her intentions, she vows to abandon prostitution and invest in a bakery for him, marking a new chapter in their tumultuous yet deeply intertwined lives.
Unable to bear any more deceit, she finally musters the courage to confess to him about having bribed the captain. Simon, seething with suppressed fury, manages to keep his rage in check. He leads her to a dimly lit bar, where, under the guise of a casual gesture, he deftly relieves her of her wallet before coldly abandoning her there. Panic-stricken, she scours every nook and cranny of the bar, her heart pounding with fear and betrayal, but Simon is nowhere to be found.
With a sinking heart, she makes her way back to the hotel, only to discover that Simon has vanished without a trace, taking everything he could lay his hands on. To add insult to injury, he has left her with the hefty hotel bill to settle on her own. Overwhelmed by a whirlwind of emotions, she succumbs to a breakdown, her mind spiraling into dark fantasies of vengeance.
Consumed by her despair, she withdraws into a shell of sullen silence. It is Arcangela, ever the observant and resourceful ally, who takes it upon herself to reach out to Captain Bedoya, one of the formidable gunmen in Serafina’s entourage, seeking a way to turn the tables on Simon.
