My family has a secret.
It has long black claws and glowing red eyes.
It has long black claws and glowing red eyes.
Recovering addict Axel returns to his family home to see his dying father, a famous author, for the last time. But he can't make peace with his father's past treatment of him, brothers dismissing his pain, and the monster that lurks in the shadows.
Tropes featured in this episode:
- Abusive Parents: Rodrigo was physically and emotionally abusive to Axel, causing him to develop substance abuse problems as an adult. It may have been not entirely his fault; there is the family curse of El Coco that Rodrigo inherited from his own father which may have driven him to his anger. But that wouldn't excuse him giving into his rage and using Axel's pain for material for his novels.
- Addled Addict: Axel is six months sober when the story starts, but it's clear his previous addictions have taken a toll on him mentally, that and being haunted by El Coco.
- Big Brother Bully: Dante is this to Axel; Javi is the mediator between both Dante and Axel. Both of Axel's brothers are much older than him as well.
- Bittersweet Ending: Axel is still cursed with the El Coco monster, but he now knows how to keep it at bay by controlling his anger and he forgives his brothers and family. His brothers are now firmly behind him and understand what Rodrigo's abusiveness did to their brother.
- Cassandra Truth: Axel swears that El Coco is real and has been plaguing him for years but is dismissed by his entire family.
- Deathbed Confession: Rodrigo tries to explain to Axel that he didn't mean to pass down the El Coco curse to Axel, but Axel was entirely too angry to listen. His final words are him telling Axel to check his desk, which has notes that fully explain the curse.
- Emotion Eater: El Coco is this, he feeds off of fear and rage.
- Gaslighting: Axel's family do this to Axel, downplaying the patriarch's abuse and attitude because of the success and wealth his novels brought the family and claims El Coco is just a children's story. The ending implies that their aunt Flora was not just completely aware Axel's abuse but also of El Coco and she may also be cursed.
- Heel–Face Door-Slam: Rodrigo tries to apologize for his past abuse and tell Axel about the El Coco curse, but Axel isn't hearing any of it. Right before he completely passes away, Rodrigo tells Axel to check his desk where Axel sees that Rodrigo was cursed by El Coco by his own father and it may be a generational curse.
- Red Eyes, Take Warning: El Coco's eyes glow red.
- The Un-Favourite: Axel was implied to be a unplanned pregnancy as his mother had him late in her life and it may have led to her passing. From there, Rodrigo blamed him for his mother's death and started abusing him.
