Netflix Series THE ETERNAUT Ending Explained with Q&A

THE ETERNAUT ending of season 1 was quite open-ended. Get our insights into the Argentinian sci-fi thriller series on Netflix. So, if you have questions or want The Eternaut ending explained, then read on here *WARNING: Contains spoilers!*

The Netflix series The Eternaut ending of season 1 did deliver on some answers, but also ended with a lot more questions. Of course, this Argentine sci-fi series (org. title: El Eternauta) is based on a graphic novel, so we know there’s more to the story.

Hopefully, season 2 will answer many of those open-ended moments at the end of season 1. For everything else, we’ve tried to list questions below to help explain the ending of The Eternaut on Netflix.

Well, season 1 and the story so far, anyway.

Needless to say, but I will still say it, everything below will be full of spoilers regarding the season 1 ending of The Eternaut.

WANT A THE ETERNAUT SEASON 1 REVIEW?

Check out our spoiler-free season 1 review of The Eternaut here >

If you’re still here, it must mean you’re looking for answers about the ending of The Eternaut season 1 ending, so let’s get into it.

The Netflix series The Eternaut ending explained

The Eternaut season 1 ending made sure we’re all quite eager to get season 2 as soon as possible. Sure, we got some answers, but mostly, season 1 of the Netflix series from Argentina felt like an origin story.

Only with the end of season 1 are we ready to dive into the origin of the creatures and find out how (and if) we can fight back.

Throughout season 1 of The Eternaut, we saw unexpected plot twists and developments that you may have questions about. Let’s take a closer look at The Eternaut ending by doing a little Q&A.

The Eternaut Netflix series questions and answers

In the below Q&A, we’ll try to cover some of the most asked questions. Whether singular elements of the overall plot or things that tie directly into the ending, we’ve included them below.

What does “Eternaut” mean?

In short, “Eternaut” is an “eternal traveler”. For the Netflix series, it’s not the creature we see at the very end of season 1. Instead, it’s the main character of Juan Salvo (Ricardo Darin), who is the eternal traveler.

He is searching for his family and going through time and space to achieve this. We see this in his flashbacks to the war, which turns out to also be flash forwards. For example, he saw his daughter back with her mom before she returned.

Who survives in The Eternaut?

Well, to be honest, not many. Even those who survive the first toxic snowfall and later the giant beetles are never safe.

Plus, define “survive” because at the end, many may seem alive, but they’re under the control of an alien (as in other worldly) power, so they may still be standing, but they’re no longer themselves.

Is the apocalyptic event a natural disaster or an alien invasion?

For most of The Eternaut season 1, we have no idea. However, in the final scene of season 1, we see something that is distinctly alien in its appearance.

So, the ending of The Eternaut season 1 means the answer is alien. But everything else could be the planet reacting. From the poles being out of whack to ultimately inverting, and the weird beetles that may be huge, but otherwise seem quite similiar to Earthly bugs.

The ending of The Eternaut and season 1 details

Okay, having covered the timeline of the Netflix series Cassandra, let’s get to the elements that came into play during the ending of the limited series.​

Where do the aliens come from?

By the end of season 1, we do not know where the aliens come from.

What are the bugs?

They look like huge beetles and seem to protect their hive and drag in food (humans covered in something similar to spiderweb) to this colony.

While very strange and foreign, they could be from deep inside the Earth. However, others have seen the bugs come from the meteors that fell after the initial toxic snowfall.

Who is controlling the bugs?

It would appear that both the bugs and some of the humans are controlled by the alien we see at the end of season 1. In the graphic novel, it’s called “The Hand”. Could it be that just one creature is controlling everything? Well, that is something we’ll have to wait for season 2 to fully comprehend.

What is “The Hand” in The Eternaut?

In the new Netflix series The Eternaut, “The Hand” refers to a mysterious and ominous alien force that exerts control over Earth during a deadly snowstorm apocalypse. This entity operates behind the scenes, manipulating events and using other alien species—such as the deadly “snow” and enslaved humans—to carry out its will. Though rarely seen directly, “The Hand” represents the ultimate source of oppression and control in the story, symbolizing the unseen powers that dictate the fates of individuals and societies.

Why are some humans working with the bugs?

What we do know by The Eternaut season 1 ending is that the humans are not acting out of their own free will. Instead, it appears they’ve been taken over. Much like some parasites can take over other animals and make them act as they wish.

What’s Happening to Juan’s Daughter, Clara?

In the closing moments of The Eternaut, Juan receives a haunting vision: his daughter, Clara, stands in line at a military camp, weapon in hand, apparently preparing to fire. The scene strongly suggests that Clara, like others before her, is destined to fall under the aliens’ mind control and become part of their human army. Yet because Juan sees this future in advance, there’s a glimmer of hope—he may have the chance to intervene before it becomes reality.

Throughout the series, there have been subtle signs that Clara might already be under alien influence. When she returned home, she had almost no recollection of how she got back or what happened to her missing friends. But later, she contradicts herself, claiming her friends are still out there, waiting for her help.

This fragmented memory and inconsistent behavior echo what we’ve seen in characters like Lucas—humans who appear to be under the aliens’ sway, yet still show traces of independent thought. Clara’s arc seems to straddle that same unsettling middle ground: not fully lost, but not entirely free.

Why do many people have blackouts?

Again, this isn’t fully explained by the end of season 1. However, it does appear to be connected to them being influenced by bugs. Whether these humans are being used as spies by the bugs or have already been taken over is still unanswered.

However, my guess is the former; These people do not know that they have already been forced under the influence of the bugs.

Why is the snow deadly?

One theory is that the snow is radioactive. However, we don’t have any definitive answer.

Or rather, if the snow were radioactive, it seems unlikely that the world would be safe again once the snow stopped. So, the answer is probably alien.

Why are all the compasses screwed up?

This is because the center of the Earth is all messed up, so the poles are no longer functioning. By the end of season 1, the center of the Earth has settled once again, but is now inverted.

What was once North on the compass is now South. And vice versa, obviously.

Why did the sea water disappear in some places?

This is another one of the unanswered questions as of the end of season 1. We do, however, see that the seabed has no snow, so it appears the water disappeared after the snowfall.

Is it only Argentina that has been targeted?

From contacting people in other countries via the radio, we know that other countries in South America are also affected. In fact, we have no reason to believe this isn’t a worldwide phenomenon.

At the very least, a man in Uruguay says his country was affected, and from speaking to someone in the south of Brazil, he could say they were also targeted.

Plus, towards the end of season 1, we see a military plane crash. The plane was clearly marked as being from Peru.

So, at the very least, Brazil, Peru, and Uruguay are also affected in the way Argentina is. That we know of.

Will there be a season 2 of The Eternaut?

Yes, The Eternaut season 2 has been confirmed ahead of the season 1 premiere.

Also, the ending of season 1 certainly promises that The Eternaut Season 2 is coming. However, it wouldn’t be the first time that a season ends on a cliffhanger and isn’t renewed, so with Netflix, you can never feel too confident.

As it stands, season 2 of The Eternaut has been greenlit and is coming – at least according to a Forbes interview with the creator.

So, unless it’s an attempt to strong-arm Netflix into actually greenlighting a second season by claiming it’s a done deal (which I doubt), then it’s a “Go!” for season 2 of The Eternaut.

The Eternaut season 1 questions from our readers

If you have questions about the Netflix series The Eternaut ending or elements of any part of season 1, then reach out. We’ll try to include all relevant questions (and our answers) below.

Michelle asked the following question:

Is Juan Salvo seeing the future in his flashbacks?

Well, in a sense, he is seeing space and time as one big jumble. He is seeing the future in his flash forwards… but it’s more complex than that. As an eternal traveler (eternaut), he has already experienced so much of what is happening.

In one of the final moments of season 1, he comments that he has finally realized where he knows the train engineer from. He thought it was from the past, but really, Juan Salvo states that he has already lived the present moment before.

*****

Bruce reached out with this excellent question:

Why does Lucas throw himself off the building? Is he aware of his actions or controlled by the alien?

This is a great question, which doesn’t have a simple answer.

The whiskey-loving man, who has no idea how he ended up on the highway, where the military found him. One moment, he was drinking Johnnie Walker Blue Label whisky; the next, he returned on the back of a military truck.

He comes to a fatal end when he seemingly speaks a lot of nonsense while standing on the ledge of a very tall building. Does he kill himself, or is he killed?

The answer isn’t actually given. It almost looks like Lucas tries to give a lot of input to his lifelong friends before letting himself fall back. If that’s the case, then he appears to kill himself in order to save his friends.

In that sense, is it really suicide, or is he saving his friends and must die to achieve this?

Personally, I expect (or hope) that all the strange things he said just before letting himself fall to the ground far beneath him will make sense in season 2.

Think M. Night Shyamalan‘s Signs, where the dying wife and mother says things like “Tell Merrill to swing away,” which ultimately helps save them all from… aliens!

*****

Have a question about the Netflix series The Eternaut ending?

If you have questions about the Netflix series The Eternaut season 1 ending or elements of the story, then feel free to reach out here >

That’s it. We hope the above little Q&A helped answer any questions you had about the ending or plot of The Eternaut series on Netflix.