Aahana Swrup
‘City of Shadows’ centers around Milo Malart, a police officer whose suspension ends when an overwhelmingly mysterious murder case takes over the city of Barcelona. Still, even as the protagonist returns to investigative policework, partnered up with a new behavioral analyst specialist, Rebeca Garrido, his darkened past casts a perpetual shadow over him. Milo and his family are still suffering from the aftershocks of the death of his nephew, Marc. The police officer, in particular, wears the tragic loss like an unconcealed scar, which influences and distorts every single relationship in his life. Furthermore, the deeper he delves into the violent case of Gaudi’s Shadow, the more eager he becomes about the prospect of finding explanations and answers about his own loss. Yet, like most things in life, Marc’s death is far from clear-cut and conclusive. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Milo’s Nephew, Marc, Comitted Suicide
Milo’s family life remains a complicated affair from the get-go. He had a unique childhood, during which his grandparents raised him until he was 12, before he started actually living with his parents and his brother, Hugo. Although the exact reasons behind this unusual practice are kept vague, it likely had something to do with his father’s diagnosed schizophrenia, which often manifested in abusive ways. However, while he got to escape the worst of his father’s condition as a young boy, his brother didn’t share the same fate. For the same reason, Hugo grew to detest Milo at a young age, growing resentful of his younger brother for leaving him to bear the brunt of their father’s abuse.
Tragically enough, Hugo ended up inheriting some of his father’s condition. Furthermore, his own alcohol addiction worsened his state, often sending him down spirals of paranoia and psychosis. Yet, although this introduced a complication into Marc’s life, there’s no textual evidence that suggests Hugo ever continued the cycle of abuse with his own son. Still, that doesn’t mean the young boy didn’t suffer hardships of his own, partly as a direct result of his father’s unstable mental health. Even so, his close friendships and good relationship with his uncle, Milo, helped him traverse the more complicated waters of adolescence. That is, until he found himself at the end of a line that no one around him noticed. Eventually, Marc took his own life by overdosing on some prescription pills. Although it is likely that he got the pills from his father’s stash, Hugo chose to blame Milo for the tragedy in the aftermath in an attempt to better cope with the death of his only son.
The Circumstances Around Milo’s Suicide are Intentionally Ambiguous
Although the fact of Marc’s suicide is solidified early in the story, the circumstances surrounding it remain vague. Throughout the story, Milo struggles with finding any closure on the tragedy, specifically because of the uncertainty surrounding it. Despite the many complications at home, Marc appeared to be a happy young man without any glaring issues of his own. While he was prone to spells of stress and sadness, no one around him suspected him of harboring any particular mental health conditions. Likewise, he was even in a happy relationship with his girlfriend, Kata. One instance finds Milo talking to the young woman in a desperate attempt to figure out if any relationship problems could have contributed ot his unexpected fate. Yet, he finds no answers.
Simply put, Marc seemed to be perfectly alright up until the day he decided to take his own life. While it is possible that he had an underlying condition or faced some experience that influenced his suicidal ideations, those closest to him never knew about it. Through this storyline, the narrative emphasizes the mercurial reality of life, where everything doesn’t always make sense, and not every question is answered. Marc’s family, including his family and his uncle, is desperate for an answer to make some sense of his tragic death. Even when Milo advises his mother, Sara, against bearing the burden of any blame, he can’t help but do the same himself. Much like the parents, the police officer also partially blames himself for never realizing something was wrong with his nephew until it was too late. Therefore, Marc’s story remains a perpetual case of “what if,” where those closest to him are left with no closure or explanations, but rather only their grief.
Read More: Is City of Shadows a True Story? Are Gaudí’s Shadow Based on Real Killers?
You must be logged in to post a comment.