Arka Mukhopadhyay
Developers Ricardo Tiezzi, Michel Carvalho, Ana Pacheco, and Natalia Piserni infuse an unyielding spirit into Portuguese-original teen romance telenovela ‘Summer Heat’ (original title: ‘Temporada de Verão’). The story follows seven fresh recruits gearing up to serve the clientele at the exotic Maresias hotel. While committing to their tasks, the youthful employees find love, friendship, family, identity, growth, and everything in between. If you are busy shipping Diego and Catarina at the end of the first season, let us deduce whether they end up together. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Do Diego And Catarina End Up Together?
The Maresias hotel staff comprises several budding lovebirds. Although you may root for Miguel and Yasmin, or Helena and Leo, the irresistible chemistry between Diego and Catarina is one you cannot overlook. Diego is the dreamer among the group who wants to pursue his dreams of becoming a lifeguard. On the other hand, Catarina’s entry to the hotel coincides with her mother’s arrest. After Cecilia goes to prison for money laundering, all of Catarina’s cards reject the payment. She has little choice but to take a job at the hotel.
However, the friends do not easily trust Catarina, whom they think to be a “spoiled brat.” They do not miss the mark drastically since Catarina steals the money from selling the unclaimed phone, which the friends hoped to buy an AC with. While faking a robbery, Catarina buys a fancy bag and other stuff with the money. Yasmin finds the bag in Catarina’s locker and plans to divulge Catarina’s deeds to the group. However, Catarina dissuades her, and they form a tight-knit friendship.
Catarina also breaks off the engagement with Rodrigo when she finds him cheating on her with Helena on their night of the engagement. She has to let go of her old affluent life, but some kind words from Diego make it easy. Rodrigo and his leeching friends demand Catarina to serve them juice, humiliating her in the process. Then, when Catarina spots Rodrigo and his buddies at the beach, she kisses Diego to ward them off. It seems to work, but Diego feels uneasy.
Diego seems to be in a relationship with yoga instructor Marilia, but he has not tagged the relationship. Single mother Marilia wants stability in her life. When she finds Diego is planning to become a lifeguard, she disapproves of Diego’s life choices. On the other hand, Diego and Catarina develop a close friendship after the kiss, which gradually progresses to romance. Catarina helps Diego in his lifeguard exams, but Diego becomes awkward when giving Catarina CPR.
However, Diego confides to Catarina about the death of Danilo, his brother, although he avoids talking to Marilia about his family. Danilo’s death haunts Diego throughout the story, and it is also why Diego wants to be a lifeguard. When he clears the first lifeguarding exam, Catarina becomes the first to know. On the other hand, Marilia only knows when Catarina tells her, which further complicates the uneasy dynamic between Marilia and Diego.
In the end, Diego breaks up with Marilia when he finds her dealing drugs in the hotel. After Helena spills Catarina’s dishonesty, Diego stands by her, although the incident gives rise to mistrust between the two. But as Catarina helps Diego to overcome his trauma, the underwater experience draws them closer. However, Catarina breaks up with Diego shortly before heading to the prison in the finale, while Diego decides to move to Chile. It remains unclear when Catarina will end her sentence. We also do not know whether Diego will ever come back to the hotel, and the chances are thin. With the impasse, it seems that they do not end up together after all.
Read More: Is Summer Heat Based on A True Story?
