Sumith Prasad
A sequel to the 2020 film ‘Sky High,’ Netflix’s Spanish series ‘Sky High: The Series’ AKA ‘Sky High’ follows Sole, a widow who starts to build her own crime empire in Madrid with the help of her late husband Ángel’s gang. Sole deals with the aftermath of Ángel’s demise astoundingly as she plots and completes heists, only to rival her father and crime boss Rogelio. Sole also deals with her husband’s killers as she tries to expand her operations by partially buying a port in Africa. Although Ángel’s death happens off-screen, the incident is an integral part of the narrative of the series. If you are seeking clarity concerning the same, here’s what we can share! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Betrayal’s Price: Ángel’s Greed Leads to Fatal End
In the 2020 film ‘Sky High,’ Ángel emerges as one of the biggest headaches of the Madrid police department or officer Duque in particular. Realizing that dealing with money in the country may turn out to be a tough affair, he seeks the help of Mercedes, his lawyer. Mercedes introduces Ángel to a Chinese syndicate of money launderers, who want to strike a deal with the Spanish crime boss. As per the deal, Ángel would be able to store his monetary wealth abroad, only for the syndicate to provide him money in Spain whenever he needs the same in the country. Rather than honoring the deal, Ángel and his men target the syndicate to steal from them.
Ángel teams up with Sole and steals two briefcases of money from the Chinese. Although Rogelio’s ally Ferrán steals the money from Sole by killing Estrella, the syndicate then starts to make the betrayer’s life difficult. Although Sole doesn’t explicitly reveal how her husband died, it is evident from her conversations with Mercedes that he was killed by the Chinese syndicate for stealing from them without honoring the deal they had in place. After killing Ángel, the syndicate then targets Sole for compensation. They make her steal an antique vase from a historic castle in Paris in return for their assurance that they will not trouble her anymore in the name of her late husband.
In a way, Ángel is killed by his own greed and ambition. Rather than considering the Chinese syndicate as his ally and honoring their partnership, he approaches them as a target and steals their money, which leaves them furious. His life is the cost Ángel pays for his greed. Ángel’s actions aren’t a surprise since he was always impulsive and stubborn.
Reason Behind Miguel Herrán’s Exit
Neither Netflix nor Miguel Herrán has released an official statement concerning the reasons behind the actor’s departure from the ‘Sky High’ franchise. Daniel Calparsoro, the director of the 2020 film and the co-creator of the 2023 series, along with co-creator Jorge Guerricaechevarría, must have concluded Ángel’s storyline to make the show women-centric. While the film mostly revolves around the conflicts between the three men Ángel, Rogelio, and Poli, the show’s narrative is driven forward by female characters such as Sole, Mercedes, and Rosa. Calparsoro and Guerricaechevarría might have killed Ángel off to make Sole the protagonist of the crime drama.
In a recent interview, Calparsoro said that he wanted the series to have a strong “female voice,” contrary to the film, which is, in his view, “very macho.” The co-creator makes the female voice prominent in the series by turning Sole into the protagonist of the show. The creative heads of the series must have realized that having a globally renowned star like Herrán in the cast might stop them from implementing their vision. In addition, scheduling difficulties might have come between Herrán and the show’s production. The actor has been engaged in the productions of projects such as the upcoming series ‘Los Farad’ and the already released ones like ‘Prison 77’ and ‘Canallas.’
Read More: Sky High Season 1 Ending, Explained: Is Sole Arrested?
