Family Secrets Ending Explained: What Happened to Pawel? Do Jan and Kaska Get Married in the End?

Family Secrets (Gry Rodzinne) is a Polish mystery drama series which follows a couple’s wedding day which threatens to turn disastrous when they begin to unravel a web of secrets and lies that connects their two families. The series is directed by Łukasz Ostalski and the screenplay is written by Agnieszka Pilaszewska. There are 8 episodes in total with a runtime of about 42-53 minutes.

Starring Eliza Rycembel as Kaśka, Izabela Kuna, Małgorzata Mikołajczak, Piotr Pacek, Bartosz Gelner, Edyta Olszówka, Paweł Deląg, Marek Kalita, Adrian Zaremba, Agnieszka Suchora, Marcin Korcz and Anna Romantowska.

Family Secrets Ending Explained

Up until episode 5 of the series, we get to know the backstory of all the characters and a brief overview of everything that happened in the past 10 months, at least. From Malgosia’s brief affair with Emil and her misunderstanding that Kaska is also seeing him to Dorota’s impulsive action of kissing Pawel and telling about it to Emil, which lead to his suspension.

Also Read: Family Secrets Review: Feels Like a Hamster on a Wheel

Then we get to know where it all started, one day Pawel missed his exam due to his dad and ends up giving his viva alone with Professor Dorota. This is where her infatuation with him started as she even texted him about getting together, later on. But in reality, Pawel declined her offer when they meet each other for coffee, where she threatens to fail Kaska if he didn’t comply.

Now coming to the kiss in the classroom, which was witnessed by Kaska, Dorota came onto Pawel first and he even pushed her away. Still, she texted him to meet at night and told Emil about having a romantic affair with him. Which was a lie but led to Emil getting him suspended. Looking at how her husband reacted, she packs her bags and goes to Pawel’s house.

Still from Family Secrets

Even though he doesn’t want to see her, she pesters him to come with her on a drive, where she tells him everything and asks him to run away with her. Pawel couldn’t take it anymore and got out of the car, calling her crazy and that he will be reporting about her to the university. Enraged by it, Dorota runs him over with the car.

We also get to know that night, Jan also followed her mother when she picked up Pawel and witnessed everything. Dorota had called Emil for help but he also left Pawel lying injured on the side of the road and took her wife home. Fortunately, Jan picked him up and treated him at the house that Robert had given him keys to.

Jan comes back to see that his mother tried to kill herself. Even on the day when Jan and Kaska met for the first time at the party, Pawel was in the same house, upstairs and tried to talk to Kaska, but Jan called Kaska his girlfriend. When he got better, he went to see Kaska but on hearing her talking to Jan on the phone, he changes his mind.

Family Secrets Polish Series
Still from Family Secrets

He goes back to the university and the director is rather empathetic with him and offers him that he will get transferred to another college, where he could complete his studies and be away from all the mess. He accepts it, on the other hand, Jan and Kaska get close and decide to get married after her pregnancy is revealed.

They move in together to start a new family but Kaska still texts and emails Pawel continuously, and all the parents are against their wedding as well. Malgosia goes a step further and gets Pawel’s information from the university with her friend’s help and meets him. She asks him to help her stop their wedding but they are interrupted by his new girlfriend, but they soon break up.

In the end, Kaska tells Jan that she doesn’t love him and calls off the wedding. As the day ends, Małgosia helps her daughter reunite with the man she loves and Jan tries to make things right with Kaśka and Paweł by calling him to the wedding. Miraculously, Pawel’s Grandmother also speaks and tells him to go. Finally, Kaska and Pawel come face to face but they are standing parallel to the road.

Family Secrets Ending explained
Still from Family Secrets

They both try to cross the road and meet each other, Kaska almost gets hit by a truck and on the other side, we see Jan coming behind Pawel. But when the halted truck moves on we see no one on the other side and the sound of someone getting hit by a vehicle is all we can hear with Kaska’s shocked face.

Family Secrets is currently streaming on Netflix.

Also Read: Off the Hook Review: 2 Delusional Girls Go on a Digital Detox

Ameen Fatima
Ameen Fatima
I love films, except maybe horror films.

41 COMMENTS

  1. I agree! After following the series of events and anticipating “all’s well that ends well” and having it end the way it did was VERY unsatisfying!

  2. As it is storyline is full of past encounters rather than present, the way the wedding was dragged to a point of unacceptable boredom, and finally to kill the whole plot and made the already frustrated viewers give a fierce thumbs down with such a idiotic absurd
    ending.

  3. This isn’t the first series with an unsatisfactory ending. Netflix is really messing up, people are gonna get tired of these stupid endings!!! And another season? Of what?

    • I watched this entire show with all these people cheating on their loved ones, and you couldn’t give us the satisfaction of a happy ending? Disappointing. Either man dying ruins the show. Shame on you. Give us one last episode with the bicycle hit. Let it have a happy ending. Don’t put us through another season of people with no relationship values

  4. The ending is bad because Netflix isn’t having a second season. If they knew it might not be renewed, the writer could have written an ending that doesn’t leave this so unresolved.

  5. That ending made me feel just like the wedding guests probably felt….frustrated, a waste of time, confused, and no opportunity to rejoice in a happy ending after hours of unending drama.

  6. A second season would be useless for this film because the audience has had enough with the whole family. Too bad Netflix doesn’t know its audience enough to know that all we wanted was to have Pavel survive after everything he went through. We know more than we ever wanted to know about the Family Secrets. Moving on to other dysfunctional families with no question marks in the ending.

  7. So I guess Netflix wanted to rock the audience with an “unexpected” ending but this one left the viewer with the feeling that they just wasted their time watching 8 episodes for nothing. I’m just going to imagine the happy ending for myself and try to forget I ever watched it. Thumbs down on this one Netflix!

  8. Initially confused by the ending, watched a few times and my take is Jan looked despondent as he approached traffic, Kaska looked shocked rather than devastated and Pavel looked like he had road sense (remember the first episode). So Jan stepped into traffic to end his miserable self and existence, Kaska and Pavel went on to become successful doctors, great parents and relish their lives together after the many trials overcome. Thanks to the great writers who gave an opportunity to think and interpret. Those who complained lack imagination, maybe stick to more commercial genres that have little respect for intelligence of the audience. Great series, loved it.

    • Thank goodness, the only person who thought it ended this way. I did too. Pawel would not have been hit by a vehicle a second time. Jan wanted to end it. You are right that Kaska did not look shattered; it was Jan who was struck.

  9. This is the second series Netflix that the ending is stupid, 8 chapters for nothing, waste of time , maybe I should consider canceling my subscription, you suck

  10. Getting tired of Netflix showing these series leaving you in limbo and not renewing them. This happens time and time again. Will stop watching all these foreign series from now on illness I know in advance they are renewed or that they end the series like in a limited series. This is why sometimes Netflix Sucks

  11. Getting tired of Netflix showing these series leaving you in limbo and not renewing them. This happens time and time again. Will stop watching all these foreign series from now on illness I know in advance they are renewed or that they end the series like in a limited series. This is why sometimes Netflix Sucks

  12. That ending was a horrible thing to do to viewers. I agree with all the previous opinions. I’m terribly upset with the ending & no second season to make it right.

  13. Thank goodness, the only person who thought it ended this way. I did too. Pawel would not have been hit by a vehicle a second time. Jan wanted to end it. You are right that Kaska did not look shattered; it was Jan who was struck.

Leave a Reply

Subscribe

Related Articles

Family Secrets Season 2: Has Netflix Renewed the Polish Drama Series? Will Pawel and Kaska Finally Get Together?

Will there be Family Secrets Season 2? Has Netflix renewed the Polish drama series? Read inside.

Family Secrets Review: Feels Like a Hamster on a Wheel

Family Secrets (Gry Rodzinne) on Netflix, is a Polish drama series which follows a couple's wedding day which turns into a disaster, as the web of secrets gets revealed.

Family Secrets: All To Know About the Upcoming Polish Romantic Drama Series

Here's everything you need to know about Family Secrets, an upcoming Polish drama on Netflix.