Netflix’s CRIMINAL CODE (originally titled DNA do Crime) doesn’t just serve up a high-octane crime thriller—it anchors every twist in emotional weight and moral conflict. Loosely inspired by real-life cases and centered around Brazil’s Federal Police, the series dives into how DNA technology helps crack impossible cases. Season 2 continues this gripping momentum with a showdown that tests loyalties, shakes leadership, and blurs the line between justice and vengeance.
Led by creators Heitor Dhalia, Bernardo Barcellos, and Leonardo Levis, the show stars Maeve Jinkings as Suellen, Rômulo Braga as Benicio, and Thomás Aquino as Isaac, the criminal mastermind behind the Ghost Gang. The second season intensifies the war between the police and organized crime, climaxing in a series of betrayals, deaths, and unexpected alliances.
SEASON 2: NEW LEADERS, OLD WOUNDS
When the season starts, the Federal Police are still trying to get back on their feet after what happened in Season 1. As Suellen takes charge, she tries to keep the broken group together while also looking for Isaac and his Ghost Gang. After a dangerous bank robbery in Fortaleza, where the crew just barely makes it out alive, bad things happen. As they try to get away, Xuxa, one of them, kills Professor Assuncao. Suellen feels guilty because she put her trust in the Professor in the field. Her grief over his death turns into personal revenge.
At the same time, Rossi, who used to be in charge of the police task force, is demoted because he keeps making mistakes. Inspector Vendramin, a cold person who doesn’t trust Suellen’s methods, takes his place. Suellen and Benicio start to go after Xuxa because they are now being watched. They use informants on the street to find him. They finally catch Xuxa at a strip club called Shangri-La while on the hunt. But the victory isn’t real because Isaac was hiding in the same club and getting away from them again.
To find out more, Suellen asks Luana, a sex worker and spy, to work as a spy at Shangri-La. This risky move shows a web of operations run by Gabriel (Isaac’s brother) and Lobo, who are his right-hand men. There is more of a chase, but every small win brings a new problem.
THE ROBBERY, THE LOSS, AND THE CRACK IN ISAAC’S ARMOR
The police finally face Isaac’s gang directly during a high-stakes heist at Vera Cruz. There is a shootout, and Gabriel is killed by Suellen, which is very sad for Isaac. This death breaks Isaac down. Throughout the season, flashbacks show how they both got into crime, and Gabriel’s death changes Isaac’s goals. For the first time, Isaac thinks about stopping robbery and making a plan for how to do that.
But Isaac isn’t the only powerful player who wants to get ahead. Isaac needs to follow the rules set by the Ambassador, a shady kingpin who was introduced earlier. Isaac turns to Djeison when he realizes this, and the two of them kill the Ambassador, getting rid of a key criminal figure in Brazil. The criminal world is thrown into chaos by this murder, which also lets Isaac join the drug trade and work with Cabeca, a powerful prison boss.
THE FINAL SHOWDOWN AT SANTOS PORT
In the last scene of the season, Isaac tries to pull off one last job: a huge cocaine smuggling job through the port of Santos. And now that Benicio and Suellen have put the plan together, they attack the station. After that, there is a fierce firefight. Benicio goes off to face an old enemy: Soulless, who killed his ex-partner Santos.
One of the most emotional scenes in the series is when Benicio meets Soulless on the bank of a muddy river. Their brutal fight with their hands shows how much they hate each other. Heartless, who is loyal to his family in a strange way, almost kills Benicio. But Benicio stabs him out of desperation, ending the threat for good. Soulless gives Benicio a pendant before he dies and asks him to give it to his son. This hits Benicio hard because it makes him think of how hard it is for him to get along with his own son, Samuel.
SUELLEN’S SOLO MISSION AND ISAAC’S ESCAPE
Back at the port, Suellen faces off against Lobo and other gang members. She takes down Lobo, but Isaac escapes again, this time disappearing completely. The police seize a huge shipment of drugs—seen by the public as a win. But Suellen and Benicio know the truth: Isaac is still out there.
The final scenes show Isaac recovering weapons and money from a hidden cache. He’s alive, in hiding, and more dangerous than ever. He visits Italio, a flashy criminal he previously mocked. Once reluctant to work together, Isaac now needs him, suggesting a powerful new alliance has formed.
THE POWER SHIFT AND A NEW THREAT
One of the biggest shifts in Season 2 is the power vacuum left by the Ambassador’s death. Cabeca, once just a prison shot-caller, rises to take over his empire. By season’s end, he’s assumed full control of the drug network. This sets the stage for a bigger, more dangerous adversary next season.
Isaac, although reeling from Gabriel’s death, now has a partner in Italio and access to the Ambassador’s old empire. His escape and regrouping suggest his story is far from over. Likewise, Suellen and Benicio—despite their public victory—know they’ve only scratched the surface.
WHAT THE ENDING MEANS FOR SUELLEN AND BENICIO
Both Suellen and Benicio are changed emotionally by the final fight. Even though Benicio beat Soulless, the fact that his enemy wasn’t that different from him keeps bothering him. This makes him think about his role as a father and how far away he is from Samuel. At the same time, Suellen is more determined than ever to finish the job, even though her team has lost and Isaac is still free.
In conclusion, Criminal Code is starting a new game. The end of Season 2 brings both closure and a fresh start. Big bad guys like Soulless and Lobo are gone, but Isaac is still the main threat. He used to be a thief but is now becoming a drug lord. The battle between Suellen and Benicio may have been won, but the real war is still going on. The next chapter will have even more danger and moral complexity, since Cabeca is getting stronger and Isaac is making risky new alliances.
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