“Brigands: The Quest for Gold” (season 1) is a period drama set in the 19th century. The story takes us through the journey of influential people and invaders oppressing the commoner. Among them are the brigands who are united with a mission. They refuse to be oppressed and fight for what is just. Filomena comes from a farming background but is married to a General. She hates her marriage, and she takes a bold step. The whole army and the village people are looking for Filomena, but she has joined the Monaco brigands. Sparrowhawk hears about this and decides to join her for his selfish motives.
This article contains spoilers.
Brigands: The Quest for Gold (Season 1) Recap:
Episode 1: The Map
The episode begins with a history of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies in 1860. It is considered a poor kingdom, but that isn’t true, and it has a lot of riches. This is the reason invaders are constantly plundering it. A redshirt hero named Garibaldi arrived, promising to free the people, and our narrator fought the war like his own. But they messed with the people. The people emptied the bank of Palermo as a loan for the war, and the place was filled with death and destruction. The loan was promised to be paid back, but a treasure map and the gold disappeared.
Two years later, in Basilicata, Sparrowhawk brings a prisoner and sees hope as the map is found again, and he is sure to find it. Filomena meets the people where she was born, promises to help young Juri from his illness, and decides to provide clean water. Sparrowhawk is the best Brigand hunter and is trying to find Don Clemente. Don Clemente shows the map to one of the people from the King’s court, asks for protection, and sets up guards to protect it. Filomena, who is married to Clemente, overhears the conversation and suggests training the workers so they will show loyalty, but he dismisses her.
Don Clemente’s death
Juri’s mother secretly visits Filomena to get medicine and water, but Clemente finds them. He shoots the woman and pushes Filomena into a well, saying she has no right to have ideas. Filomena struggles through, gets up the well, and finds her way home. Sparrowhawk watches Filomena struggling, and he looks for the map as well. Filomena takes a shower, and Don Clemente smells her. She says she can never wash away her pheasant smell.
Sparrowhawk reaches the office and finds the location of the treasure map, but he tries to open it when he hears Filomena scream. Filomena is angry with Don Clemente and decides to kill him. The guards find Sparrowhawk and arrest him. Filomena runs into the woods and sleeps. Sparrowhawk is forced to share a cell with a man he caught. They get into a fight, and he is moved cells.
Filomena meets the Brigands
Filomena wakes up the following day with a rifle pointing at her. Fumel (the man from the King’s court/soldier) visits Filomena’s farm, where she was born, and threatens her family during Juri’s mother’s funeral. The family is unhappy with Filomena and calls her a curse as she always brings trouble. The Brigands tie up Filomena and wonder what to do with her. They capture her as she seems to be rich, and they need money. One of the Brigands sends Celestino on a mission to find out if someone will pay a ransom for her. They send him with her ring. Celestino finds out about her husband’s death and her disappearance, and she does not have a wealthy family. Juri finds Celestino and asks him to take him with him as he wants to become a brigand. Sparrowhawk listens to their conversation from inside the prison cell.
Sparrowhawk and Fumel make a deal
Fumel tells Sparrowhawk that he is honored to meet him, and that too without his mask. Sparrowhawk asks him why he hasn’t killed him yet. Fumel tells him that he has planned to send him to Mignano, where prisoners are sent to be hanged. Sparrowhawk makes a deal and tells Fumel that he will find Filomena and bring her to him, but on one condition: he needs to destroy his portrait and cover up his identity. Fumel agrees and says a pact is a pact. Sparrowhawk asks to be sent to Mignano anyway to find her.
Filomena helps the brigands with gold
Celestino is back and tells them the bad news that they cannot get any money to return her but tells them that Fumel is looking for her. Juri follows Celestino and tells them he wants to become a brigand, but Celestino thinks he may be of help. Filomena is tied upside down to a tree and brought down. They give a gun to Juri and ask him to kill Filomena if he wants to become a brigand. Filomena makes a deal and tells them she will provide them with gold. They get into Celestino’s office, and she gives them gold. She also sneaks the treasure map with her.
Sparrowhawk manages to untie himself as the prisoners are moved to Mignano. He kills the guards and is about to kill the prisoners he shares a cell with, but they plead not to kill them. They show a symbol on their hand and ask him if he is also looking for gold. They strike a deal, and he agrees to take them to Mignano, and after the work is done, each man is for himself. Filomena meets Juri’s mother’s brother and gives him a ring. He then runs into the woods, meets the brigands, and tells them she wants to be a woman brigand.
Episode 2: The Rifle
The episode begins with Peitro and the brigand gang pulling Juri and Filomena out of coffins. They go through an initiation process to join the brigand. The brigand tells her not to keep any secrets between them; this is her family now. Fumel wonders how no one could have seen Filomena. At night, Filomena lights a matchstick and sees the treasure map. He also overhears Cicci and Pietro having sex. Cicci does not trust Filomena as she is a foreigner, but Pietro tells her to test her, and if she fails, they can kill her or give her to Fumel’s men.
Sparrowhawk and companions enter Mignano.
Sparrowhawk, along with his group, makes a plan and enters Mignano. Ventre and Manzo are afraid to enter Mignano but give in. They disguise themselves as people delivering food for the prisoners and staff and manage to enter Mignano. Sparrowhawk takes Cosimo Giordano in as his prisoner. He tells the guards he is helping out the soldiers and bribes them to let him choose the cell Giordano needs to be put in.
Sparrowhawk enters and finds a cell with an old man. He provokes the old man and tells him that he is a brigand and that he can prove it to him. Sparrowhawk then kills the guard and rescues the old man. He then meets Manzo and Ventre and asks the old man to hide inside the cart and play dead. A guard sees them, and Sparrowhawk starts killing the guards one after the other. Cosimo Giordano frees himself and starts alarming the guards. Ventre and Manzo escape with the old man. Sparrowhawk fights the guard, jumps into the water, and swims to the shore.
Filomena tries to win the brigand’s trust
Cicci takes Filomena to meet with Pace and trains her on how to use a rifle. On their way, Filomena hears people screaming for help, and she finds Luigi (Juri’s uncle) and frees the three men. Cicci tries to stop her, but she explains that they are family. Still, Cicci takes Luigi as a prisoner. They meet Pace, but he does not keep his promise nor deliver enough gunpowder. Cicci tries to trade Luigi for the gunpowder, but Filomena interrupts.
She proposes a wager and places a bet, saying the fastest one to reload a rifle wins and gets what they want. Filomena loses, and Pace takes her away, but Cicci steps in and gives him her jewelry in exchange for Filomena. She thanks Cicci for saving her and showing her the map. Pietro and others discuss it, and Cicci tells them Filomena cannot read the map. Filomena is tied and left on the road. Soldiers arrive and are about to kill her, but the brigands show up and loot the tax money. Filomena also kills one of the soldiers when Juri cannot bring himself to do it. They celebrate by singing and dancing.
They are interrupted as Sparrowhawk comes to meet the brigands. It turns out the man he rescued is Pietro’s father, and he asks for Filomena in exchange for paying off the debts. Cicci is unhappy with the idea. Meanwhile, Pace’s leader arrives and tells Luigi and the others that they are part of Guerra Gang brigands from now on. They further say that they should not fear the heart of the storm and that they are fighting for freedom.
Episode 3: The Ox
The episode begins with Michelina, the leader of Guerra Brigand’s gang, visiting a painter to get a portrait. Fumel comes to Filomena’s village, and the father of the church, who supports the Monaco brigand gang, watches Piccolo speak to Fumel. He realizes something is wrong. Antonio Pietro’s father insists they leave for their hometown immediately as they are not a match for Fumel. Cicci tells the gang they must save Filomena, but Pietro decides to leave.
Sparrowhawk keeps Filomena with him, and he asks her to strip. Filomena realizes it is for the map and has nothing to do with her. She gains his trust a little bit, but he faints. She sees he has a wound and treats it. Filomena memorizes the map, and Sparrowhawk asks her to give him the map, but she burns it. She asks him for the feather he is holding onto, and he reveals that it’s the treasure from the South. They decide to go there together as she is the only person to take him to it. She reveals the location and visits her brother Nino to tell him the news.
Who deceives Filomena?
Fumel’s men find Filomena, and they capture her. Fumel keeps his promise to Sparrowhawk and destroys his picture. Sparrowhawk digs into the location that Filomena has revealed to him but finds nothing. Fumel treats Filomena well and rewards Piccolo’s family with an ox for cooperating with them. He promises Filomena that he will take her to the North once they find the treasure and gives her a day to decide.
Filomena decides to cut her hair off. The father is tortured into revealing the Monaco brigand location, and he apologizes to Filomena. Filomena, Manzo, and Ventre are captured and taken to prison. Juri sees Filomena captured and jumps on the cart, asking how he can save her. She asks him to warn the Monaco brigand’s family that Fumel is coming for them, as he knows their location.
Filomena’s revenge
The guards abruptly stop their cart as the checkposts are empty. They get down to check, and one of them is shot. Sparrowhawk comes to Filomena’s rescue. He tells her she gave the wrong location and needs her to find the treasure. Cicci convinces the gang that they need to avenge Filomena because the brigands are the reason for her capture. Filomena tells Sparrowhawk that she needs to do one thing before they leave, and she visits her village. The villagers are armed and prepared.
They tie up Filomena, Sparrowhawk, Manzo, and Vetre. The Monaco brigands come to their rescue. Filomena does not show mercy and kills Piccolo. She also tells Sparrowhawk and the brigands to make peace with each other as that’s the only way to be stronger than Fumel. She also reveals about the gold. Fumel and the troop visit the woods but can’t find Monaco or Brigand. Later, he visits the village and finds the ox with Piccolo’s head hanging from it. Michelina visits a village with Guerra brigands and asks them to cooperate, and they take down a few soldiers. Luigi is dead.
Episode 4: From the Earth We Will Rise
The episode begins with a flashback of Filomena and Nino as kids. They are happy for a while until their parents are killed. In the present, Nino is getting tortured, but Fumel stops the soldier as he intends to use him to bring Filomena to him. Nino tells Fumel that she does not care about anything except money and has abandoned him. Fumel sends a message to the brigands that Nino will be killed in 3 days and that if Filomena surrenders, everything will be pardoned. Pietro tells Filomena that this is Fumel’s technique. He will send someone not to catch but with a message and later keep something close to the person so they can become weak. He will make sure the group turns on each other, and then he will strike.
The disturbance in the alliance
Filomena is disturbed after hearing about her brother Nino. She wants to get inside the village and save him, but neither the brigands nor Sparrowhawk cares. They only want to get to the gold. Pietro senses that there is a traitor among them when he sees two of their men asleep while on watch. Cicci tries to tell him that nobody is a traitor, and they fall asleep on the job. Someone puts a fire, and Pietro loses his mind. He sends Juri and Celestino to find out if there is a traitor. Juri takes him to Lissandra Fumel’s daughter to get information.
Celestino’s death
Lissandra teases Juri and Celestino, saying that Monaco cannot even aim properly. Celestino gets angry and demonstrates his skill. He fires at tin cans, and on his third try, he realizes that he is shot. Fumel shoots him and takes Lissandra away. She tells him they were only fooling around and cries herself to sleep. Juri brings Celestino to the hideout. Everyone is mourning as they are all losing someone they love. After Celestino’s funeral, Pietro brings the group together and tells them that some will find the gold and the others must find Fumel and kill him. Cicci, Juri, Filomena, and two others visit the village, and Pietro, Antonio, and Sparrowhawk look for the gold.
The traitor
As they enter Fumel’s house, they realize there aren’t any guards and nobody else is home. Cicci finds it odd. The other group starts digging in the location and finds gold. They begin to put the crates in the car, and there are gunshots. The soldiers are shooting at them. Sparrowhawk decides to bail, but Pietro shoots one of them and hides inside a cave-like structure. Cicci tears up and asks Filomena where the gold is as she realizes the soldiers might have followed the gold-hunting group.
Pietro realizes Salvatore has betrayed them and sends a signal to the soldier when he lit the fires. Salvatore tries to convince Antonio that he did it for the family’s good and that Pietro left him to rot in prison. Antonio believes him, and Pietro asks Antonio to shoot him. But Antonio turns around and shoots Salvatore. Antonio and Pietro hang themselves. Cicci finds them and bursts into tears. Sparrowhawk rushes to the meeting place and finds soldiers waiting. Filomena and the group find themselves in front of the soldiers as well. The soldiers arrest all of them, and Michelina sees them from afar and wonders who they are.
Episode 5: The Bride, The Assassin and the Lunatic
The episode begins with Michelina sending the deceased into nature. Filomena mourns the loss of her brother. Michelina’s men take Manzo, Ventre, Filomena, and Sparrowhawk. Cicci is mourning the loss of her love, and Juri is doing everything he can to make her feel better. Maria takes the four of them to Michelina. They hear her talk about fighting for a cause. The leader of the stonemaker agrees to cooperate if Michelina lets Maria marry his son.
Cosimo’s return
Sparrowhawk notices Cosimo and tries to hide his face under his hat, but Cosimo identifies him and wants to shoot him. But he has other plans. He puts him in prison. Everyone is preparing for Cosimo and Maria’s marriage, but Maria is unhappy. Filomena tells Michelina that the gold is with Fumel, and they will take it up North, and they only have a little time.
Cosimo puts the prisoners against Sparrowhawk and makes him fight them to death. He meets him and tells him that they are no different. Cosimo wants to feel it every time he kills another prisoner, and only then will he meet his death. Filomena enjoys her time during the wedding festivities but hears some men and follows the sound. She watches Sparrowhawk fight and is shocked. Then, she sees Cosimo forcing Maria to have sex with him, and she burns his hair. She yells at Michelina as her words and actions don’t match. Filomena is put in prison.
The Betrayal
Marchetta meets Fumel to get his reward for selling out the Monaco gang. Fumel is furious with him as he is greedy, but he leaves. Cicci wants to kill herself, but Juri stops her. Marchetta is going, but Cicci stops him and tells him that only traitors must be afraid. Marchetta manipulates Cicci to make her believe that Filomenasold them out. Meanwhile, after realizing they are in love, Cosimo’s men put Filomena and Sparrowhawk into the fighting rink.
They are not killing each other but hoping the other one does. Maria tells Michelina that she does not want to marry Cosimo, and Michelina understands. On the day of the wedding, Michelina disguises themselves as Maria and stabs Cosimo. Cosimo’s father is killed as well. Michelina’s men stop the fight, kill all involved, and save the prisoners, including Filomena and Sparrowhawk.
Episode 6: The Well
The episode begins with Fumel receiving the gold, and he brings it inside the church. Juri spies on the soldiers and the people to get more information. The father, aka Don Orlando, is taken by Guerra brigands and is questioned about Fumel’s movements. At first, he denies knowing anything, but after pressurizing him, he reveals that Fumel is hiding the gold in his church despite his protests. He also mentions that the curfew is at 5 pm, and anyone seen outside will be shot dead. Filomena says she has a plan.
Michelina speaks to the villagers and, with the help of Don Orlando, convinces the commoners to fight for freedom. Juri reports back to Cicci about Filomena and how she is with Michelina. Cicci is confident that she has betrayed them. Sparrowhawk and Filomena promise to see each other at 6 pm after the fight. Juri visits Lissandra and asks her to run away with him. Cicci and Marchetta find a house and watch the plaza from the terrace. Marchetta offers Cicci wine, and after smelling it, she realizes Marchetta is the one who betrayed them. They fight, and Marchetta stabs Cicci on her arm and runs away.
Guerra and others dress as churchgoers and stand outside the church after curfew. Fumel asks his soldiers to start firing, and a battle breaks out. Fumel is informed that his daughter is missing, and a rope with blood on it is found. Cicci helps in the battle and shoots Fumel on his legs. A cart passes by, and Fumel asks his men to stop it. Michelina comes forward, and she is shot. She smiles and tells Fumel that they have won. Fumel checks the cart, and it is empty.
Brigands: The Quest for Gold (Season 1) Ending Explained:
Why does Sparrowhawk betray the brigands?
Filomena’s plan was that the cart passing by would distract the chosen men from taking the gold out of the church and leaving. She tells them about a secret passage that leads them to the church crypts from the well. Everything goes according to plan. Fumel checks the church, but the gold is missing. Marchetta arrives at the meeting spot and provokes Juri, who shoots him, takes Lissandra and runs.
Sparrowhawk stops the cart and asks the men to get down. He takes their weapon and shoots one of Guerra’s men. Subsequently, Sparrowhawk asks Ventre and Manzo to stay with him. He shows him some scars on his hands, and they take him to his destination. Filomena is mad at Sparrowhawk and Cicci consoles her. Filomena wants Sparrowhawk to die. Sparrowhawk meets with a man, gives him the gold, and that man picks up a feather and says the bird is free. A mysterious woman shows up, and they gaze at each other.
The ending indicates the loan is being returned to the owner. The mysterious woman is held and is precious to Sparrowhawk, which explains why he has always been interested in gold and nothing else. We are unsure what happened to Michelina. If there is a second season, we might see Filomena getting vengeance on Sparrowhawk. Filomena holding the feather may indicate that she will find him and get revenge. Sparrowhawk managed to betray everyone in the end to achieve his goal.
