The story begins with China "La China" Jurado and her son Elmer running a gardening business that serves as a front for their contract killing operation. Elmer, emotionally impaired due to a childhood car accident that damaged his frontal lobe, is trained by China to be a perfect, emotionless hitman. Their business thrives as they discreetly kill targets and bury the bodies in their garden, using the decomposing remains to fertilize the plants.

Elmer's emotional detachment is challenged when they receive a contract from Sabela Costeira, who hires them to kill Violeta, an elementary school teacher accused of killing Sabela's son, Xoan. Elmer is assigned to the hit but unexpectedly falls in love with Violeta, which complicates the mission and threatens the family business. His feelings begin to return partly because of a tumor in his brain, which restores some of his emotional capacity.

Meanwhile, China struggles to maintain control over Elmer and their operation. When Tony, China's abusive husband, reenters their lives, Elmer kills him to protect his mother, despite his emotional impairment. This act deepens the bond between China and Elmer, and they continue their contract killing business, now with a darker edge.

Elmer's relationship with Violeta grows, and he starts to question his life and the orders from his mother. To eliminate the threat Violeta poses to their business, China hires a hitman named Orson to kill Violeta. However, Elmer intervenes and kills Sabela, nullifying the contract and further complicating the situation.

Tensions escalate as missing persons investigators Carrera and Torres investigate the murders linked to the gardening business. Their investigation is complicated by their own extramarital affair, which distracts them from making significant progress.

The climax occurs when China, desperate to regain control over Elmer and restore his emotionless state, hits him on the head during a confrontation and takes him to the hospital. There, she pressures the doctor to perform surgery to remove Elmer's tumor, despite the doctor's insistence on needing Elmer's consent. China's decision is driven by her desire to have the obedient, emotionless son she once had.

After the surgery, Elmer appears to return to normal life, working quietly in the garden. However, he retains memories of his feelings and the time he spent with Violeta, including the fact that China hit him. In the final scene, Violeta arrives with a deadly request: she wants someone killed, setting up a potential continuation of the story.

This detailed sequence covers all major plot points, character decisions, confrontations, and twists in The Gardener as produced in 2025.

The Gardener ends with Elmer undergoing surgery to remove a brain tumor at his mother China's insistence, which suppresses his emotions and returns him to a more obedient, unfeeling state. Weeks later, Elmer resumes his work quietly in the garden, remembering his feelings for Violeta. In the final scene, Violeta appears with a deadly request, asking Elmer to kill someone, leaving the story on a cliffhanger.

The ending unfolds scene by scene as follows:

After a series of intense events, China forcibly takes Elmer to the hospital and pressures the doctor to perform surgery to remove a tumor in Elmer's brain. The doctor initially wants Elmer's consent, but China overrides this, determined to restore Elmer to the obedient, emotionless son she once had. The surgery is completed despite Elmer's protests.

Weeks pass, and life appears to return to normal, but not in the way China hoped. Elmer, now quieter and more subdued, continues his gardening work. However, he retains memories of his past emotions, especially those connected to Violeta, the woman he fell in love with before the surgery. This internal conflict is silent but palpable as he moves through his daily routine.

In a pivotal final moment, Violeta arrives unexpectedly. She is not there simply to see Elmer but to make a grave request: she wants Elmer to kill someone. The show ends without revealing who the target is, leaving the narrative open-ended and hinting at future developments.

Regarding the fates of the main characters at the end:

• Elmer: He survives the surgery but loses much of his emotional capacity, returning to a more controlled, obedient state. Despite this, he retains some memories of his feelings for Violeta. His future is uncertain, caught between his conditioned obedience and lingering emotions.

• China (Elmer's mother): She achieves her goal of regaining control over Elmer by forcing the surgery, but this comes at the cost of their relationship's warmth and complexity. She remains a dominant, controlling figure in Elmer's life.

• Violeta: She survives the attempts on her life and remains a significant figure in Elmer's world. Her final request to Elmer to kill someone suggests she remains deeply involved in the dangerous, violent world surrounding them.

The ending leaves the story unresolved, emphasizing themes of control, loss of identity, and the blurred lines between love and violence. It sets up potential continuation but concludes the first season with a tense, ambiguous cliffhanger.

Yes, The Gardener (2025) has a post-credits scene. In this extended mid-credits scene, detectives Carrera and Torres discover a bag full of bones floating in the ocean. The bones are implied to be from one of the old victims buried in China and Elmer's garden, confirming that there were bodies hidden there. This discovery suggests that the case against China and Elmer will be reopened, as the garden of secrets is about to be fully unearthed.

Elmer suffers from an impaired ability to process emotions due to a childhood vehicle accident, which makes him emotionally detached and an effective contract killer. This emotional impairment is central to his character, as it initially allows him to work coldly in the family's contract killing business, but later becomes complicated when he begins to regain feelings, especially after falling in love with Violeta.

Elmer is hired to kill Violeta, an elementary school teacher, but instead falls in love with her. This relationship challenges the family business and creates tension, as Elmer's feelings threaten the contract killing operation run by his mother, China. Their romance is a key plot element that drives conflict and character development.

China is the controlling matriarch who manages the contract killing business with Elmer. She is manipulative and seeks to maintain control over Elmer, including pressuring him to have surgery to remove a tumor that affects his emotions. She also hires a hitman to kill Violeta, showing her willingness to eliminate threats to their operation and her son's obedience.

The tumor in Elmer's head is linked to his emotional state; its presence allows him to feel emotions, including love for Violeta. China forces Elmer to undergo surgery to remove the tumor, hoping to restore his previous emotionless state and obedience. However, after the surgery, Elmer retains his memories and feelings, complicating China's plans.

Sabela Costeira is a woman who hires China and Elmer to kill Violeta because she believes Violeta is responsible for the death of her son, Xoan. This contract sets the main conflict in motion, as Elmer falls in love with Violeta, leading to a complex web of loyalty, love, and violence among the characters.

The TV show The Gardener (2025) is not family friendly and is rated TV-MA in the United States, with similar adult ratings internationally (e.g., 15+ or 16+ in many countries). It contains mild to moderate violence, including murder, and mild sexual content such as intimate scenes, implied adultery, and women in skimpy clothing. There is also mild profanity and some depiction of alcohol and drug use (including cocaine in flashbacks).

Potentially objectionable or upsetting aspects for children or sensitive viewers include:

• Scenes of murder and violence with moderate intensity.
• Sexual content including nudity (e.g., a woman's naked back in a shower scene) and intimate situations.
• Drug and alcohol use shown in flashbacks.
• The overall tone is a dark psychological thriller involving manipulation, emotional trauma, and killing, which may be disturbing.
• Mild profanity and some intense moments that could be frightening.

Given these elements, The Gardener is intended for mature audiences and is not suitable for children or viewers sensitive to violence, sexual content, or psychological intensity.