'Riv4lries' Ending Explained & Finale Recap: Will There Be A Season 2?

The ending of the Italian Netflix original RIV4LRIES reminds us once again that teamwork makes the dream work. The show centers around protagonist Terry, a girl who moves from Rome to Pisa and absolutely hates it. But in time, not only does she grow to love the city, but also the people she gets to know at her new school. In the show, when Terry joins her new middle school in Pisa, she immediately catches the eye of the popular kids in school, who call themselves “Insiders.” At first, she’s excited to be a part of the popular group and instantly make friends; however, she soon realizes she’s more interested in hanging out with the kids who are ignored by these insiders. With the outcasts of the class, she creates her own group, the outsiders. Most of the show is about the rivalry between these two factions in middle school. It honestly drags on way too much; however, in the end, everyone is invested in a common goal, and that is to break down the wall that divides the high school and middle school. This wall situation already feels quite unnecessary, but I guess it’s there to act as a massive boulder for these kids who feel like it’s the end of the world. Will they manage to tear down the wall? Do Claudio and Terry get thrown out? Let’s find out in the ending of RIV4LRIES.

Spoiler Alert

What Do The Kids Do To Help Claudio And Terry? 

In RIV4LRIES’ final episode 14, Terry and Claudio are not even on talking terms because he broke up with her when really what he should’ve done was tell her how he was hurt because of his father. Claudio and Terry’s falling out impacts both groups, too, but by this time, some of the insiders and outsiders have already started to intermingle and realize they actually get along quite well. Additionally, now that Paolo’s mother, aka the principal, knows that Terry and Claudio were responsible for the Wally situation, she’s said she’s going to fail the two of them. While they’re responsible for making a mess and disobeying direct orders, the rest of the students also want the same thing as them. They also participated in the Wally protests, which means it’s not solely Claudio and Terry’s fault. 

Out of her wits, Terry decides to invite her old friend from Rome, Pietro, over. Already, Claudio’s upset, and this makes it worse, because he sees Pietro also as an outsider. Claudio is an egotistical child who has a lot to learn, so it only makes sense that he’s immediately jealous of Pietro. So, when the whole gang, i.e., the combined group of insiders and outsiders, starts to work together, Claudio ends up being a jealous child and not working with them. Paolo and Dario decide to protest the school’s decision without Claudio and Terry and organize it in secret (I guess it’s like the groups getting them back on, keeping their relationship a secret). They even bring the high schoolers onboard, and Marzia tells her mother’s boyfriend’s son, Bruno, that Elena, the hottest girl in school, is her girlfriend. That’s all it takes to get him to stop being a prick to her and also get the high schoolers to join in the protests. I mean, everyone wants the pitch back. 

Finally, Dario and the gang come up with a plan to get Terry and Claudio to join forces. Dario pretends he needs each of them separately to help him write a song. When they show up at Dario’s, they’re flabbergasted to see each other; however, the whole gang surprises them then, claiming that they’re going to risk failing as a whole grade rather than allowing Claudio and Terry to be mistreated by the principal. This is something that Terry and Claudio can agree is too risky; however, their friends are determined to help them, so they agree to join. Pietro brings in the megaphone and all the flags they painted for the protest. Finally, Claudio feels energized by the idea of saving the school, and Terry is happy to see the Claudio she “knows.” The protest is too big for the principal to ignore, but neither can she fail a whole grade. It’s Paolo who stands up to his mother, which is really surprising to her. The protest is shared online, and with everyone grouping up together, the students have to be on the winning side. 

What Happens With Claudio And His Dad? 

Throughout the show, Claudio had a big ego because his dad had money and bought him everything he wanted. However, he learns that his dad’s a fraud, and Alesso, his friend and then enemy, was right all along. However, the one thing the kids learn is that their parents’ mistakes aren’t their own. Hence, they accept Paolo; they see that Claudio’s not at fault as the son of a fraud. More importantly, Claudio also stands up to his dad and tells him he doesn’t want to talk to him. It means he’s no longer looking for validation from his father, who was never around for him. Though I hope he doesn’t end up abandoning his mother completely. He definitely needs someone to look after him and teach him to be a good kid. On the other hand, Luca and Dario are back to being brothers again and even help their father with his new girlfriend, despite still grieving the loss of their own mother. In typical fashion, Luca and Dario aren’t just twins, but they also ended up fighting over a girl. However, Sabrina realizes she’d rather go back to being best friends with Dario than be his girlfriend, which leaves Luca with the opportunity to ask her out. Luca does confess his love for Sabrina, and while she seems into it, for the moment, we don’t know what she’s going to choose. Especially since everything that happened with Dario. 

Does Terry Go Back To Rome? 

In RIV4LRIES’ ending, the principal congratulates the class for their critical thinking, and for working together to help their classmates. She says that sometimes adults can be wrong, and the kids peacefully used their voices to get what they deserved. While Claudio and Terry are not going to fail and can give their exams, the principal says that all she can do about the wall is speak to the board. She also apologizes for not being considerate of their needs and for not listening to them properly. On the other hand, after all of this, Terry’s in two minds about wanting to go back to Rome and staying in Pisa. While she initially hated it there, she has now made best friends, met a cute boy, and even worked harder to become a better student. Additionally, we know that she feels like a lot has changed back home, and she’s changed too. It’s only natural for someone to grow distant from the friends they’ve had before when they go to a new place. It’s hard to adjust, and the people who help you through that become much more important than those you’ve known for years. In the final minutes of the episode, Claudio meets Terry at the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and she finally goes to the top of the tower with him. This is her first time there, and just like she’s at the top of the tower, she’s also on top of her new life, and so clearly she’s going to want to stay back now. More importantly, she’s got Claudio too, and they kiss at the top, meaning they’re back together, and this time there won’t be any relationship trouble, hopefully. Claudio even suggests Terry should stand for student body president the next year, because she’s such a good leader. 

Will There Be A Season 2? 

While nothing is confirmed yet, the finale of the show makes it clear that this story has only just begun. We’re already invested in the lives of these kids, and they’re quite the group, so it’ll be interesting to see where they go from here. Sabrina and Terry might become the gymnastics champions in town who make the whole city proud. Alesso might get to do something with his art, and the band might get big. The possibilities are endless, so if the show does well, there’s definitely a chance for a second season. After all, it’s a teen drama with loads of romance, drama, and school bullying. 

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