Unseen season 1 recap: All to know before watching season 2

Unseen season 1 transports viewers into the forgotten crevices of Cape Town, where the search of a missing husband by one woman sparks a vicious cycle of events. At the center of this South African crime drama is Zenzi Mwale, a domestic worker whose peaceful life begins to disintegrate when her husband, Max, doesn't come home.

Released on March 31, 2023, Unseen season 1 consists of six episodes. It highlights Zenzi’s journey from a grief-stricken wife to a fugitive.

With each episode, she's drawn deeper into a world of crime, facing corrupt businessmen, enforcers, and police. And yet, in the midst of all this chaos, Zenzi is determined to find the truth. The season ends on a cliffhanger that poses questions about justice, morality, and the real price of survival.

Unseen season 2 premiered on Netflix on May 2, 2025.

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What happened in Unseen season 1?

In Unseen season 1, Zenzi Mwale's life falls apart when her husband, Max, who has just returned from prison, disappears without any explanation.

As she starts searching for him, her journey gets her into the world of businessman Andrew Harting, who is a man with strong roots in organized crime and illicit transactions. Harting's reach goes far and wide: from police officers to contract killers. When Zenzi digs deeper, she realizes Max may have been used and then discarded by those in power.

Zenzi’s first major turning point comes when she kills in self-defense. This moment marks her irreversible shift from victim to fugitive. As her desperation mounts, she tries to report the crime, but no one listens. Instead of being protected, she’s hunted.

And then, disaster happens once more, her son Esulu is killed by Raymond Hendricks, another of Harting's thugs. This loss drives Zenzi to not only hunt for Max but also seek justice in a world where women are often unheard.

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Zenzi sets out to find the truth behind Max's disappearance in Unseen season 1

As Unseen season 1 progresses, Zenzi discovers more about the criminal syndicate involved with Harting Enterprises. She finds out that Max had been threatened into engaging in illegal activities during his incarceration and that Harting might have had him released for his benefit. Max, attempting to shield Zenzi, remained mute, but his muteness was paid for with his life.

Zenzi's efforts to communicate with the police, including Detective Morkel, are met with deaf ears. The justice system is also turned against her. Along the way, she encounters Reuben Theron, Harting's top fixer.

But not everybody is out to get her. Detective Lyners attempts to assist Zenzi in putting the pieces together. However, Zenzi is wrongly accused, her agony is made public, and she's treated as a criminal instead of a grieving mother. Meanwhile, the actual perpetrators are roaming free.

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What else happened in Unseen season 1?

In Unseen season 1 climax, Zenzi takes justice into her own hands and murders Raymond Hendricks, at last avenging Esulu. But this further alienates her. Now a fugitive criminal, she can no longer remain underground. Her face is everywhere in the media.

At the end, Zenzi breaks. Alone, on the run, and with no hope left, she scales a rooftop, thinking about killing herself. In a final twist, Zenzi’s sister Naledi finds her just in time. The season concludes with Zenzi walking away, but where she’s headed remains unclear.

There are also lingering questions about what Detective Lyners will do with the evidence Zenzi gave him, and whether Harting’s empire will finally fall.

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Interested viewers can watch Unseen season 1 and season 2 on Netflix.