The Netflix Lebanon series Hard Broken revolves around the sudden murder of Yasmine, a dentist and wife of lawyer Adam. Yasmine and Adam were returning from their anniversary party together when a robber stopped and forced them out of their car. Yasmine had a severe stomach ache that night, and Adam planned on taking her to the hospital. As Yasmine begged the robber to spare her life, they shot her twice. Before running away with his car, the thief shot Adam in the shoulder. While it seemed to be a robbery case at first, things took a turn when the car was spotted by the police. Why would the robber leave the car behind if the motive was to steal? Clearly, Yasmine was a target, but why?
Spoiler Alert
Were Yasmine And Youssef Illicit Lovers?
Adam was a possessive husband, and his nagging behavior often suffocated Yasmine. He doubted her even when she was faithful to him, and his lack of trust was the reason why Yasmine searched for solace elsewhere. A disturbing childhood memory haunted Adam, and it left him scarred for life. When Adam was a young boy, he caught his mother sleeping with her lover. Adam’s father was with him when he entered the room, and he died of a heart attack as a result. Adam could not forgive his mother, Sherine, for betraying her family, and even after all these years, he refused to allow her to come anywhere close to his daughter. Adam was furious when he discovered that his best friend and fellow lawyer, Lana, defended Sherine’s partner, Mounir. After Mounir took over everything his father owned, Adam developed extreme bitterness towards him.
Lana’s husband, Youssef, comforted Yasmine whenever she felt overwhelmed by her marriage. Youssef was also a dentist and a mentor to Yasmine, and they shared a great deal of time together. Their proximity at times bothered Adam and Lana, but it was assumed that they shared a friendly relationship. After Yasmine’s death, when Adam discovered her secret phone, he became certain that his wife was cheating on him. Adam was living his worst nightmare, and he was determined to punish the man who dared to sleep with his wife. He was also confident that the man involved with Yasmine had murdered her.
After failing to unlock the phone, Adam informed the police about it, but before handing over the evidence to the police, he received a phone call from a blackmailer asking him for money in exchange for the phone that Yasmine used her secret cell to contact. When Adam reached the location of the blackmailer, he asked Adam to hand over Yasmine’s phone. But Adam refused to do so, and he was punched. The blackmailer was about to stab Adam, but his friend, Saad, took the blow. After questioning Yasmine’s best friend, Suraya, Saad found out that Youssef was Yasmine’s lover. When he informed the investigator about it, it became clear that Youssef had hired the thugs to get hold of the secret phone to remove all evidence of his extramarital affair.
Who Murdered Yasmine?
Once Youssef realized that his blackmailing plan had failed, he decided to go into hiding. Even though everyone seemed convinced that Youssef was the murderer, it still did not make sense for him to kill his lover. Youssef loved Yasmine, and their secret apartment was a witness to their affair. Yasmine wanted Youssef to divorce Lana, but he was afraid of his wife. Lana was a successful lawyer known for her cunning ways. He was certain that if Lana found out about the affair, she would destroy them both. Even though Yasmine and Youssef wanted to build a future together, their spouses made it impossible for them.
After the investigators unlocked the secret phone, it was confirmed that Youssef was Yasmine’s secret lover. When Youssef was arrested, the police found the murder weapon in his kitchen. During his interrogation, Youssef repeatedly stated that he had no idea where the gun had come from. But his statements were unimportant considering the evidence that the police had at hand. Along with the gun, the drugs found in Yasmine’s body were linked with the drugs used at his dental clinic. The police concluded that he wanted to murder Yasmine because he was afraid of the scandal that the extramarital affair would cause.
Lana was heartbroken when she was told about Youssef’s involvement. She admitted that she had been an absent wife, but she had never expected him to find comfort in Yasmine and murder her as well. Youssef was taken to court, and even though his lawyer tried to defend him by citing how Youssef was not within the vicinity when the murder was committed, it was not enough to prove his innocence. There was a lack of evidence, and the court sentenced Youssef to death by hanging for the murder of Yasmine. The judge added that Youssef could appeal if he so desired.
Was Yasmine Murdered By Adam And Lana?
After Youssef was sentenced to death in the last episode of Hard Broken, we learned that Adam and Lana were the actual murderers. During the last few months, Lana noticed that her husband secretly texted someone. She was curious to find out what Youssef was up to, and she synced his geolocation with her phone. One day, when Youssef called and informed her that he would return late from work, she followed his phone location. Lana saw Yasmine enter the building her husband was in, and upon following her, Lana discovered Yasmine and Youssef’s truth. Lana never allowed her emotions to get the better of her, and when she found her husband cheating, her instinct was to contact Saad. Lana knew that Saad disliked Yasmine, and she wanted to find out the reason behind it. Saad and Yasmine used to be together during their university days, and Yasmine wanted their relationship to be a secret. All of a sudden, Yasmine decided to end their relationship, and she immediately started dating Adam. Saad could never forgive Yasmine for her selfish move.
Lana informed Adam about the affair, and the two followed Yasmine to the apartment. Adam was devastated when he saw Youssef and Yasmine in a compromising position. Adam wanted to murder them then and there, but Lana stopped him from doing so. She had revenge on her mind as well, but she wanted to execute the plan to perfection. Adam and Lana secretly planned the murder, but when they returned home, they always made it a point to show their love to their respective partners. Lana stole the drugs from Youssef’s clinic that she later used to spike Yasmine’s drink during the anniversary party. The drugs caused the stomach ache, and Adam and Yasmine left the party early. Lana hopped into a taxi just for the sake of building her witness story later on during the investigation.
Lana did not return home that night; instead, she waited for Adam to bring Yasmine to the murder location. Lana, dressed as a robber, stopped Adam’s car, but soon enough, she revealed her identity. Yasmine was shocked when she realized that Adam was part of the plan. Lana handed him the gun, and Adam expressed his disappointment upon finding out that Yasmine was cheating on him. Yasmine begged Adam to spare her life for the sake of their daughter, Sarah. But Adam was not ready to listen to her. He shot her twice to make sure that she died. When Adam shot Yasmine dead, a weight lifted off his shoulder, thinking that he had finally punished his mother. Adam could not tolerate infidelity, and when he murdered Yasmine, he was proud that he took a stand for his beliefs. Adam could never get over his childhood trauma, and that resulted in the insecure person that he had become. Lana shot Adam in the shoulder to support the robbery story that Adam would narrate the next day at the police station. Lana later left the gun at Youssef’s place to frame him for the murder.
What Role Did Saad And Suraya Play In The Case?
During Hard Broken‘s ending, it seemed that Adam had grown infatuated with Lana. His lustful looks and his interest in taking her out suggested that he wanted to be more than friends with Lana, but she did not feel the same way. While Lana tried to figure out if they had left any piece of the puzzle for the defense to use against them, Youssef’s lawyer, Shaheen, approached the investigators at a restaurant and reminded them how Lana was never questioned about the taxi that she took from the restaurant. It turns out at the end of Hard Broken that the person driving the taxi Lana left the restaurant in was Saad.
Meanwhile, at the office, Adam noticed Suraya secretly visiting Lana. She was carrying a paper bag with her, and she handed it to Lana to get rid of. Adam could not help but wonder what secret Lana was keeping from him. She had once remarked that Suraya was an evil woman, yet Lana was meeting her in secret. Adam followed Lana and saw her handing the bag to Saad. The bag consisted of money, and Saad promised to return the amount in checks within two days. Suraya was romantically involved with Mounir, and she brought his money to Lana. The lawyer helped Mounir launder money through Saad’s contacts. We also find out that Saad played an important role in orchestrating the murder. Lana was offered a station license in return for her service, suggesting that she did not commit the crime just for the sake of revenge. But why did Saad want Yasmine to die?
At the end of the series, we get to know that nine years ago, Yasmine found out Saad’s secret. Yasmine wanted to surprise Saad, and she was horrified when she found out that he killed a girl named Mira after a night of drugs and alcohol. Saad threatened to murder her as well if she dared to speak the truth. From then on, Yasmine distanced herself from Saad. Years later, when Mira’s parents found out that their daughter was killed, Saad doubted that Yasmine had broken her silence.
Youssef has the chance to appeal, and one of the investigators, Sandra, came up with a legitimate question: how is it possible that Adam did not recognize Youssef’s voice after years of being best friends? It became clear to the investigators that Adam was lying, and there was more to the story than what it seemed. The ending suggests that a second season of Hard Broken is on the way. We hope to find out what exactly happened nine years ago, and how Mira’s parents figured out the truth. And hopefully, in season two, Youssef will be acquitted of the murder charge, though how Adam will deal with Lana’s betrayal is something that we have to wait and watch.
