Season 2 of Roberta Orioma’s Grind has officially wrapped with its tenth episode, and it’s safe to say we’re sad to see it go. Throughout the season, we’ve followed the highs, lows, and survival battles of Tarela, Tiwa, and Edesiri — and in these final two episodes, their stories collide in an emotional, devastating way. Read on to see how the storylines closed and what might lie ahead.

Episode 9: Loss, Secrets, and Heartbreak

The ninth episode delivers a heavy emotional blow. Tarela and her family are shattered after discovering that Kome has died. In the wake of her death, Kome’s father runs away, abandoning the family once again — a cruel echo of his past behaviour.

Meanwhile, Kobe meets Tiwa’s father to inform him about Tiwa’s pregnancy and express his intention to support her. Tiwa catches Kobe just as he’s leaving the church, learning about his conversation with her father. Tiwa attempts to reconcile with her father, but he rejects her apology, leading to a heart attack that ultimately ends with him disowning her.

A poignant flashback sheds light on Tarela’s mother’s backstory, revealing how she was expelled from her father’s home after getting pregnant with Tarela. In the same flashback, we see her early relationship with Kome’s father, who also abandoned her. In the present, she finds out Kome’s father has deserted the family yet again. Overwhelmed by grief and resentment, Tarela blames her mother for Kome’s death. Elsewhere, Edesiri learns about Kome’s passing through a call from her aunt, and Tiwa steps in to comfort the heartbroken Tarela.

Episode 10: Grief, Choices, and New Beginnings

The season finale opens with Kome’s funeral, setting a mournful tone. Edesiri makes an appearance to pay her respects, highlighting how grief has momentarily erased the divisions between the girls, but Tarela is not welcoming. The tension escalates when the loan shark visits Tarela’s mother, demanding repayment and revealing that Kome’s father not only failed to return the loan but also took even more money before disappearing.

Struggling with sorrow, Edesiri leans on Somto, who warns her against getting further entangled with Andre. Meanwhile, Kobe reaches out to Tiwa, but she ends things with him, uncertain about her future and her pregnancy. Feso tries to contact Tarela but gets no response, and Tiwa wrestles with whether she should keep her baby. In a major shift, Edesiri finally tells Andre she no longer wants any part in his schemes against Tarela.

Tarela returns to work, numbing her pain with drugs, and both Feso and Wole try to reach out to her, but she pushes them away. In a desperate move, Tarela’s mother seeks help from her church community to settle her debt, but she finds no support. Feeling completely abandoned, Tarela finally decides to leave home, cutting ties with her mother. Meanwhile, Tiwa finds the strength to confront her father and say goodbye, marking a significant step toward her independence.

Grief Brings Our Leads Together

These final episodes bring Tarela, Tiwa, and Edesiri together through their shared grief over Kome’s death. The longstanding enmity between Tarela and Edesiri feels almost trivial in the face of such a loss. All the tension and conflict that have driven the season converge into a singular theme: stepping out from under the control of toxic parental figures. Both Tarela and Tiwa make the painful but necessary choice to prioritise themselves, marking a turning point in their character arcs.

A Cycle of Pain and Survival

The story deepens with a crucial flashback that helps us understand Tarela’s mother in a more complex light. Like her daughter, she once tried to carve out a better future but was pushed into survival mode after her pregnancy. Grind continues its strength of showcasing how cycles of trauma and hardship are often repeated across generations. Though Kome’s death is shocking and shifts the course of the story, the narrative never loses its emotional grounding.

Raw and Heartfelt Performances

The emotional weight of these episodes is carried beautifully by the cast. Tarela’s mother, played by Harriet Akinola, delivers a standout performance, particularly in the scene where she breaks down crying in church after losing Kome. It’s a heart-wrenching moment that allows the audience to feel the depth of her grief.

Roberta Orioma as Tarela is equally compelling, especially in the scene where she leaves her mother behind. Orioma fully embodies Tarela’s emotional numbness, refusing to be manipulated any longer. Their confrontation is one of the strongest acting moments of the season, packed with raw, layered emotion.

Capturing Grief Up Close

The final two episodes of Grind Season 2 make excellent use of close-up shots to capture the characters’ grief and emotional disconnection. These choices amplify the tension and sadness without relying heavily on dialogue.

A Sorrowful, Unexpected Turn

Kome’s death was a shocking narrative decision that changed the trajectory of the season. Characters like Tiwa’s father and Tarela’s mother, who both allowed rigid religious beliefs to cloud their judgment, remain frustratingly stagnant even in the face of tragedy.

Tarela’s emotional regression after losing her sister is understandable, though it’s a heartbreaking shift after all the progress she had made. Instead of heading toward triumph, the season closes on a darker, vengeful note — and it’s all the more powerful for it. Tarela’s vow at Kome’s grave signals that her journey is far from over, and Season 3 promises a Tarela who is less naïve, more hardened, and ready to fight back.

Verdict

These last two episodes of Grind are soaked in grief, regret, and hard-earned decisions. They serve as a fitting and emotional conclusion to a turbulent season, while also planting the seeds for a darker, more explosive future. These episodes felt like a logical conclusion to the season and have earned a solid 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Rating: 3.5/5