‘Who Killed Sara?’: What’s That Device on Mama Lazcano’s Leg?

Who Killed Sara? fans are counting down to the season 2 premiere on Netflix on May 19, hoping that everyone will finally learn who’s behind Sara’s death. Through 10 episodes, viewers learned about the Lazcano family’s dirty deeds and how much pain Mariana and César have inflicted on those in their orbit.

While Sara’s story is the main mystery in the series, some fans are wondering about the contraption Mariana uses on her thigh. In the show, her behavior disgusted César and many in the audience want to know what it’s all about.

Mariana Lazcano has a leg-harming habit

Mariana — the matriarch of the Lazcano family — has demonstrated that she’s not exactly the most nurturing type. She put down Chema and Lorenzo’s relationship, and she had a twisted dynamic with Elroy which seemingly included abuse.

Further, she showed flat out disdain for Sara after learning she got pregnant. At the time, everyone assumed it was Rodolfo’s child, but Mariana knew otherwise.

She killed Elroy and years before, helped manipulate Alex into taking the heat for his sister’s death. To cope with her conniving ways, Mariana inflicts a form of self-harm on her leg with a spiked device.

It’s clear her actions are tied to some sort of religious beliefs, but she’s trying to keep the bruises and bleeding a secret.

Mama Lazcano is using a cilice

For those familiar with Catholic traditions, they may recognize the cilice on the Lazcano mom’s leg. It resembles a garter — or chain — made of metal with small spikes on it. The device is used for forms of self-flagellation and it penetrates the skin with its sharp points.

According to a 2010 article from Vice, it’s commonly worn by members of a certain religious sect (called Opus Dei) for up to two hours a day as a form of “corporal mortification” and penance. The cilice is not meant to draw blood or to be worn for an extended amount of time, and it shouldn’t cause an unbearable amount of pain.

When the film The Da Vinci Code came out, it raised questions about the practice, and a priest of the Opus Dei addressed them on the organization’s website. Rev. Michael Barrett explained that saints such as Mother Teresa used a cilice, and he broke down how the apparatus is designed.

“The cilice and the disciplines, along with fasting and other bodily penances, have been used in the Catholic Church for centuries. Many of the best known and most beloved saints like St. Francis Assisi, St. Ignatius Loyola and St. Therese of Lisieux used them. In the Twentieth century, people like Saint Padre Pio and Blessed Mother Teresa and Pope Paul VI also used them,” he explained.

He added that a cilice is small, lightweight, and designed to cause discomfort, “but it does not in any way hinder one’s normal activities.”

Mariana Lazcano seems to be carrying on her day-to-day activities just fine, but viewers may note that her reasons for using one lean toward the self-centered side. Season 2 of Who Killed Sara? arrives on Netflix on May 19.