Saturn Return (2024) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

May left the band at age 27 not because of any accident involving the guitarist, but because she simply wanted to depart. While the other members wanted to release an album during that period, May had reached a point where she wanted to leave the band. The guitarist explicitly states that May didn't leave because of the accident or its fallout, contradicting what the singer believed.

Foreshadowing: Earlier scenes show May choosing to pursue a university degree, hinting at her desire to step away from the band.

• may
• los planetas
• band departure
• age 27
• guitarist accident

The singer went to New York City to record the third album while the guitarist stayed behind because Cristalino had been taken to Madrid by Santa to enter rehab. The label executives had hinted that if they moved forward with NYC, the singer might need to leave the guitarist behind due to his condition. The singer eventually reached out to invite the guitarist to reunite in NYC.

Foreshadowing: The executive meeting shows the label pushing for a hit and mentioning the guitarist might need to be left behind.

• nyc
• recording
• guitarist
• rehab
• singer
• album

The guitarist Cristalino struggled with substance abuse throughout the recording process. After a gig, he experienced hallucinations and visions about NYC, and he was eventually taken to Madrid by Santa to enter rehab. His hands were bandaged after a hospital visit following a mishap, adding to the band's turbulence.

Foreshadowing: The TV performance shows the guitarist struggling with substances while performing.

• guitarist
• substance abuse
• rehab
• hallucinations
• mental health

Saturn Return is an astrological concept referring to the period when Saturn returns to the same position it occupied at someone's birth, which occurs approximately every 27-29 years. The movie explicitly connects this to May, who left the band at age 27, the age associated with this significant life transition. This period represents a time of major life changes and self-evaluation.

Foreshadowing: May mentions being 27 years old when she decided to leave the band, framing it as a pivotal moment.

• saturn return
• age 27
• astrology
• life transition
• may

The band insisted on recording their third album in NYC because they believed it represented the creative breakthrough they craved. The singer and guitarist pushed against the Madrid label's reluctance, arguing that NYC would give them the artistic inspiration needed for their landmark third album. The guitarist's visions of NYC haunted him throughout the film, showing how central this goal was to their ambitions.

Foreshadowing: After a gig, the guitarist has vivid hallucinations about NYC and the band's future success there.

• new york city
• recording
• label
• creative breakthrough
• madrid

The band's third album is titled "Una semana en el motor de un autobús" (A Week in the Engine of a Bus). It was recorded after the guitarist and singer reunited in NYC. May eventually receives a compact disc copy of the finished work, providing bittersweet closure to the band's tumultuous journey.

Foreshadowing: The band is shown searching for a drummer and bassist to complete their lineup for this third album.

• third album
• una semana en el motor de un autobus
• recording
• nyc
• cd

After the guitarist was sent to rehab in Madrid, the singer traveled to NYC alone. Haunted by the guitarist's absence and memory, the singer called him to propose a reunion in NYC. The two finally met again in the city, and together with the full lineup, they recorded their third album. This reunion healed the rift but came after significant personal cost.

Foreshadowing: The singer reaches out to the guitarist from NYC, suggesting a desire to reconcile despite the distance.

• reunion
• guitarist
• singer
• nyc
• split
• rehab

The tensions stemmed from unresolved romantic feelings and competing life paths. May had a complicated relationship with both the singer and guitarist, she left the band while others wanted to continue, started university, and reappeared defiantly to challenge the singer's assumptions. The guitarist's claim that May didn't leave because of his accident suggests her departure was tied to interpersonal conflicts and her desire for a different life.

Foreshadowing: The film opens with the singer reproaching May for quitting, while she insists her account differs from his.

• may
• love triangle
• tensions
• relationships
• guitarist
• singer

After a gig, the guitarist experienced vivid hallucinations and fantasies about NYC and the band's future success. These visions reflected his intense fixation on recording in NYC and his desperate desire for the creative breakthrough he believed the city could provide. The hallucinations were likely fueled by his substance use and the immense pressure from the label and his bandmates.

Foreshadowing: The guitarist's mind slides between reality and fantasy after the gig, hinting at his deteriorating mental state.

• hallucinations
• nyc
• guitarist
• substances
• dreams
• fantasy

The Madrid-based record label was reluctant to finance a recording session in New York City, preferring to keep the production local. The band had to push hard for this choice, arguing that NYC represented the creative breakthrough they needed. The label's resistance created tension even before the recording process began, adding to the overall stress.

Foreshadowing: The band asks a reluctant Madrid label to finance a recording in NYC while searching for missing band members.

• record label
• madrid
• nyc
• financing
• recording
• resistance