The following contains spoilers for Season 2 of Pacific Rim: The Black, now streaming on Netflix.
One of the biggest lingering mysteries in Pacific Rim: The Black Season 2 was the fate of Brina and Ford Travis. The first season teased they were dead after fleeing in their jaeger to go get help for their kids. Unfortunately, this meant Hayley and Taylor had to make the trek years later to the Pan Pacific Defence Corps' Sydney base on their own, hoping their parents were still alive amid all the kaiju raids.
Now in Season 2, despite many clues that should have thrown the kids off their trail, the persistent siblings were able to find Brina alive. Unfortunately, it was short-lived because the Netflix anime dealt their mother a most brutal death, reiterating the landscape Down Under was always merciless.
The discovery came when the Sisters -- supernatural witches -- kidnapped Boy, hoping to turn the human-kaiju hybrid into their messiah. The cult wanted to enact some mysterious ritual, making him a destroyer they could control, but Taylor, Hayley and Mei ended up trying to get him back. Shockingly, when they unmasked one of the witches, it was none other than Brina.
It turns out, Ford had to abandon the robot and his wife, thinking he'd be back in time after a kaiju attack. Sadly, the continent got bombed and the PPDC kept Ford from returning. While he was resigned to his entire family dying, Brina got kidnapped by the witches, brainwashed and turned into a Sister. However, her children had an ace up their sleeve with the sinister, redemption-seeking Shane being able to use Atlas Destroyer's tech to drift into Brina's mind, freeing her from their corruption.
This cost Shane his life, but the kids were ultimately glad they got their mom back after so many years apart. What also made Brina's return a blessing was that she could use her knowledge of the High Priestess' lair, allowing them to sneak in and rescue Boy. It came to a head when the witches sent their kaiju-dogs after Brina in the heist. She distracted and killed some, but got wounded as well. When the heroes eventually left, it did seem like a happy ending as they all got to Sydney, finding Ford alive and waiting.
However, Pacific Rim: The Black faked fans out with a move fit for Christopher Nolan's Inception. This reunion was all in a mindscape, created by Hayley as she drifted with her mom. While they had rescued Boy and fled the lair, Brina's injuries were fatal, so with time running out, Hayley opted to give her a happy ending so she could die in peace.
Hayley knew the mother desperately wished to have all been together, thus she made sure Brina had them all together and hugging as her last vision. This sequence of family crafted a tear-jerking death, reminding viewers that everyone was potentially expendable and nothing could be taken for granted.
Seasons 1 and 2 of Pacific Rim: The Black are now streaming on Netflix.