‘Money Heist’ season 5 is going to be the last: Why we’re glad
It’s usually bittersweet when the last season for a series is announced. When your favorite show bites the dust, it’s heartbreaking. But if the show’s time had come, it’s likely you would get an inkling of its impending end. Think deteriorating plot or senseless character additions.
Netflix has now announced that Money Heist will return with its fifth season, which will also be its last. It’s likely that the 10-episode season will also be the most ambitious one yet – spanning locations as far & wide as Spain, Denmark, and Portugal.
Money Heist, as the name suggests, revolves around major heists – elaborate robberies planned meticulously with high stakes – and dives deep into the elements that create friction in the process. So we see conflicts between different stakeholders interspersed with gunshots & deaths.
From the looks of it, the final season will push all boundaries. The creator & executive producer of Money Heist, Alex Pina was quoted in the announcement as saying, “The war reaches its most extreme and savage levels, but it is also the most epic and exciting season.”
Unpopular opinion
Money Heist’s a great watch for some adrenaline rush. But here’s a controversial opinion: Money Heist should’ve ended long back. There’s no dearth of crime drama television series on streaming services. Each of them brings a fresh plot to life. Netflix alone is home to the likes of Mindhunter, When They See Us, American Crime, Broadchurch, Bodyguard, among others.
Crime shows, by virtue of the content & plot they deal in, come with a tied length. Assuming the plot will be carried on a tight script, solid characters, and adrenaline-pumping moments. Luckily, the problem with Money Heist was never its punchiness or thrill quotient. The show was always exceptional on those parameters.
The problem lies in problematic sub-plots
Where do we even begin with this? In the sixth episode of the penultimate season, it’s revealed that Sergio has agreed to donate his sperm to Nairobi to help her have a baby. But this leaves a sour taste for us, seeing as he’s in a committed relationship himself.
The more one thinks about the whole incident, it becomes clear that the show was ruffling unnecessary feathers, venturing into needless territories & making audiences uncomfortable. We’re here for the adrenaline rush, not to shove a moral compass, but it’s hard to overlook these themes.
Inside Out
If a show starts clutching at sensationalist & controversial tropes – which Money Heist clearly began in the last season – it’s time to bid adieu.
We’ve also not forgotten that the show cast a cisgender person for the role of a trans person. Manila, portrayed by actress Belén Cuesta, was introduced later in the show – originally introduced as Julia – and it was revealed that she had transitioned. This could’ve been a milestone moment in trans representation, except that it pretty much backfired.
At the time, Cuesta was quoted in El Espanol, “A cisgender actress can play a transgender woman or a transgender woman can play a cisgender woman,” while she justified that she “supports” trans actors & actresses. It drew a lot of flak, including on social media.
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We’re glad La Casa De Papel – what the English-speaking world knows as Money Heist – is reaching a culmination. The retreat makes a lot more sense than going on would.
