★★★★★

When a TV show attracts an overflowing amount of recommendations you can’t help but wonder what is it that makes it so unique. Money Heist, in only 15 episodes, has managed to create commotion. Even so, with all the edification from satisfied audience members, I wasn’t ready for the surprise I received after only watching the the first couple of episodes. Getting an overused plot and turning it into a compelling story is not an easy task to accomplish, but one that Manel Santisteban and Iván Martínez Lacámara, the composers of Money Heist´s score, have surpassed.

A story revolving around eight thieves that, led by an enigmatic character called The Professor, plan to carry out the grandest robbery ever. The production team acknowledges the crucial factor that is character development, and these characters are portrayed as shallow individuals that as a result of their own misfortunes, decide to go after the biggest amount of money ever stolen. Also, the recurring flashbacks that illustrate the motivation behind their participation, allow the viewer to contrast the characters and to understand, or even relate, to some of them. The burglars go by pseudonyms provided by The Professor, and all of them are cities, much like Tarantino does in his cult classic, Reservoir Dogs. Tokyo (the main character and narrator), Rio (Tokyo’s love interest), Berlin (second leader), Denver, Moscow (Denver’s father), Oslo, Helsinki, and Nairobi; who share the goal of staying detached to one another but working united for a common cause. They were selected for their skills and for having nothing to lose, but the truth was far from simple. These characters, straightforward as they may seem, will engage you from start to end. Contrary to another show, The Mechanism, that focuses on the investigation following the infamous corruption allegations in Brazil, that eloquently makes the audience side with the police, while in Money Heist, you root for the “bad guys” to succeed.

By far, the strongest part of the series is the plot. As part of the audience you get to see how the plot thickens with every new detail they include. When watching the show, it’s amazing to get to witness all the plot-twists and how all the characters compliment the storyline. Everytime The Professor has a setback or something that you would think he missed, you are surprised to see how he had already thought of it or how he comes up with a remarkable solution, that you can’t help but wonder if the creators are planning an actual heist, which is pivotal to keep the audience compelled with the plot. When watching another Netflix-produced show that has amazed millions worldwide, Narcos, you get to contrast the reality that both are intending to bring to our screens. When contemplating Money Heist it’s obvious that everything, from the setting to the actors are from Spain and is kept as real as possible, while controversy has surrounded Narcos with calumny accusations about the plot and events that take place on the show.

After the the dedicated fans originally thought that the series came to a halt after the second season, we all were shocked to find that a third season was in production. As the finale included a scene that only a true fan was going to understand, one that acknowledged the way two of the main characters met and fell in love, the audience was pleased with how everything wrapped up even though some things were kind of left in the air. As a Netflix-watcher I had no trouble finding Money Heist in the varied catalog that you are offered, and even though I stumbled on the show that was going to set a higher bar for the future ones to come, it was a show that never allowed you to predict the end. Everything that happened in the last 15 minutes were things that in the midst of the challenging language, no one could’ve easily saw coming. If the series ended there, as said before, lots of things were going to be left to imagination, but now, with a third season coming, only two scenarios come to mind: One, were they wrap up the series in a legendary way, but the second, includes the producers making a cliche of the plot that made everyone fall in love in the first place.