“A
bunch of guys couldn’t rob a bank for three damn seasons!” That was my entire
opinion about Money Heist, a week back. It was the absolute boredom during this
lockdown and the insane amount of hype that was being built about this show
that had forced me to watch it.
After finishing the entire series, I was fascinated by a couple of
things and was also disappointed by some.
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| Source: Netflix |
In this article, I would be listing those things that go in the
show’s favor and would also be pointing a few weak points that have gotten
buried under the enormous love that the show has received from its fans.
A perfect balance between
action and emotions
When you tap onto a heist show like this one, you never expect it
to be anything other than an action-filled thriller. But, a major reason for
this show receiving such appreciation throughout the world is the fact that its
characters are relatable. This series is a thriller cored with emotional drama,
and that makes it distinct.
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| Source: Netflix |
Despite having an extremely violent and unpredictable nature on
one side, on the other, these characters are exactly like us. Someone might
relate to the father-son relationship between Moscow and Denver, others might
find the introverted behavior of the Professor similar to theirs’. These
characters love each other, they care for one another. And that makes you love
these characters, which becomes problematic when they put themselves into some
sort of danger because then, it’s your heart that beats the fastest.
The Iconography
An essential ingredient required to be popular in today’s world is
to have a set of unique symbols or imagery that can be directly associated with
the thing you want to sell. And Money Heist has a couple of them. Be it the
‘Bella Ciao’ song which is now being used worldwide in protests from France to
Iraq, or the mask of the famous artist, Salvador Dali, whose ideology matches
to some extent with the show’s. Also, the names of the characters in the show
are based on city names, which makes it easily recallable for the global
audience. Then, there is the red color, which they heavily emphasize on. Red is
a bold shade. On one hand, it’s the color of love, and on the other, of war and
blood- both of which are in line with the theme of the show by the way. The
production designers say that the sets were deliberately toned down so that the
red on the screen emerges out. All these things work as essential catalysts in
the expansion of the fan-base of the show.
An Unpredictable Plot with
Unpredictable Characters
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| Source: Netflix |
The show is stuffed with characters who prioritize emotions over
their mind. These extremely short-tempered bunch of characters are constantly
pushed into situations that force them to make hard choices- to choose between
their sentiments and survival, between the plan and their ego. These hot-headed
people and their extreme reactions to situations always keep you at the edge of
your seat. You just want them not to get into any more trouble- but they always
do. But this flawed nature of the characters makes them likable.
Then there are a few things that disappointed me. Yes, These
issues existed in the earlier seasons as well, but they weren’t big enough to
bother about, until season 4, where these issues seem to be dominant.
Prolonged Tension Building
*Spoilers Ahead*
A major issue, especially with the recent season, is the fact that
the show heavily relies on futile intense sequences that result in no real
output for the plot. This could be a forceful decision on the part of the
makers since the heist at the Bank of Spain doesn’t have any time constraint,
unlike the first one. That’s a key point that distinguishes the two heists and
that even impacts the story structure differentiating the first two seasons
from the second two.
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| Source: Netflix |
The first
heist constantly kept you on your toes since the heisters had a limited time to
print the bills and escape out of the bank. But unfortunately, the third and
the fourth season had no such tick-tock over the audience’s head due to which
the makers had to rely on secondary plot devices like Gandia to build tension
amid the audience. And this tension seems far-stretched, so much so, that you
feel like giving up on the characters’ lives who are under threat. You stop
caring about them. Yes, you can call it a raise in stakes, but you can’t deny
the fact that this heist is a heist with no time constraints and uninteresting
tense scenes.
Flashbacks
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| Source: Netflix |
The fourth season also relies heavily on flashbacks. It’s not that
flashbacks weren’t used during the first two seasons. But what was earlier
being used to show the intellect and preparedness of the professor, was now
being used to add emotional depth to characters and giving explanations about
the kind of people they are. Keeping Berlin alive through flashbacks, also
shows the makers' greed for the fans' love. It's just a method of appeasing to Berlin fans. These flashbacks might have seemed reasonable if they
weren’t in the middle of the very engaging action sequences of these later
seasons.
Forced Diversity
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| Source: Netflix |
After the show was purchased by Netflix and gained global
popularity, the makers have been attempting to make it more and more attractive
for the global audience. The scenic locations and heavy weaponry are just set
as baits to attract a larger audience. Then, the show also tries to deliver
some social messages that sometimes seem forced. Be it the woman empowering
scene, where a hostage raises her voice against a fellow-hostage who rapes her
or the incorporation of more and more gay-relationships into the story. All
these seem to be some ineffective attempts to appease to the global audience.
Even the incorporation of some English super hit songs is a way to serve the
global audience.
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| Source: Netflix |
Concluding, I would say, that the first two seasons are definitely
worth watching. They would make you fall in love with the show. But don’t rush
with watching the third and fourth season. Since the fourth season almost
worked as a filler with no substantial plot that moved the story forward, I
would suggest you begin watching the third and fourth season once the reviews
for the fifth season are out (whenever it gets made). Base your decision on
those reviews. Because in case, the fifth season turns out to be bad, fingers
crossed, you would end up ruining this lovely show for yourself, which many of
us, who have seen the show already, would agree to.
I won’t be rating this show, because I think I am too much in love
with it to give it an unbiased score.
-HJ
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