Netflix’s hit Spanish show “Money Heist,” also known as “La Casa de Papel,” finally released its fifth season on Sept. 3. The show became an immediate success after hitting Netflix globally in 2017, despite dying out in Spain. Only the first part of Season 5 is currently released, and fans are left with more questions than ever as they await the arrival of the season’s second half in December.
In true “Money Heist” style, the first part of Season 5 was filled to the brim with plot twists and dramatic scenes. The army is sent in to catch the elusive group while the team at the Bank of Spain attempts to stay steady and maintain control of the gold. Part one’s finale was a very large turning point, wherein Gandia, the main antagonist apart from the police, was sent into the bank with all of his men. There, they cornered Denver, Tokyo and Manila in the kitchen. In the climactic final fight, Tokyo takes Gandia down but ends up dying in the process. Although no death is definitive in the “Money Heist” universe, the fan-favorite’s demise still came as a shock.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htqXL94Rza4&ab_channel=Netflix
Some fans believe that Tokyo’s death is a part of the writers’ plans for Season 5’s finale. Reddit user Tiffy00 theorized: “Tokio said in the 1st episode of S5 about Serquel ‘your family won’t reunite.’ Does it mean that either Professor or Raquel will die?” It’s an interesting theory, to say the least. Some fans argue that since Raquel is the one actually inside of the bank, her death is much more likely. Others disagree, citing the ends of Nairobi and Tokyo as safety blankets that ensure the writers won’t kill off other lead female characters.
The question shifts again as a user notes, “But, at the same time, there are many hints towards him and Raquel getting married and perhaps having a child and after both his father and brother dying in a heist, him dying in a heist would be pretty redundant. So I don’t know.”
Fan theories left and right make it clear that the impending finale of “Money Heist” is unforeseeable to a large degree. Perhaps, both the Professor and Raquel will indeed die, but it’s also possible that only one of them will — or neither. The writers hold a tremendous amount of power in their hands; audiences simply have to hope they don’t abuse it.
Netflix originals often seem to decrease in quality as their number of seasons increase. “House of Cards,” “Hemlock Grove” and “13 Reasons Why” are some of the most prominent examples of this phenomenon. The shows usually start off on a high note, with strong characters, plots and dimensions. However, their characters and plots tend to lose complexity as their seasons are extended. Many audiences are familiar with experiencing this fear as they approach the finales of their beloved shows, because the chances of receiving an inconsistent ending are very high.
“Money Heist,” however, still hasn’t hit that point in regard to its quality and longevity. Although drawn out, the show has managed to preserve the integrity of its writing and the depth of its characters. Nothing that has happened so far feels random. Having too many main character deaths can feel a bit forced in certain shows, but in the specific plot of “Money Heist,” all of the deaths seem like an inevitable conclusion to a very notable and strenuous journey. In fact, in the scope of the show, it would be more random and unrealistic if the majority of the characters lived. The final season may go smoothly, as long as the writers stay with the flow.
All in all, Season 5 of “Money Heist” appears to be everything audiences expected. The plot twists are organized but still carry a shock factor, which isn’t an easy combination to pull off. Now, the writers just need to wrap the show up nicely by the end of the second part of Season 5. As it stands, there are still many strings left untied and many plot holes unfilled. Should the writers fail to wrap things up in a structured, smooth manner, “Money Heist” will face an unfortunate devolution, similar to that of its many predecessors. December is right around the corner, which means it won’t be long before audiences finally have their questions addressed. Fans can only hope they won’t hate the answers they receive.
