[TV] MONEY HEIST - LA CASA DE PAPEL
So I eventually binged watched Money Heist or La Casa de Papel... i prefer to sound fancy... Honestly I get why everyone was obsessed with this show for years. Like genuinely, I sat down thinking I'd watch a couple episodes and then i just didn't stop... That's kind of the whole vibe of this show honestly... it just sucks you in and doesn't let go...
So basically the idea is this mysterious guy called "The Professor" recruits a bunch of criminals then gives them all city names instead of real names.. Tokyo, Berlin, Nairobi, Rio, Denver, Moscow e.t.c.. so nobody can be identified and they pull off this massive heist at the Royal Mint of Spain but it's not really about stealing money that already exists, it's about printing billions of euros themselves while holding hostages, which honestly is such a clever twist because it makes the whole "are they good guys or bad guys" question way more interesting than a normal heist show.
Tokyo narrates the whole thing, which I actually really liked. It gives it this personal diary-like kind of feel instead of just watching things happen from the outside... Her narration is dramatic, sometimes a little over the top but it works for the tone of the show.
The characters are what really makes the series stand out Every single one of them feels different and has their own whole personality and backstory and the show does a really good job of making you care about people who are, let's be real, criminals...
Berlin was probably my favorite, he's just so unhinged and dramatic in this weirdly charming way, like you shouldn't like him but you kind of do anyway... Nairobi is amazing too, so much energy and attitude. And The Professor is just endlessly interesting because he's always five steps ahead of everyone especially the cops and watching his plans unfold or sometimes almost fall apart is honestly the best part of the whole show.
The tension in this show is insane too.. There were so many moments where I was legit stressed out watching it, like actually nervous for these characters even though I know it's just a show... The back-and-forth between the heist crew and the police, especially with Raquel/Lisbon's character just adds this whole extra layer because you've got someone on the inside kind of playing both sides emotionally and it gets messy in a really good way.
Now I will say, and I think a lot of people agree with this, the show does drag a little in some of the later seasons. Like the first heist (the Mint one) feels tighter and more focused, but once they do the second heist at the Bank of Spain, it starts feeling a little repetitive with the whole "hostage situation, someone almost dies, big emotional moment, repeat" formula... Some episodes definitely could've been shorter or cut altogether without losing much.
And also the romance subplots are a hit or miss for me.. Some of them added good emotional stakes but others felt kind of forced or dragged on way longer than should have been but even with those complaints, the show is just so much fun to watch. It's stylish, it's dramatic, the music (that Bella Ciao moment, come on) gives me chills every time, and the twists keep coming even when you think you've figured everything out. It's one of those shows where you're constantly asking "okay but how are they gonna get out of THIS one" and somehow they always do, in these wild elaborate ways that shouldn't work but somehow do because The Professor's brain is just built different.
Overall I had a great time watching this because It's tense, it's emotional, it's got great characters, and even when it drags a little in the middle seasons, it always pulls you back in.... its Definitely one of those shows that earns the hype it got.
Rating: 90/100
Originally posted through scrobble.life/tv.