By SALVADOR GUTIERREZ, Staff Reporter |
“Élite” is a Netflix original from Spain that came out in October of last year. Although this show did not have a good pre-premiere marketing campaign, it became one of the most popular Netflix shows in the world, and its impact was so significant that the streaming service confirmed a second season for the show two weeks after its release.
Let’s talk about the reasons why you should watch this teen drama before its second season comes out.
The rich also cry. The elite in Spain send their kids to an exclusive school known as Las Encinas, the place where its student become the leaders of tomorrow. The chaos starts when three working-class students are awarded scholarships to attend this private school. The arrival of the three new students start controversy, and the rich kids target the newbies.
Although bullying is one of the themes in the show, LGBTQ+ issues, HIV, freedom of religion, drug addiction, alcoholism and classism are also thrown into the mix. The show not only focuses on the struggles of the lower class students but also on the problems faced by the upper class.
A killer soundtrack. Music is vital for movies and TV shows, and “Élite” has an amazing soundtrack that set the tone for the show. Parties, dramatic revelations, fights and even the murder scene are paired with the perfect song for that particular moment.
Among the bands and singers included in the soundtrack, you can find tunes by Chvrches, Danna Paola (who plays Lu on the show), Alphaville, Jungle, Blink-182, Bad Bunny and Selena Gomez. Playlists with music from the show are now available on Spotify and iTunes.
“Élite” is better than “Riverdale.” Critics have compared the Netflix drama to the CW’s adaptation of Archie. The plot in both shows is triggered by murder, and both of them focus on one question – who did it?
The difference between these two is that while “Riverdale” follows a linear timeline, “Élite” jumps back and forth between present and past, revealing information about events that start making sense a few episodes into the show.
The advantage of the Netflix production over the American TV show is its darkness, the well-executed dramatic performances of its cast and its character development.
The murdered character is revealed in episode one, and after that, the rest of the episodes give clues about who did it.
As I binge-watched the show in three days, I realized that at the end of each episode one character is added to the list of suspects. By the end of the show it’s hard to determine who did it because every character ends up having a reason to commit the crime.
Character development plays a huge role in the success of this show. Because the series is a Netflix original, all the episodes were released at the same time leaving no room for rewrites and changes in the story.
Each character is consistent and has clear motivations and psychological frames that change or stay the same depending on the situation.
“Élite” is a good murder teen drama, and I would recommend viewers watch it in its original language, which makes it more enjoyable.
The English dub is not bad, but it takes away some of the emotion and excitement of some situations and memorable quotes.
The second season is in the works, and personally, I’m looking forward to seeing how far the elite can go. After all, their actions are justified by their privilege.
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