In the never-ending quest to find a new series to binge watch at home, nothing scratches the itch better than a good mystery that keeps viewers guessing at every turn. When it comes to combining a puzzling mystery with scintillating drama and romance, there's possibly no bigger underrated gem than Netflix's Elite, centered around, as its title suggests, the students at a top private school in Spain. Just in time for the release of the Spanish series' third season on Netflix, here's a look at the story and characters so far, as well as what makes the show stand out.
An Elite Caper
In the first season of the show, lower-income students Samuel, Nadia and Christian transfer to Las Encinas High School after the destruction of their own school. The trio's presence immediately upsets the balance of power in the school's social hierarchy of predatory preps. The new students quickly start to carve out a niche for themselves in academics, sex and popularity. This unravels into two central mysteries: one involving what really happened to the transfer students' old school and one involving the murder of one of Las Encinas most beloved pupils.
The second season picks up right where the first left off, with the fallout from the murder revealing hidden layers of certain characters. The tension is heightened further by the disappearance of another student, as the killer from the previous season buckles under pressure.
Samuel is essentially the protagonist of the ensemble cast, whose sensitive persona and part time job as a waiter, which he takes to help support his mother, puts him at odds with his new school surroundings more than anyone else. He soon develops an attraction to the trouble-making Marina, who strings him along and uses him. Meanwhile, Marina is also seeing Samuel's older brother Nano, a former prisoner who seeks to expose the seedy underbelly of the elite society of the rich.
Another student, Nadia, is ostracized because she's a Muslim immigrant, and begins a relationship with Guzman. Guzman's old flame, Lu, is Nadia's rival, and the two vie to become top of their class. Unbeknownst to many, Lu is also in an incestuous relationship with her brother. There's also a polyamorous relationship between three students that quickly becomes complicated, as well as a homosexual relationship between Ander, the principal's son, and a local drug dealer named Omar. These complex relationships twist and turn as much as the plot, making the revelation of the murderer's identity that much more shocking.
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What Makes Elite So Elite?
Of course, the biggest question is what makes the series so good. In essence, Elite is a Spanish version of shows such as Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars, Riverdale and How to Get Away With Murder. Comparisons to the latter are especially easy to make, given that both shows skip between timelines to further blur the lines of the mystery. This gives Elite a slick, bubblegum gloss that conveniently obscures its more ruthless undercurrent. Despite its shiny exterior and sometimes-campy mannerisms, many of the themes -- especially that of class struggle -- are displayed with a believable grittiness. This makes the heartbreaks and struggles of the characters just as enjoyable to watch as their sometimes over-the-top antics. The lusty sexuality also never feels lecherous or exploitative.
Each of the teen characters have their own distinct personalities, goals and worldviews, which makes what diversity there is stand out. Along with a look at the growing Islamophobic sentiment in Europe, the series also spotlights several facets of sexual diversity, from a closeted gay couple to a romance between half siblings.
The characters at first seem to fill rather trite archetypes, such as that of the sensitive outcast or the know-it-all teacher's pet, but they quickly transcend these roles through their interactions with each other. The sibling relationships also stand out, especially Samuel and Nano, who are constantly at each other's throats while still being there for one another. The performances from the actors are also all genuinely great, with the talent typically being fairly close in age to their characters, as opposed to the American practice of casting 30-somethings for teenage roles. It also helps that the character development is never forced to explain the plot twists, and vice versa.
Though the third season is just now hitting Netflix, a fourth and fifth season were previously announced this January. Though those episodes are likely a good bit away, there's still plenty to love in the series' first three seasons. So those looking for a good mystery starring dastardly beautiful people should dive into Elite.
Elite was created by Carlos Monte and Dario Madrona, and stars Maria Pedraza, Itzan Escamilla, Miguel Bernardeau, Miguel Herrian, Jaime Lorente, and Alvaro Rico. It can be streamed now only on Netflix.