Episode Guide
Episode 1:
- The first episode introduces the characters and the setting of the show.
- The main plot of the show is revealed, with various subplots revealed throughout the course of the episode.
- The characters are developmentally introduced and their interactions with one another are explored.
- There is a lot of action and suspense in this episode, as the story progresses.
Netflix’s La Casa de Papel is a gripping, suspenseful thriller that builds to an explosive finale. Not since Prison Break has a show managed to capture such raw excitement and suffocating tension in this genre quite like La Casa de Papel.
The colourful cast of characters are written intelligently, riddled with believable flaws and beliefs that give an extra dimension to their personas. It’s a shame the language barrier will turn some people away as this is one of the best thrillers to be released in quite some time, especially with its cliffhanger ending that leaves it wide open for a second season. ..
The opening shot, bathed in red lighting, shows our main character Tokio (Úrsula Corberó) mourning the death of her partner in crime who died during a robbery together. On the run, Tokio is recruited by a mysterious man known as The Professor (Álvaro Morte) along with a handful of other uniquely talented people to take part in the biggest heist of all time. Their mission is simple: gain entry to the Factory of Moneda and Timbre and steal 2400 million Euros.
The show has a definite Ocean’s 11 feel to it, with flashy visuals and a unique presentation given to each of the thieves. This gives the audience a crucial background before cutting to the day of the robbery and following the characters from there. The perspective shift between the police, all-seeing-Big-Brother The Professor and those inside the Factory gives the audience a unique vantage point for the audience, keeping the show feeling exciting throughout. This is also where La Casa shrugs off any similarities to other shows. It’s here that a unique, suffocating tension hangs over every scene, relentlessly keeping you glued to the screen while the action unfolds.
Tokio is the main focus of the series, but other key players step forward throughout the series to blur the line between who to root for. Tokio’s narration drives the plot forward, but Spunky Police Detective Raquel (Itziar Ituño) and Acting as a mirror image to this is Berlin (Pedro Alonso), the man in charge of the heist on the inside who grows more unstable and unlikable as the series progresses. ..
In the second half of the series, The Professor takes on a more lead role and starts to outsmart the police. This clever use of switching character perspectives helps La Casa stand out with its lack of stereotypical, archetypal characters. Even Helsinki (Darko Peric) and Oslo (Roberto García Ruiz), the self-proclaimed muscles of the group, have some care put into their characters too, making them feel like real people rather than dispensable, hired goons.
The cinematography and composition don’t focus as prominently as the plot and characters but there’s still a good use of color and camera angles to give La Casa De Papel a stylish, slick feel to it. The colors used in shots are dominated by recurring reds, sickly greens and whites that feature prominently throughout. This juxtaposition of bold colors reinforces the attention to detail given with La Casa De Papel and helps it stand out from other heist thrillers out there.
This heist thriller is simply incredible. The Spanish in it might be a little overwhelming for some, but the show is so intricately connected and well written that it’s hard to fault it. Every part of this show is so intricately connected that when a show like this comes along, it deserves to be applauded and praised.
The show has a lot of sex scenes to pad out its runtime but it’s a minor gripe in an otherwise incredible series. The crime thriller genre is known for having a lot of well-known names, which makes La Casa De Papel’s feat even more impressive. La Casa is one of the best series to come out of 2017 and a benchmark for other crime thrillers to aspire to.
