Escape Valve
In the second half of La Casa De Papel, we follow Tokyo as it falls to pieces and the gold that still shines is a reminder of how precious and essential gold is. Even though everything else is crumbling, gold keeps shining and reminder that it must be cursed if it’s to stay safe.
Although Tamayo learns about Tokyo (“one of the robbers”) being killed, he also hears the sheer number of casualties from the soldiers breaking in. He decides to airlift and evacuate Sagasta but he’s having none of it. It’s personal and they want to inflict maximum punishment.
Rio is torn up about Tokyo’s death and wants to exact revenge. Lisbon jumps in though and knocks him to the ground, reminding him that Tokyo’s plight began with him, given all of this started with breaking Rio out of his hell.
Sierra breaks free from the Professor and away from the scene. When the Professor finds out, he teams up with Marseille to bring her back. It’s no good though, as she makes her escape with her baby in tow.
The Professor refuses to give up without a fight, and he chases after her. However, Sierra uses the Professor’s emotions against him, taking Marseille out the fight by shooting both his tyres.
Sierra lures the Professor out to an abandoned warehouse, where they square off against one another. She entices him into a duel, but Alicia had emptied his clip earlier at the hideout. For someone who’s supposed to be this forward thinking, meticulous, and all-intelligent mastermind, emotion sure has blinded him - especially if he hasn’t bothered to check his gun until this point. Anyway, Alicia gags the Professor and locks him in the trunk of his car. ..
La Casa De Papel has a serious problem saying goodbye to Berlin, so we cut back five years before D-Day to the Barents Sea. Berlin and co. organize a new operation to steal the extraction pump at an oil station with Marseille. ..
As the episode progresses, we see Berlin take control of the situation and lead the team in their search for the missing scientists. Meanwhile, back at the lab, some of the scientists are still unaccounted for and it’s up to Berlin to find them before they’re lost forever.
Back in the present, Tamayo decides to use “emotional porn”, portraying these soldiers as national heroes. Specifically, they want to point out the deceased as the perfect family men and women, making the public sympathetic to their plight and turn on the robbers. ..
Tokyo’s confession of guilt and her rallying of the crowd after seeing the live video of Lisbon confirm the seven dead include her. The Colonel presses ahead with this, but a live-stream video from Lisbon confirms that seven people have died inside, including Tokyo. She gives a heartfelt confession about how much of a good person Tokyo is, and how much she regrets slapping her that one time. This singular action sees the crowd rally behind them, chanting “We’re not leaving!” despite Rio telling them to on the video.
Denver’s indifference to this news is puzzling, given that Arturo is still alive. It seems as though many viewers are indifferent to this news because they don’t care about the well-being of their characters.
Sierra shows up at Tamayo’s house, holding his wife hostage and wanting to bargain with the Colonel. She tries to strike a deal – the Professor in exchange for her regaining her position at the helm of this investigation, and for Tamayo to publicly denounce the allegations against her. This would also mean incriminating himself of course.
The Colonel is smart and he hit the panic button 3 minutes prior to entering the house. He’s not agreeing to anything. For the Professor, he manages to break free from his gag, ripping at the upholstery with his mouth and blagging entry to the apartment complex to warn Sierra. As they enter their neighbour’s apartment, everything is left on a knife-edge as soldiers rush into the building.
The Episode Review
In the latest installment of La Casa De Papel, Tokyo’s death hangs over the story like a black cloud. Many of our characters express their own form of grief over this, given how crucial she’s been to the story as a whole. However, it also makes for a somewhat slow and lethargic chapter. ..
The Professor has become a caricature of the smart and intelligent guy he once was. The flashback shtick with Berlin doesn’t add anything to the episode and although it’s minimal screen-time this time around, it still feels like unnecessary padding.
The first few seasons of “Sherlock” were a thrilling thriller, but the latest episode looks set to plunge into deeper action. ..
