Let’s go back to the popular show, Money Heist. Shows like that are quite rare. You don’t really know where they’ll come from, but when they do, suddenly, it’s the best thing in the world. After all, how many people knew that money heist would find a place in their hearts? So, let’s take a look at the success of this show and why it became one of the best shows to come out of the quarantine period! Since everyone was already at home and mostly bored out of their minds, they needed something to do. Whether it was a physical activity or a show to watch, they wanted to do something that would keep their minds active.
We can’t completely rule out the possibility of luck and timing, however, those are not the only things that make a show successful. The storyline, the delivery, the acting, the set, all of it plays a role in making the show a great and memorable show. And that is exactly what Alex Pina, the writer, producer, and director of the show did for Money Heist. The first season of this show premiered in 2017, and it is divided into 5 parts. But, let’s not talk about the basic information, considering you already know this and you’ve watched the show. Although, if you are one of the few that haven’t, why haven’t you?!
If you haven’t watched it due to not having a Netflix account, get one or get your friend’s details for his/her account! If you haven’t watched it due to spotty internet, go check out the Xfinity internet deals to find an internet plan within your budget! Whatever the reason, find a solution and watch the show ASAP! Anyway, let’s go back to the article for now but be warned: SPOILER ALERT!
It captivates viewers with its outstanding storyline
One of the finest things about this show is its interesting storyline with the characters constantly on edge and rushing from one action-filled scene to the other. To think everything was being carried out in one location, The Bank of Spain, it seems like a very intense and at times, impossible show. Throughout the show, you get glimpses of the past, when the characters are in training and are practicing for the heist, and then the future as well. There is no particular order to the glimpses into the past, which leaves the viewer wondering what happened first and what happened next.
Furthermore, you can see how much the characters have been prepared for this heist and how precise the Professor has been about the robbery and the action of the police. This, you would think, guaranteed their win and there was no way they would lose. And while that is true, they didn’t technically lose, but it wasn’t a clean win either. This seems to be the case for both of their heists, which adds to the thrill of the show.
The seemingly not-perfect “perfect” heist
Tokyo, one of the protagonists of the show, who also happens to be the narrator for most of the show, is a very emotionally-charged person. While Denver seems more of a danger at first, given his uncontrolled temper, Tokyo seems to be the biggest reason for ups and downs during the heist. In the first season, we see Tokyo losing her temper when Rio, her love interest, gets shot, which leads to her first emotional outburst. This, of course, creates problems of its own and also leads to the members of the gang finding out about their relationship.
What this does is make them vulnerable and also, expose their identities to the police. Moreover, despite the long hours of training and practice of the heist, human beings have emotions and at the end of the day, they tend to act on them. This is the case for Denver and Monica, a hostage during the heist. Monica is pregnant and requests an abortion pill from the gang. This leads to Denver trying to convince her to not follow up on her decision of aborting her baby. Through another twist of events, Berlin asks Denver to kill Monica, which he cannot bring himself to do. He pretends to do so and hides her in Vault 2, where he keeps visiting her and eventually falls in love with her.
A bigger budget meant better stunts and lavish production
While the show may not have started off with a big budget, it definitely did in the latter part of the show. Having watched the show, you know how good the action scenes are and how well-made the set is. As we mentioned before, the set is not the only thing that has to be designed in a good way to make the movie a success, rather it has to be everything in the storyline, the characters, and how well the actors can represent and portray them. The stunts alone are worthy of the hype surrounding the show! You can tell that the directors and producers of the show really put everything into it. “Spared no expense!”, as John Hammond would say!
Character development
This is possibly the biggest reason for the show’s success. While most TV shows, especially those with the same theme as Money Heist, don’t exactly depict much in the sense of character development, Money Heist does. This mostly applies to the Professor, from the first three parts to the next two. Viewers can see how Berlin’s death has affected the Professor and how he ultimately keeps on losing logical reasoning and rationale during the second heist. His actions are not as planned as before and if anything, they seem to be very emotionally charged.
Other than this character, you also see how emotions sway the other characters as well with Denver becoming a better husband to Monica and how Monica becomes stronger because of the challenges she faces. Lisbon, Sierra, Tokyo, and Rio all undergo character development as well when put into difficult situations and facing challenges. This is what makes the characters relatable and keeps the audience hooked on the show.
A political edge to the series
You have probably noticed this already, but if you haven’t, then here you are. The series has a political edge, which challenges the “system”. The creator of the show, Alex Pina, commented that action movies are well-received by audiences, whereas the political ones, nobody really cares enough to watch them. So, why not bring both of these together? So, that’s what he did! And while the focus of the show is more on entertainment and not politics, the message is still very clear.
The show’s plot twists will keep the viewers on the edge of their seats
Okay, yes, we were obviously going to talk about this. The plot twists in this show are quite mind-blowing, to say the least. From Lisbon capturing the Professor to Tatiana’s betrayal, to Gandia’s escape, all of it was very intense and truly kept the viewers on the edge of their seats. Nairobi’s death should also be added to the list, considering how sudden it was and totally uncalled for.
The final word!
There is a thing or two that TV show producers and directors could learn from this show. While this is not the only good show out there, it is definitely something that’s worth the hype. It makes for good entertainment and also pushes you to think of the broken system. Much like the Joker (2019), this TV series has a deep underlying message. So, now that you’ve reached the end of this article, the next best course of action is to watch Money Heist again from a new perspective and keep all these points in mind.