1.Overview
"Money Heist" is a thrilling web series centered around a group of fugitives, each possessing unique and specialized skills essential for their daring heists. In their ambitious first heist, they set their sights on the Royal Mint of Spain, the nation's minting station responsible for producing the entire country's currency. Opting to target the very source of cash instead of a conventional bank adds a captivating twist to the series and makes it more interesting. The second heist takes the group of fugitives to the Bank of Spain, where the country's entire gold reserves are stored.
While the first heist was a brilliant display of meticulous planning and focused execution, the second heist receives mixed reviews. I found the first heist captivating, with every aspect carefully thought out and a lack of unnecessary drama, making it concise and engaging. However, the second heist was extremely long with overly exaggerated events and lack of structure, which was quite unsettling although they have managed to put across a good show altogether.
The events of the first heist unfolded within a mere ten days, resulting in a whirlwind of emotions, conflicts, and unexpected twists. This demonstrated that even the most perfectly planned operations can have flaws due to unforeseen factors, such as the complexities of love, and that this shows there are things which are completely out of our hands but in the end its all about moving along and that we should also move with the flow.
Each member of the heist had their own compelling reasons for participating, most of which stemmed from desperation or dire circumstances, the fact that the heist men and women were really dedicated to the heist and that they really put their life on the line and there was no backing out from there. In order to pull a heist of such a large and laid out plan in that scale it is just a matter of life and death, considering they were also putting the lives of their family on the line. This provided depth and complexity to their characters, making their actions and decisions more understandable and relatable.
The second heist brought a new set of challenges, as everything began to happen at a rapid pace. The tricks and strategies employed by the heist members became predictable to the police, and the professor himself seemed less confident in his own plans. This shift was somewhat frustrating, especially considering that the first heist showcased meticulous planning that ensured success. However, despite the uncertainty and the professor's apparent lack of control, things somehow fell into place, which was both surprising, unusual and rather unsettling and anticlimactic.
While the series could have concluded on a high note with first heist, which had a compelling ending, Second heist felt like a convoluted continuation that lacked the same level of coherence and impact. Although there were certainly some standout moments throughout these seasons, overall, they proved to be a bit of a pain to watch.
2.Characters
The dynamic among the team members was intriguing, as they seemed to have a shared mindset and got along well and at the same time their true nature is always the fugitive aspect where in they have a lot of ego, they think they are the best, they sometime out their interests over the collective good and this puts in the right amount of twists.
Furthermore, the backstories of all the characters were also quite poignant and shed light on their motivations and personal struggles. This is where the series brings in an amazing twist, considering we are seeing the point of view of the fugitives, the thieves, the antagonists, but the writers have made sure that we viewers are made to believe that they are the good guys and their actions are pretty justified and their intentions are not that bad even though they were initially portrayed as the kind of people who would be involved in all kinds of vices.
First off the most iconic character, it was often hard to decipher the professor's thought process as he always appeared to be several steps ahead of everyone else, the fact that he would have worked years together to just come up with the plan, while having a fail safe strategy for every move they try to pull. This added an element of mystery and anticipation, leaving myself eager to understand his motives and strategies. It was fascinating to see how he would navigate these challenges and come up with new strategies to maintain the upper hand and just show that all the hard work he had put into the plan didn't go in vain and he had gain a sort of all round experience while he was researching it and he was able to apply the same during the crucial moments.
One of the series' strengths lies in its ability to keep viewers on the edge of their seats. The professor always manages to concoct elaborate backup plans, often making it appear as though it's the end, only to reveal another layer of strategy and another backup plan, this constant anticipation and uncertainty contribute to the series' captivating nature and makes you want to finish the series at any cost just to know what happened, considering on top of all the anticipation every episode ended in a cliffhanger.
The point of view presented through Tokyo's narration added an interesting perspective to the series. It allowed viewers to experience the events through her eyes and gain insights into her thoughts and emotions, making her a central and engaging character. Tokyo is a crazy character she is living her youthful days and this brings in a bit of immaturity and this causes trouble to the heist group, although the writers of the show have made sure that its not the case all the time, sometimes her courage and ballsy attitude works out for the better, but it is quite visible that she is pretty much driven by love all the way.
Nairobi quickly became one of my favorite characters due to her strong personality and her ability to bring a sense of humor and lightness to tense situations. She has a very deep back story this brings in a little bit of emotional side to the story, Nairobi played by Alba Flores has done a great job in portraying the character as a funny happy go woman with a hint of emotional side which she is having a hard time to cope up with. She is the person in charge of handling the money aspect of the heist and I love the fact that she abides by the rules of the heist she plays by the boundaries and makes sure that she doesn't stray away from the plan for any reason whatsoever.
Berlin's leadership during this heist was commendable, he is a elegant yet short tempered and a little impulsive he takes decisions which makes everyone in the heist uncomfortable including the viewers and myself but as the story progresses you tend to realize why he took that stance and made that decision. His elegance makes him seem like an elitist with that extended ego but when it comes to his impulsive side he just seems like a painful person to watch.
There are also some characters like Torres, the hostage, added a touch of innocence and charm. On the other hand, Arturo and Allison Parker were genuinely annoying characters, while Monica exuded a peaceful and calming presence
3.Cinematic appeal
However, there were moments when the fast-paced nature of the scenes made it a bit challenging to keep up and fully grasp what was happening, this is because some scenes are overwhelming and in order to understand the explicit details of the scene takes time and by then many more instances would have been taken place. Nonetheless, the dialogues were exceptionally well-written, adding to the overall appeal of the show, the whole series is in Spanish which might sound unorthodox for people to watch, but watching the series in Spanish gives it an authentic effect.
One aspect of the series that stood out to me was the depiction of the police operations, the attention to detail and the technical aspects involved made it quite impressive and this made me feel that police or the CNI had a good chance to actually capture the heist men and women. However, the actions and decisions of the higher authorities within the police force were often difficult to comprehend for myself who may not be familiar with police procedures and protocols.
Along with all these minute aspects the background music takes a major role in every TV series and the writers of money heist have done an incredible job to bring out the emotions of the viewers through the music, by using the right kind of music at the right time. This especially seen in all the intense scenes where all the viewers are already on the edge of their seats, the music is definitely the icing on top of the cake for the series.
4.Personal Opinion
I found the plot of this series to be captivating, particularly because it jumped right into the action without much delay, the show starts off without any of the needed long introductions, the introductions of the characters and the explanation of the plot happens as the heist is happening which gets the viewers excited from the get go.
The conflicts that emerged within the heist group were particularly difficult to watch as they went against each other and created tension among the members, these conflicts occurs at exactly the worst possible timing and that's the great thing with this show which makes viewers sitting right at the edge of their seat as they experience the greatness of this show. These moments provided the right amount of thrill and suspense, especially when the heist is not only about the people inside the bank but also outside the bank which got me really excited to see how things pan out.
The professor's reasons for conducting the heists were complex and mind-bending, adding an additional layer of intrigue to the plot, more than mind bending its more like mysterious, we as viewers know all this heist planning is because of his past but as the story move forward we tend to realize that its more of him trying to figure himself out and trying to understand himself better.
In the end of first heist, I expected a sense of resolution, only to discover in the final moments that it was merely the beginning of a larger story. This twist effectively heightened the stakes and created a desire to continue watching. However, with so much going on in the subsequent seasons, it became increasingly challenging to keep track of all the plot points, and some aspects may have been lost along the way, this happened in the second heist, the writers have tried their best to keep it as an ongoing of the first heist but it turns a little on the negative end mostly, but this kind of addition of new components in a very basic concept of the word "heist" is what makes the show worth while watching until the end.
One aspect that puzzled me was how the characters, despite often criticizing and challenging each other's personal lives, managed to stick together, inside the bank there was always so much tension where the members of the heist are beating each other up one second and the next they are hugging and working things out, there is one aspect where you can always argue saying that we cannot really comprehend the mindset when the heist is going on nut in the end it was really confusing to me. On the other hand my other theory being that maybe it was driven by the lure of money, the fear of being captured by the police, or a newfound sense of camaraderie, the members of the heist formed a bond that kept them united.
An important lesson conveyed by the series is the significance of expressing one's concerns and feelings openly to others, in order to pull of a heist of such a huge magnitude it is extremely essential to communicate effectively and clearly otherwise they are all extremely prone to assumptions which leads to unwanted circumstances. The unpredictability of life and the ever-changing circumstances can easily lead to missed opportunities and regrets if important conversations are left unsaid, this is something that is not easy to follow in real life, but it something to be kept in mind in order to live a life without regrets.
Some decisions made by the characters in second heist were undeniably foolish, which led viewers to anticipate hidden motives that never materialized. Nevertheless, with so much happening and the series moving at a rapid pace, these shortcomings were easily forgotten amidst the whirlwind of events which although it was unsettling for the viewers, keeping the series in mind it was for the better.
5.Conclusion
"Money Heist" is a thrilling web series centered around daring heists and a group of fugitives with unique skills. The first heist, targeting the Royal Mint of Spain, impresses with its meticulous planning and focused execution, creating a concise and engaging storyline. The characters' compelling backstories add depth and relatability to their actions, despite their criminal endeavors.
However, the second heist at the Bank of Spain receives mixed reviews, criticized for its overly long and disjointed plot. While the professor's unpredictable strategies and shifting dynamics among the heist members create intrigue, some find it frustrating and less coherent than the first heist. Nevertheless, the series keeps viewers on the edge of their seats with constant tension and uncertainty, enhanced by well-written dialogues and captivating cinematography.
Overall, I would give this series a rating of 4 out of 5."Money Heist" successfully blurs the lines between protagonists and antagonists, presenting morally complex perspectives. The show's exploration of justice, motives, and the characters' pursuit of wealth and self-discovery keeps audiences engaged. Despite the mixed reception of the second heist, the series leaves a lasting impression on viewers, making it a globally popular and enthralling watch.