Yes, one of the all-time favourite characters of the show, Tokyo, is gone. But she continues to give us her perspective on the story as it unfolds, sometimes stepping back in time too. The first five episodes of season 5 also implied an active role for Rafael (Berlin’s son), and that does not disappoint either.
The highlight of the last five episodes is in the fact that it runs high on interpersonal relationships between characters that also explains why so many of the protesters or rather, supporters of those robbing the bank, continue to stay glued to the ground outside the bank, against all odds. Add to this the role of the Professor, a man who you probably relate to more after he showcases both emotional and mental turmoils as the loss of some of his crew members takes a toll on him.
The underlying point of view of this gang, which sees gold preserved in the bank as a national reserve that should belong to people rather than to politicians, reaches out to the common man – not just in the country where this story is based in, but also to the common viewer. That point of view is probably what has made the audience look out for this gang of robbers and see them as the Robin Hoods of their time.
Spain’s original underdog of a show is back to blow your mind, and it does – in every way that the previous seasons did and in more ways than you would expect it to. New characters weave into the story like peas in a pod. And the older favourite ones keep you hooked, all over again.
Fans of the show have waited a long time and the gratification is handed over to viewers on a platter. The show begins right in the midst of the action. While the gang works their way through the heist from within the Bank of Spain, with Lisbon at the reins, the Professor is in a situation of sorts with Alicia playing his villain who has gone solo in her attempt to bring to book the betrayal by the army and therefore her own soiled reputation of being the best negotiator to walk the planet.
Cooler bits about the first half of season five? The villains. The women. The Professor, of course, and the way tables turn – quite literally.
This time around, with the heartless Colonel Tomayo in charge of the authorities, is hardly thinking of evacuating hostages from the bank – he is thinking plain war, irrespective of casualties. The show is packed with edge of the seat situations in each of its episodes here. Some of them that you must watch out for are – Arturo’s personal revenge attack on Denver for having stolen his office mistress Monica from him, the unusual breech birth by Alicia in the most unlikely situations, the dangerous Gandia responsible for taking out not just Nairobi, once captured and released, returns seeking the blood and life of his nemesis, the storyteller until now – Tokyo, and the gripping face-off between the army and the gang with all their master plans, tricks, smart improvisations, a bit of fair play, as well as treachery.
Apart from the raining bullets, flaming torches and grenades, comes a truckload of emotions and heart-warming situations and it is the women on the show who grab quite a bit of the limelight this time around.
Like it has been over the seasons, the screenplay of season 5 too is interspersed with its share of flashbacks that act as references to what is to come. A notable chapter among these is the one that involves the late Berlin, whose presence is expectedly going to remain as long as the show remains, and the initiation of his son into the world of heists. Watch out for this boy – Rafeal- who decides to take one of his dad’s advice rather seriously – ‘If you really want something in life, you need to steal it from someone else’.
Now again, we can’t wait for the rest of the episodes for this addictive binge watch.
