Netflix has released the third season of its popular crime drama La Casa De Papel (House of paper) or Money Heist as it is called in the English version. It has been the most watched non-English series in Netflix and no wonder that series creator Álex Pina was given the charge to return with a new season.

Writing a heist drama for a third season and getting it right is not an easy task. While providing the audience with something bigger and better is a trajectory that most writers tasked with writing sequels choose, that approach has often led to the sacrifice of the basic elements that made a show famous in the first place. So does La Casa de Papel get it right? Yes it does, in most aspects.

The third season catches up with the surviving gang members after a period of two years since the events of the last heist. The series makes the choice of starting off not with the Professor and his team but with one of the victims of the earlier heist, Arturo Román. The focus then shifts to the main characters who are well settled in their new lives but very soon Tokyo and Rio find themselves dragged into trouble because of a mistake.

The heedless act on their part allows the plot to bring the team back together for a rescue mission. As a part of their plan, they choose a target that is bigger and riskier- stealing the gold from the bank of Spain. The only reason that the Professor could attempt such a vital target within a short period is because the plan was formulated by the late Berlin and his close friend Palermo years back.

For those who are eager to see the Professor back in front of a blackboard will be amply rewarded, though the finer aspects of this heist is not as detailed as that of the past seasons. The series keeps up its time-jumping format of storytelling with flashbacks giving us detailed insights into the characters. The aim of the time play is to keep the viewers engaged with the puzzle while not allowing things to get monotonous. This was one of the major drawbacks of the previous seasons when the flashbacks often diluted the impact of the main drama. With the number of episodes held at eight, Money Heist keeps things crispier in season three. On the other hand the quickened pace at times tends to blur out the details of the heist plot in some areas.

With three couples in the team, you can always expect the flow of sentiments and emotions creating a lot of melodrama. The focus remains on the development of the characters as couples and that is very well balanced with the main plot. There are a few jarring notes that seem totally out of place in a heist thriller and more suited for a soap opera; especially one involving Nairobi. In a way, the series aims to highlight the chaos that love and romance can bring about in a critical situation like in the middle of a heist.

While the personal dynamics between the team keeps the drama high, an area that this season lacks is setting up a proper equation between the team and the hostages. To compensate for that, a character makes a forceful intrusion, which is just the way it feels from the perspective of the plot. To fill the gaps of the deceased characters new players are introduced in the team who have specific skill sets. Rodrigo de la Serna as Palermo makes an impact but the presence of Pedro Alonso as Berlin is sorely missed within the team.

The series always presented strong female characters and upholding the correct reverence for the gender equation plays an important role in this season. Sadly though, some of the most interesting female characters are left side-lined by the plot. The wonderful battle of wits between Raquel and the Professor was one of the best aspects in the earlier seasons. Itziar Ituño delivers a strong performance in this season, but as the Professor’s partner and ally, her scope is much limited. The character arcs of important players constitute the fundamental strands of any series, but here the creators do not attempt much regarding the development of powerful characters like Nairobi and Tokyo.

On the other hand, the team finds a great adversary in the form of the devious and scene-stealing Inspector Sierra, who shows the right skills to match the genius of the Professor. The strong performances from the rest of the cast help in covering up whatever faults the season has. What La Casa De Papel excels in, as it did in the previous seasons, is the cat and mouse play between the authorities and the team of robbers. It will definitely keep the viewers gliding smoothly from one episode to the next until the nail-biting climax.

La Casa De Papel was always based on a thematic conflict between the group and the Spanish state. In season three, this makes the plot stretch thin at some points which raises the feeling that perhaps the series would have been more enjoyable in a make-believe world, a la John Wick. Such a world could have made the series more believable as the plot sets the team almost on the path of a revolution with the characters becoming larger than life figures in the eyes of the public. Suspension of disbelief has always been a part of the series and season three demands a healthy dose of it.

By the end of the season, things get more complex and personal at the same time. The always calm and balanced Professor is troubled by a mistake that can upset all his calculations and we know that things are going to get more complex as Tokyo utters at the climactic scene ‘Then, it was war.’

With a bigger budget and higher stakes, La Casa De Papel season three presents a bigger canvas that allows the camera to explore a range of locations around the world. At the same time it makes the action more explosive with more firepower and intensity. The creators have to be given credit for bringing in more excitement in this season and balancing it with the right amount of personal drama. If you enjoyed the earlier seasons, there is no reason not to enjoy the fun ride this time. Season four is already on its way and a happy ending may not be what the creators are planning.

By Suvajit Banerjee

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