The Beginning of the End of Money Heist

Vanessa Obioha

The fifth part of the Spanish heist crime drama series ‘Money Heist’ premiered on Netflix on Friday, September 3 to great fanfare. But by the end of the five episodes of the first volume of the final instalment, fans were left heartbroken following the death of Tokyo, the series narrator and a beloved character. Not a few took to social media to express their anguish seeing Tokyo die in the last scene.

Tokyo was the first character introduced to fans when the Alex Pina creation launched on Netflix in 2017. A hot-headed thief, Tokyo played by Úrsula Corberó, was among the band of thieves led by the intelligent Professor played by Álvaro Morte to infiltrate the Royal Mint of Spain and print €984 million. Following the success of the heist, the Professor recruited more members as he sets his sights on the Bank of Spain. The recruits are named after cities around the world.

‘Money Heist’ sophisticated plot and compelling characters made it a global phenomenon, becoming Netflix most-watched non-English-language series in 2018, a title it held till ‘Lupin’, the French crime drama knocked it off this year. Celebrities like the Brazilian footballer Neymar who appeared in one of the episodes are devoted fans of the show. The cult following saw the ubiquitous use of Salvador Dali’s masks which the thieves used to conceal their identity as well the red jumpsuits and of course, the popularity of ‘Bella Ciao’, the Italian anti-fascist song played prominently in the second part of the series.

Fans of the series have seen the deaths of previous characters. From Berlin (Pedro Alonso) in part two to Nairobi (Alba Flores) in part four, yet none was as painful as Tokyo’s. In a way, her death was imminent throughout the five episodes. Through flashbacks, we get to see Tokyo’s past, from the death of her first love René played by Miguel Ángel Silvestre (Sky Rojo, Velvet) to her after-life conversation with Nairobi. Tokyo may have lived many lives like the proverbial cat but to mark the end of the series that has held many spellbound, her death was necessary.

It was a way of getting the viewers to say goodbye to the series. But the second volume due December 3 will have to answer many questions. One of the probing questions is what kind of relationship will evolve between The Professor and Alicia Sierra (Najwa Nimri), the police inspector who discovered his hide-out. Initially eager to turn the Professor in, Alicia would have a change of mind when the former helped her to deliver a child.

Another bogging question is what role will Berlin and his nerdy son Rafael (Patrick Criado; ‘Unauthorized Living’, ‘Below Zero’) play in the second volume. The duo carried out their first heist in the first volume. And will Rafael somehow help the thieves escape the wrath of the soldiers?

Perhaps, the most intriguing fact that viewers are eager to know is the fate of the Professor. Will he die? If no, is there likely to be a spin-off based on his character in the future?