TOO CUTE FOR SCHOOL
Netflix series Élite is the scandalous teenage drama you deserve, Sonia Rao writes.
If you are a fan of teen dramas about class conflict and forbidden romances, you simply must watch Élite, Netflix’s Spanish-language series set at Las Encinas, the most exclusive fictional high school in Spain. The show, which debuted earlier this month and has already been renewed for a second season, tracks three working-class kids who wind up at the school after an earthquake destroys their old one. It is thrilling, pulpy and full of navy blazers in a way that sort of feels like Gossip Girl before it went off the rails. Oh, and did we mention Élite is also a time-hopping murder mystery? Following is a closer look at what the Netflix show entails.
A MURDER MYSTERY TO SOLVE (GASP!)
There’s been a murder ... in Las Encinas. Élite opens with an interrogation run by a detective who, admittedly, does a pretty awful job of keeping important case details to herself. As the show progresses, it splices in clips of her interviewing each character about their relationship with the victim, who was killed near the swimming pool with a sought-after statuette. Pretty much everyone is a suspect.
MESSY RELATIONSHIPS, SOME OF WHICH ARE SECRET (DOUBLE GASP!)
The longevity of Romeo and Juliet proves we never tire of forbidden romances. The same goes for people from different worlds falling in love: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Edward Cullen and Bella Swan — you get it.
Such romances abound in Élite, supported by characters who contain enough idiosyncrasies to keep their storylines fresh.
Here are a few examples, with slight spoilers: Arrogant popular kid Guzmán (Miguel Bernardeau) develops feelings for Nadia (Mina El Hammani), the reserved new girl. This leaves his enamoured friend-with-benefits Lucrecia (Danna Paola), who rules the school, in the dust. Guzmán’s best friend Ander (Arón Piper) and Nadia’s brother Omar (Omar Ayuso) fall for each other but keep their relationship a secret, for neither one has come out to their family.
BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE TO CRUSH ON, OBVIOUSLY
Teen drama scripture holds that almost every character who appears on screen must be hot. It is why Serena van der Woodsen (Gossip Girl) and Marissa Cooper (The O.C.) need only bat an eyelash to get away with their often heinous behaviour, and why all the male actors on Riverdale post thirst traps on Instagram.
Everyone on Élite could easily book the modelling gigs Christian dreams about, but this especially applies to Omar and Ander. The prospect of these beautiful souls sharing a scene will keep you glued to your computer screen, even though that means you’ll have to put up with sometimes tiring things like Marina (María Pedraza), Guzmán’s sister, making terrible decisions.
FAMILIAL DRAMA, COMPLETE WITH ALSO-HOT PARENTS
Though the parents on Élite aren’t nearly as perfect as The O.C.’s chief bagel provider, Sandy Cohen — who could forget those eyebrows? — or the hot dads of Riverdale, they successfully passed on their nice jawlines and propensity for stern looks. Parental drama among the rich involves questionable business practices and potential jail time, while it remains limited to stern parenting among their working-class counterparts.
The juiciest family feud is born out of a Vampire Diaries-esque love triangle between Marina and two brothers: her wellmannered boyfriend Samuel (Itzan Escamilla) and his rebellious older brother Nano (Jaime Lorente).
TRICKY SUBJECT MANNER
In addition to the class conflict — which seems to be a key ingredient in every quality teen drama — Élite touches on racism, sexuality and sexually transmitted infections. Nadia faces expulsion if she doesn’t take her hijab off at school; Omar fears his parents’ reaction to him being gay; and one character is publicly revealed to be HIV-positive (although the reaction is more respectful and informed than it might have been years ago).
If you wind up binge-watching the series — it’s hard not to! — be sure to watch with Spanish audio and English subtitles so you can witness the witty banter as it is meant to be witnessed.