Intelligent Crook?

Money Heist (La Casa De Papel, House of Paper)
Spanish miniseries, Netflix Season 1-3; 2017- present

It is no secret that countries which are secular in their politics perform better in economics. Look around. Nations who appear to showcase Roman Catholic in their day to day running of their lives, e.g. countries in the Iberian peninsula, in Latin America and the Philippines, perform worse off than their Protestant counterparts. We need not talk about Muslim nations or countries struggling to go all conservative to stay relevant. 

It seems that nations that look at pleasing the Money God seem more progressive and advanced technologically and socioeconomically. By this, I mean these countries look at acquiring wealth at a level more important than to satisfy the imagined Man in the heaven or the intangible Forces of Nature. They feel money can solve their problems in this life and do not need to follow preset rules on Earth to receive its unassured retribution in another realm or on another birth.

Retractors will insist that they are missing the woods from the trees. There are more things to life than acquiring wealth that maintaining good virtue is the aim of life. We are paying for the Original Sin, and that Salvation is attained through selfless acts and His Grace.  Are these mere rants of a loser who insists the grapes that he failed to acquire must have been sour anyway?

Whatever it is, money seems the physical proof that life actually improves on Earth. Or do they? Tales of lottery winners with windfall and ending up worse off then they were initially is well known to us. 

According to Netflix, 'Money Heist' is its most-watched non-English miniseries. Even though the dubbing can be fixed in some places and there can be room for improvement in the acting department, it nevertheless, manages to keep its viewers at the edge of their seats. As the title suggests, the story revolves around a carefully planned heist at the Royal Mint. The modus operandum is to hold the staff of the mint and a group of student-visitors as hostages as the crooks use the machinery to print brand-new crisp, authentic Euros. Maybe, as the episodes drag on, due to prolonged contact with the robbers, the audience, just like their hostages, builds a sympathetic bond as like in Stockholm Syndrome.

Along the way, we are introduced to Professor, the mysterious leader of the pack and the motley crew of 8 robbers who form the rest of the gang. All of them have a sob story to explain their miserable life and how they landed there. The plan is to print €2.4 billion and to abscond through a self-built tunnel. Things become complicated as the Professor, who is stationed outside to guide through the operation and negotiate with the police, falls hopelessly in love with the investigating police chief. And it is mutual.

Initially, the story is believable, but the series progresses, it is evident that much masala is infused into it. Too many outlandish coincidences and instances of 'near misses' make one lose interest. It is only so many times that the preparator's identity can be repeatedly close to being uncovered. There were, however, many interesting discussion about human behaviour and philosophy amongst the baddies. But, do you expect villains to be so highly refined and intellectually superior? Why not? Intelligence can be used both ways - for betterment or destruction of mankind!

With the runaway success of the first two seasons, spoiler alert, and their successful heist, the producers decided to have more of their finely crafted planning. Living incognito in separate lives, one of the crook's identity is discovered and is apprehended. In the 3rd and the yet to be released 4th season, they attempt to rob the Bank of Spain of its gold. The former inspector and a former hostage are now in their team. The story only gets more bizarre. A burglar who was riddled with bullets in the 2nd season is walking around talking philosophy, and nobody is curious. There is only so much DIY medical emergencies that one can handle. Removing glass shrapnels from the eyes, treating brain injury and full-blown heart attack is not something one can do at the drop of the hat. It is becoming more and more another offering of ‘Fast and Furious’. 

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