'Elite season 2: Fans are loving the 'cat-and-mouse' game in the Spanish teen drama and are already waiting for season 3
Spoiler Alert for Season 2!
Netflix released all episodes of the second season of 'Elite' last Friday and fans have already been binge-watching it with many finding the second season much better than the first and were especially impressed with some of the plotlines and character arcs this season. Samuel's development from an innocent guy to one who lowers himself to play the games of the rich in order to find Marina's killer; his subsequent "cat and mouse" game with Carla where they both tried to play each other for their own goals; Nadia and Guzman's relationship blossoming; Omar expressing himself to the fullest after leaving his parents' home, and the eventual linking up of Samuel and Guzman as they played a final game to get Carla and Polo to confess. The show has been compared to Netflix's American show '13 Reasons Why' in the past, although many viewers agreed that 'Elite' has surpassed its American counterpart, with season 2 of 'Elite' doing what season 3 of '13 Reasons Why' couldn't.
Three new characters were introduced this season: Rebeca - a girl whose mother made money through the drug business - originally from the poor side of town but moves to Marina's and Guzman's house after their family moved out; Valerio - Lu's half-sister who loves to party and harbors feelings for Lu that may or may not be reciprocated; and Cayetana - a girl whose family is poor and works part-time after school but puts on a facade when at school and online, pretending to be rich. The new characters were welcomed by viewers, with many commenting on how 'Elite' managed to make Rebeca how Ani from '13 Reasons Why' should have been. She is convincingly new to the original characters' lives, yet finds a place among them and makes friends. Many found the incest plot between Valerio and Lu cringey and unnecessary and wondered why they were made half-siblings instead of step-siblings to make the relationship less disgusting. However, despite the incest storyline, Valerio proved to be a fan-favorite and viewers would like to see more of him (minus the incest) next season. Probably as expected by the writers, many fans found the character of Cayetana grating and wondered why she was yet another girl committing illegal actions in order to keep Polo out of jail.
Fans of both 'Elite' and Spanish show 'La Casa de Papel' noted how Rebeca seemed a lot like a younger version of Nairobi from the latter show due to her style, her mannerisms, and her devil-may-care attitude. With both Christian and Nano missing through most of the season as both the actors had to film the third season of 'La Casa de Papel', their absences were felt widely and many fans are hoping both will be as present in season 3 as in season 1. Interestingly, the show even had a not-so-subtle nod to the Spanish heist show - eagle-eyed viewers noticed the crew dressed in the masks from 'La Casa de Papel' during the Halloween party in episode 5 of season 2.
While 'Guznadia' fans were treated to some heartwarming moments between Nadia and Guzman, many felt Nadia's on-and-off attitude was getting tired. Yes, she is a Muslim girl trying to find a balance between her strict, religious upbringing and the wild, freeing experiences of Spain - some Muslim viewers pointed out how the show needed to hire Muslim writers or consultants in order to portray a less stereotypical story of immigrant Muslim families.
While many fans wanted Samuel and Lu to get together before season 2 aired, Samuel's and Carla's messed up "relationship" quickly became popular. Samuel's change from a gullible, innocent boy to one who was capable of not just playing Carla's game but also beating her was appreciated by many. Although, by the end of the season, many were hoping that the feelings the characters have for each other are genuine and would be explored further this season.
With season 3 confirmed, many viewers are already speculating on what could happen in the upcoming episodes and have expectations of what they would like to be explored - Samuel and Guzman's possible bromance, Cayetana and Polo's possibly messed-up and toxic relationship, a potential redemption arc for Lu, Omar returning home to his father's open arms, and so forth. Many fans liked Rebeca and were disappointed that her character's story was reduced to just her crush on Samuel by the end and they would like for her storyline to evolve in the next season. Whatever happens, season 2 just raised the bar for 'Elite' and let's hope the show rises above its comparisons to '13 Reasons Why', especially with the third season.