'Elite' Season 8: Why Luis Marin’s character arc was the strangest plot twist we’ve seen
Contains heavy spoilers for 'Elite' Season 7 and 8
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Netflix aired the eighth and final season of its Spanish teen thriller drama 'Elite' on July 26, 2024. The show intertwines themes of class conflict, sexuality, and identity, creating a dynamic and engaging narrative.
It gained popularity among young fans with its intricate plotlines and rich character development, delving into the lives of high school students, each grappling with personal struggles and societal pressures.
The presentation of deeply flawed yet relatable characters and their individual arcs contributed to the show's success throughout eight seasons.
Luis Marin gains spotlight in 'Elite' Season 8
Luis Marin (played by Alejandro Albarracín) was first introduced in 'Elite' Season 7, as he arrived at Las Encinas to supervise the school after the shooting at the end of season 6.
The smart and handsome cop made Isadora (Valentina Zenere) betray her father in the finale episode of 'Elite' Season 7. Isadora wore a wire and made her father confess to his crimes. The season ended with Luis arresting her father for corruption.
While Season 8 primarily focuses on the students and their messed up lives, Luis surprisingly sneaks into the spotlight in ways we didn't anticipate.
His antics begin in Episode 2 when he offers help to Isadora after a mishap at club. With no permit, insurance or money, Isadora could land up in jail just like her father, but Luis's intervention saves her from legal troubles.
Isadora anticipates that Luis would expect something in return, but Luis insists he is doing it out of friendship.
However, it doesn't take too long before we finally see Luis's true colors. When Isadora wants another favor from him and requests him to arrange for a meeting with her father in prison, Luis's intentions become clear.
He aims to control Isadora by making her feel indebted for all the favors he does for her, ultimately seeking sexual favors in return.
His obsession keeps growing, and by Episode 5, he goes so far as to threaten her with imprisonment for allegedly running a brothel at her club if she didn't express gratitude towards him.
The once sincere cop transforms into a maniacal and obsessive man, seizing the first opportunity he gets when he sees the lonely young girl with no parental guidance and a life in disarray.
Luis Marin's character arc reaches most bizarre conclusion
As if Luis Marin's transformation into an obsessive man wasn't enough, the makers gave his character further weight in the finale episode, exposing him as the killer of Joel (Fernando Líndez).
A simple threat from Joel is all it took for Luis to sneak into the Alumni club a few hours later and slit his throat. And just when we are happy with the expose, and want this killer to rot in prison, the unexpected happens.
Despite his arrest, Isadora injects him with a drug that kills him within minutes. For Isadora and her friends, this might be their form of justice, but we hoped for better motives and a more fitting conclusion to his character.
'Elite' Season 1 to 8 are currently streaming on Netflix