After spending months studying with the Professor at his house, they are ready to apply what they have learned. Together, wearing red jumpsuits, dali masks, and adopting capital aliases, they are headed to the Royal Mint of Spain. Stealing money is too obvious. They are going to do something different: printing the money.
La Casa De Papel, also known as Money Heist, is a five part (seasons) Spanish show on Netflix that tells the story of the grand scheme(s) orchestrated and executed by a group of cons. It starts out with seven criminals recruited by a man whose identity is unknown, that everyone calls “Professor.” He is the mastermind behind the first mission of breaking into the mint of Spain, planning the events to every outcome. It is to the point where even if he died, the plan can still be successful.
Each of the criminals working on this mission must abide by the rules he has set up in order to insure a successful mission. One of the rules was to call each other by the names of countries’ capitals: Tokyo, Nairobi, Moscow, Denver, Rio, Berlin, Oslo and Helsinki. The names were used to protect their identities, but for viewers, represented the characters well. Another rule the Professor had was no romantic relationships, a rule they broke without considering the consequences, contributing to the story’s plot.
Living in the Professor’s house for months before the day of the mission, they not only study for the heist, but they spend time together – eating, playing, and drinking – becoming a family. These scenes were shown alongside the main storyline, jumping between present and past. Even though they were criminals, it showed they were still people with a heart and fun, drawing sympathy from the audience. It was a reminder that any challenge could be conquered with those we see as family.
Watching La Casa De Papel over winter break was a great way to start the new year. It is a show filled with laugh-inducing and tear-jerking characters. Additionally, the plot-twists will make one pick up their jaws from the ground every time. You will feel all the emotions one could hope for from a show. Looking back, it for sure “stole” first place in my list of top shows of 2025.
