Your Next Guilty Pleasure is the Sexy, Smart ‘Spanish Riverdale’

The Spanish teen drama you’re not watching has a 97% score in Rotten Tomatoes. A murder, a beautiful cast, a killer soundtrack, shippable couples, parties for no reason, and unrealistic storylines that normal teens don’t go through. Netflix’s Elite has all the teen drama tropes to a tee, except it works.

No spoilers ahead; at least nothing you won’t read in a synopsis. If you’re looking for teen Netflix shows to binge watch, then you totally have to keep an eye on Elite. This show was sitting on my to-watch list for quite some time, but because of the quarantine, I was finally able to sit down and binge through it. So allow me to gush over this new obsession of mine and paint you a picture of what it’s about, and why you should watch it!

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So what is it like?

If you are anything like a younger version of myself who could not get enough of dramas featuring teenagers, then you will absolutely love Elite. From the more romantic ones like Dawson’s Creek and Felicity, to supernatural dramas like The Vampire Diaries and Teen Wolf, I’ve gotten obsessed with watching hot grown-ass adults play teenagers who are stuck in an endless cycle of heartbreak and traumatic events.

And when we talk about traumatic events in TV shows, how could we ever forget the iconic quest of finding A (and A.D.) in Pretty Little Liars that placed the female leads in countless precarious situations… for seven years!

I’m singling out PLL because as a former die-hard fan of that show, I think that show manages to encapsulate what Elite is: a high school drama about romance, family, friendship, and finding oneself, all tied up in a huge central murder mystery. Of course, I think there are a lot of things Elite does better than PLL especially when it comes to the plot and technical aspects, but in essence, they both keep you at the edge of your seat while maintaining a lot of melodramatic elements.

Many people also have compared Elite to shows like Riverdale, calling it the “Spanish Riverdale”. But honestly, I only watched the first season before shit hit the fan and all the major WTF moments in that show happened, so I’m not really sure how well that comparison stands. I do see why people say that though, especially when the show delves into the more soapy and unrealistic moments. Both of them are glamorous in their own way and will make you say, “so that just happened”. I will say that Riverdale has a grittier and darker presentation that may turn off some fans to Elite.

So the answer to the question: Elite is what happens when Pretty Little Liars has hot steamy sex with Riverdale, but with better cinematography.

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What’s the story about?

Every season starts with a central mystery that gets tied up neatly by the end of the eight episodes. I won’t be delving too much into them to avoid spoilers, but as you can guess, there is a substantial amount of thrill and suspense in the show that will make you want to finish it all in one go. Although I believe that the mystery isn’t really what the show is about, it drives the other storylines forward, making the mystery feel even more important. Also, enough clues are laid out in every episode leading up to the reveals, that the puzzle can be pieced together by the average viewer.

If there’s one thing that Elite does better than its American counterparts (looking at you PLL), it’s that the mysteries actually feel like they’ve been planned out from beginning to end. Not once did I feel cheated, nor that the writers were just throwing a twist for the sake of it. It makes sense!

With that, let’s talk about the other storylines in play because honestly, they are pretty farfetched and require major suspension of disbelief from viewers. But it’s pretty easy to go along with them, because you love to believe that the problems they have are what extravagantly rich people face every day. If you embrace that this is just a primetime teen soap, then you should have no issue with whatever they’re putting out. Rotten Tomatoes did not call it “strong trash TV for anyone with a guilty pleasure palate” for nothing!

Despite how unrealistic it can get at times, the storylines take us to provocative and never-been-explored places in the land of Western teen dramas. It also explores and normalizes things that would be issues in the real world like homosexuality, religious beliefs, polygamy, and many more. The fact that the show fearlessly tackles these topics, and in a teen setting nonetheless, speaks to how progressive it is.

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What are the characters like?

First of all, there is not one ugly person in this cast. Dare I say, The CW casts have nothing on them!

Elite has an almost-perfect ensemble who has strong chemistry with each other. The actors do a tremendous job translating their characters on screen, and they all add a little charm to the show. Watching cast interviews and interactions gives me a giddy feeling even if I don’t understand Spanish. There were a few miscasts in the third season, but it’s okay because they don’t take up a lot of screen time.

Now I must warn you, as how these teen shows usually go, the characters make a lot of stupid decisions. But all of them are ridiculously likable that it’s hard to hate them. The fact that they make questionable choices all the time, but are all universally loved is a testament to how well-written they are. The characters are pretty diverse, and not all of them are stuck-up snobs as the promotional posters would lead you to believe. Everyone whom I’ve talked to about this show has at least one favorite character, but many fans like myself have a lot of favorites!

You have Carla, the femme fatale marchioness who will sneak up on you and steal your heart. There’s Nadia, the conservative but ambitious girl who tries to navigate being a Muslim in the world of the rich. Her rival Lu screams bad bitch, but is bogged down by her own insecurities and desire to be loved. Polo is the often misunderstood one who would give everything to the woman he loves. Finally, you have Ander and Omar, the cutest couple in the show who come across a lot of problems in their relationship mostly because of forces they can’t control.

There are a lot more characters whom I didn’t even mention, but are just as interesting as them. I’m gonna come out and say that the characters are the ones who make this show, and the actors bring it to top-tier status. I mean from their photos alone, wouldn’t you want to follow them on Instagram?

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The Verdict

Elite is a dangerous threat, with a nail-biting fast-paced plot, incredible cast, great technicals, and shockingly, a lot of heart. The fact that it is unapologetic about its wackiness while being an intelligently-written show is rare for a teen soap. With only 24 episodes right now, it is also a bingeworthy Netflix show that will get you through the weekend. Next thing you know, you’ll be on Youtube watching behind-the-scene footage, just like all of us. Besos!

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Featured Image: The Nerd Daily