From being the quintessential mean girl of Las Encinas to being the glue that held the gang together, Lucrecia “Lu” Hendrich had the most fascinating character journey in Elite. I know I wasn’t the only one who hated her guts in the first two seasons because of how determined she was to destroy Nadia’s life. But when she had her redemption arc in Season 3, I was able to appreciate her snark and spunk much more.

Lu is known for her Spanglish quips and her questionable taste in men (hello, half-brother!) but she had so many moments that made her the bad bitch of the show. In this list, we’re taking a look back at all those good and bad instances that defined her character.

And if you just learned today that Lu’s last name was Hendrich, then feel free to take a look at our our guide to watching Elite and get to know everyone’s full names!

7. Lu and Nadia’s speech

This was the ultimate friendship moment between these two former archrivals. They had just won a scholarship together that would allow them to study in New York, but they knew that it felt wrong to accept it for an unacceptable reason. Some of their friends were barred from graduation while Polo, Marina’s murderer, was allowed to walk scathe-free. And who were the people funding the scholarship? Polo’s parents!

After debating whether or not they should stand their ground in their joint speech, Lu and Nadia inevitably spoke up for their classmates, and the bias shown in favor of Polo. Lu ended up going on a long-winded tirade in front of the whole school, attacking Polo’s mothers. As expected, both of them ended up losing their scholarship.

What a satisfying moment this was! Not only was the two women’s camaraderie fascinating to watch, but Lu also showed how loyal she was to the people she loved.

6. Lu seduces Guzman

Much of the first season revolved around Lu’s jealousy towards Nadia when it came to Guzman. When he legitimately started to fall for Nadia during the scheme to take away her virginity, Lu knew that she had to something to stop those two from getting together.

In one of her baddest moments, Lu seduced Guzman in his family’s swimming pool in a similar way to how he tried to seduce Nadia beforehand. The seduction plan looked like it was going to fail, but leave it up to Lu to get what she wants. Guzman ended up falling for her tricks and slept with her after a cinematic kissing scene underwater. And of course, Lu did not keep her mouth shut about the incident, making sure that Nadia heard all the deets about it.

While it wasn’t particularly a display of good character, this was just one of those instances that made us Lu hate so much in the early seasons of Elite. And it just made her redemption arc in the third season that much sweeter!

5. Lu saves Guzman’s life

After Marina’s death, Guzman was understandably feeling depressed and angry at the world. There was a scary moment when he stood on a ledge while intoxicated and was contemplating his own death. In what was perhaps Lu’s first vulnerable moment in the show, she talked Guzman out of taking his own life.

Lu was so frightened for whom she considered to be her best friend that she cried when he finally decided not to do it. Unfortunately, both of them were at a vulnerable state and decided to kiss each other when it was clear that they were better off as just friends. But regardless, this moment really showed us why Lu Hendrich is the best friend you could have in Elite, and would foreshadow the series of events that led to Polo’s death in Season 3.

4. Lu befriends Omar

One of the pleasantly surprising friendships that Lu Hendrich made was with Omar. Considering that his sister was her nemesis, she could’ve just easily been mean to him. But in the second season, they were able to form an unlikely bond while having dinner with Ander and Guzman. Those two men were angry at them for some reason and they found some common ground with being shut out by their respective partners. It also helped that Lu spoke some Arabic!

Then their friendship was solidified in the Halloween party at Rebeka’s when Lu gave some advice to Omar about his relationship. “Never love anyone who treats you like you’re ordinary,” she said to him.

They would actually turn out to be really good friends as Lu continued to be a guardian angel to him later on when he was having his affair with Malick.

3. Lu’s interview with the Inspector

After Polo’s murder, the Inspector questioned everyone yet again about what happened that night. We knew that Lu was the one who stabbed him with the wine bottle neck which led to Polo falling off from the barricade. So she was obviously feeling a lot of anxiety when she was being questioned!

When she claimed that she wouldn’t kill Polo because he was her friend, the Inspector tried to paint her into a corner by claiming that they weren’t friends. To this, Lu disagreed and gave one of the most memorable quotes in Elite: “Polo was my friend. Despite everything, we’re all friends. More like a family. We might not say we love each other every day, but you have no fucking clue what I’ve been through with these people.”

And with that line alone, we saw how much Lu Hendrich has transformed since the first time we saw her. No longer was she the person causing so many cracks in everyone else’s relationship, but she was someone who actually wanted and craved for their friendship.

2. Lu walks away from Guzman

Well the Reverse Valentine’s Day party that Lu threw was iconic already in of itself, but something much more magical happened for her. Throughout the entire series, we saw Lu fight tooth and nail to win Guzman’s love and affection. The fact that his eyes were always on Nadia was why she hated her with a burning passion.

Lu Hendrich knew that she was always going to be the “second choice” for Guzman, and she just simply went along with it because she loved him. But she was finally able to say no to him in this party when Nadia had rejected him for the nth time. Guzman tried to worm her way back to Lu to feel some sort of emotional validation, but she wasn’t going to fall back to that routine.

It wasn’t all bitter though; she still loved Guzman as a friend; it’s just that she wasn’t going to allow herself to be his back-up plan any longer.

1. Lu exposes everyone

In perhaps her baddest moment yet, Lu took the mic in a fundraiser party she planned with Cayetana. And boy, did she make that a night to remember for everyone!

Lu quickly took Cayetana under her wing when she first rolled into the Las Encinas scene. In fact, you can say they became best friends. But their bond quickly turned sour when Lu discovered her huge secret: she was actually the daughter of the school janitress. And the worst part of the whole thing was when she realized that the money they were raising in fundraiser party was for Cayetana.

Feeling betrayed, she told everyone in the party about the lie. But she didn’t stop there. Lu also exposed the fact that Guzman cheated on her with Nadia, and that Carla was sleeping with Samuel. She basically had enough of the people whom she considered her closest friends hiding things from her and treating her badly.

This was the first time I really felt bad for Lu because she was always projecting a mean girl facade before this. But as she said, she was sick of pretending and putting on a fake smile because nothing was going okay for her.

Which Lu Hendrich moment did you like the most? Are you gonna miss her as much as I am going to? Leave your thoughts in the comments down below! And if you’re also a Carla fan, make sure to read our list of her 8 most iconic moments.

Get more content about Elite and Elite Season 4 sent straight to your inbox. Just place your e-mail address, it’s that easy!

If you’re looking for more info about the characters in Elite Season 4, check out our guide here. Don’t miss out on anything by following us @ZoomersCornerPH on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The post ‘Elite’: Lu Hendrich’s Top 7 Baddest Moments appeared first on Zoomers Corner.

Elite just wouldn’t be the same without the sexy and stone-cold marchioness, Carla Caleruega. While her beauty and assertiveness made us fans of her in the first season, we were able to truly fall for her when she got those bangs and showed us why she’s the boss. By the time that she departed from the show, we were practically on our knees kissing the floor that she had walked on.

Carla had so many iconic moments which is what made us rank her as the best Elite character in the first three seasons. It wasn’t even close! So let’s recount some of the moments that made us stan the woman who defined the early years of this Spanish teen drama.

And if this is the first time you’re learning about Carla’s last name, then head over to our guide to watching Elite to learn everyone else’s full name!

8. Carla and Samuel’s first sexually-fueled encounter

When I started watching Season 2, I admittedly didn’t expect the writers to go and have Carla & Samuel as a mainstay couple. After all, Carla could’ve taken the easy route of staying with Polo or Christian. But as we saw, those romances quickly got thrown in the trash the moment a murder got in the way.

So here comes Samuel to insert himself rather violently into Carla Caleruega’s life! When he suspected her of being involved with Marina’s death and Christian’s departure, he confronted her in the bathroom of the club. But having all this hatred and anger in a confined space was too much for their horny teen bodies, resulting to a hot and heavy makeout session that also involved some choking.

I mean we didn’t expect that rough behavior from Samuel, but it looked like Carla was into it!

7. Carla has a threesome with Christian and Polo

Look, the three of them probably had multiple ménage à trois sessions in the short time they spent together. But is anything going to be as iconic as their first actual encounter as a throuple?

Things were actually good for a short while before all the drama and jealousy that would ensue among them. Carla Caleruega and Polo were going through a rough patch as a couple, and Christian would be their temporary fix when he agreed to an indecent proposal. And by that we mean he allowed Polo to watch him have sex with Carla.

But it didn’t take long for that arrangement to escalate when they got to the couple’s apartment. Carla started to make out with Christian and seduced him into having a threesome with Polo. Thankfully for her, the guys seemed way into the idea. Lucky girl!

6. Carla handles the Marina situation

Do you know why we call Carla Caleruega stone-cold? It’s because she doesn’t let fear cloud her ability to think.

As we all know, Polo killed Marina in the Season 1 finale by bashing her head in with a trophy. The shock after what he had done turned him into such an emotional wreck especially when he saw Carla in the bathroom afterwards. He did it for her after all.

But the crazy thing was Carla didn’t even blink when she learned about the murder! She immediately barked orders at Polo and Christian so that the three of them would get out of the situation unscathed. While the boys were visibly jittery and anxious, Carla kept her cool through it all even when she attended Marina’s funeral.

5. Carla tells the Inspector she loves Polo

Carla had a complicated relationship with Polo that only she could understand. They were basically inseparable since they were children, so when they decided that the love was gone (mostly from her side), the two of them had to navigate their lives for the first time as individuals.

They did have a temporary reunion after Marina’s murder, but it quickly ended when Christian ended up in the hospital. The fairytale romance did a full 180, and Carla ended up resenting Polo as she had during the last stages of their relationship. Even when the latter tried to win her affection back, they mostly kept out of each other’s way for the rest of the series.

It was only after Polo died that we learned her true feelings about him. In one of the most iconic Carla moments, she told the Inspector that she would never kill Polo because she loved him. If you still doubt their love for one another, then just look at the pain behind her eyes as she said those words.

And if you want to dissect the two of them even more, you can read more about my thoughts on the Polo and Carla relationship HERE.

4. Carla almost dies from an overdose

We saw a completely different side from Carla Caleruega in the third season when she decided to take drugs. In one of Elite‘s weirdest storylines, Carla had to basically sell herself to Yeray so that he could save her family’s winery from going bankrupt.

Obviously, the strong and independent Carla was not happy being anyone’s arm candy. But she had to follow her daddy’s wishes to keep the romance alive for the sake of business. This pushed her to take drugs for the first time in her life just to feel some sort of happiness when she’s with Yeray.

But it wouldn’t take long for that “technique” to backfire when she took more drugs that her body could handle during a pool party. She not only told Yeray what she truly felt about him in her intoxicated state, but she would lose consciousness and fall into the swimming pool. Thankfully, Polo would come to her aid and she never took another party drug ever again!

3. Carla finally breaks

Despite his feelings getting in the way, Samuel had a mission to fulfill in Season 2: get Carla Caleruega to confess! The cat-and-mouse game between them would inevitably end in tears when Carla broke down and told the Inspector everything she knew about Marina’s death. All that Samuel had to do was pretend to be dead… no big deal.

This was the first time we really ever saw the marchioness in a totally vulnerable state in the show, and when those tears came out, they were glorious. We wouldn’t see her this devastated ever again, which showed how much she truly cared about Samuel and the people that she had hurt along the way.

2. Carla says goodbye

In one of the saddest moments in Elite, Carla made her exit from the show after stealing our hearts. Her farewell sequence started when she told Samuel that she was leaving to study abroad. The two of them had major feelings for each other, and it sucked because they never really got to chance to explore the romance between them. And the most we got from this goodbye was a small peck to the cheek.

At Polo’s funeral, she was finally able to call the shots over her father after Yeray made her owner of the winery. And just to make sure he doesn’t try to do anything funny, she made Valerio in charge while she was gone.

After living her entire life under the command of her parents, it’s nice to see her break free and be her own person for the first time. As for the romance with Samuel, we’re positive that it’s not the end of the line for them yet! We do have that Carmuel Elite Short Story to look forward to before Season 4 drops.

1. Carla puts up the middle finger

I think I speak for everyone when I say that this is the first time we really saw Carla for the bad bitch that she was. Is there even a more iconic photo in the entire series?

In a benefit party for the Caleruegas’ winery, Carla’s mother mocked Christian and his ambition of becoming famous. Understandably, he felt like a fish out of water the entire time, so he decided to run off with a bottle of wine he had stolen.

Polo and Carla followed his lead all the way to their sex apartment. But before they left the party, Carla made sure to send a message to her mother by making out with both guys in front of her. And just to add icing on top of the cake, Carla gave her the middle finger, too.

Which Carla Caleruega moment was your favorite? Did we miss anything out? Leave your thoughts or leave your appreciation for the marchioness in the comments down below!

Get hyped and ready for season 4 with Elite content sent straight to your inbox. Just place your e-mail address, it’s that easy!

If you’re looking for more info about the characters in Elite Season 4, check out our guide here. Don’t miss out on anything by following us @ZoomersCornerPH on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The post ‘Elite’: 8 Most Iconic Carla Caleruega Moments appeared first on Zoomers Corner.

Elite doesn’t shy away from making their characters play a game of romantic musical chairs with each other to add some spice to the show. With many hot characters and teen hormones out and about, it’s not uncommon to see them bounce from one relationship (or flirtmance) to another. In this Elite couple ranking, we try to keep track of all the lovelines in the show and how much they’ve repulsed us or made us go aaawwww.

We have decided to include the throuples in the show because why not? It’s such a big part of Elite that it would feel wrong to leave them out. We are also counting one-sided love to make things more fun! Two things we are not including in this list are one-time hook-ups like Polo and Ander, and fan-made ships.

16. Malick and Nadia

Calling them a couple is a stretch considering how they were basically just using each other. Malick was using Nadia as a trophy wife to make his parents believe that he was Muslim of the Year. Meanwhile, we all knew that Nadia’s heart was with Guzman and she might’ve just been using him to fulfill her dream of studying in New York.

Plus, we could smell Malick actually being into Omar the whole time from a mile away so they never felt like a legit couple.

15. Malick and Omar

This couple was so horrible, it caused some people to completely turn against two of the most beloved characters in the show: Omar and Ander. In case you missed it, we touched on how Malick’s introduction destroyed everyone’s happiness in our Elite character ranking.

But to be fair to him, it does take two to tango so Omar is partially to blame for this too… and maybe Ander as well. A “couple” that started with lies and cheating is not a couple we want to root for. On the bright side, they did give us one of the best moments in the third season when Lu found out they were having sex with each other thanks to the glow-in-the-dark paint from the blackout party.

14. Samuel and Marina

All bets are off when a hot mess meets a nice naive guy. They may just be the most toxic couple in this Elite couple ranking because Marina was unnecessarily manipulative towards Samuel. I hate putting all the blame on her, but it really did feel like she was just stringing him along for no apparent reason.

It was obvious she liked Nano over him, so she didn’t need to play Samuel like that. While there are also other characters in the show who played with other people’s feelings for their own gain, Marina seemed to have etched a permanent scar in Samuel. It was a tragedy that they even met with everything that happened to the Dominguez brothers after she came into their lives.

13. Yeray and Carla

This couple was just really bad. Does anyone even ship them together or think that they actually had a chance?

Yeray was obviously just placed in the show to give Carla something to do in the third season while the writers start building up Rebeca and Samuel as a couple. Unfortunately, I would’ve preferred her to just have another storyline that didn’t involve Yeray… literally any storyline. He was painfully oblivious that Carla was just using him for his money, and he got our favorite marchioness to experiment with drugs because he was that horrible.

12. Christian and Carla

It looked like Carla was starting to fall for Christian until he got into an injury that shipped him off to god-knows-where. The show was only able to give us a small tease of what could’ve been between them, so I’m really only basing their ranking by their potential. I am counting them as part of this list because they were being teased as a couple for a long time.

The two of them never really got a chance together because they only had a small window of opportunity to try it out — between the moment Carla and Polo broke up, and the moment Polo bashed Marina’s head in with the trophy. Being free spirits, we don’t doubt that they would’ve made a good couple though. Fanfics, where you at?

READ: Meet the New Cast Members of ‘Elite’ Season 5 — Yes, Season 5!

11. Polo and Cayetana

Ugh. How frustrating was this couple? When Polo started flirting with Cayetana, it was obviously because he saw her as a mere understudy for Carla. Then the both of them became harder to watch when Polo was simping hard for her. It always felt like Cayetana was just using him as an “in” to become rich and get into a nice college.

And don’t even get me started on how this couple basically caused the emotional anguish and eventual murder of Polo. Not only did Cayetana force him to keep hush about Marina’s murder to relieve his guilt, but she also made sure he wouldn’t transfer into another high school when she sent out those tweets.

They should’ve never just happened. But I am putting them this high in the Elite couple ranking because they just made a bigger impact than the rest of the couples ranked lower than them.

10. Nano and Marina

The bad points I made for Samuel and Marina in this Elite couple ranking could also apply to this star-crossed couple. But what makes the two couples different from that one is that their love was real. I don’t doubt it… I mean they were about to elope with their unborn baby before the murder.

Their personalities just clicked, you know? It’s the classic tale of the toxic man and toxic woman falling in love. Nano couldn’t get out of sticky situations with dangerous people, and Marina couldn’t escape herself. They were both dealt bad hands and it seemed like they could’ve really found happiness with each other like Bonnie and Clyde. So, I will give them that no matter how big a mess they were able to create for themselves.

9. Valerio and Lu

This couple is perhaps the most scandalous one in the show. I even debated if I should place them in this Elite couple ranking because I had to ask myself if half-siblings could be considered as one. I really don’t approve of the incest even if they were “just” half-related, but because they never really felt like they had a familial connectios, I didn’t mind it that much.

We were able to get a lot of memorable moments out of them though, like Nadia’s finding out about their dirty little secret, Valerio leaking Nadia’s sex tape with Guzman, and their father discovering their affair. I also don’t think Lu would’ve grown as a person if it weren’t for the fallout from this incestuous relationship so at least there was some good to come out of this.

8. Samuel and Carla

I am sorry to the people who ship these two together, but I just never saw it happening. Their beginning as a couple was always dubious with the “game” that they were playing with each other. Samuel was basically manipulating Carla the whole time to get her to confess about Marina’s murder!

They exemplified the classic haters-to-potential-lovers trope with a lot of mind games in between, and I get why that’s exciting to some viewers. I would’ve loved to see them get another chance in the third season — and I actually expected them to — but alas, we had to suffer through a whole season of Yeray and Carla.

7. Guzman and Lu

They were really perfect for each other at the start of the show. The both of them hated the hell out of the new Las Encinas students and did everything to be mean to them, with their most infamous scheme being the plot to take away Nadia’s virginity.

But then, we started to see Guzman outgrow that part of his life when he fell for Nadia and his sister was killed. It became clearer after those events that Lu’s one-sided crush on him was never going to become anything more because she ended up being too mean for Guzman’s sake.

We do admire her for keeping him together through all of the difficult things he went through. It’s obvious that Lu cares a lot about Guzman even if he never saw her in a romantic light.

6. Polo, Cayetana & Valerio

Ah yes, the poor man’s Polo-Carla-Christian throuple. We were kinda bummed in the second season when there was no throuple to look forward to, but we were pleasantly surprised with how Polo, Cayetana, and Valerio filled that hole later on.

The weird thing about them is it never really felt forced? Valerio wiggled his way into the couple’s bed pretty naturally.

They deserve to be this high in this Elite couple ranking because as crazy as it sounds, it felt like they really loved each other. I loved watching them swim together, study together, and dream about going to the same college together because it felt pretty… normal for the show. Unfortunately, the throuple had to break up because Polo discovered that Valerio was dealing drugs to Carla. I honestly think that the three of them could’ve still worked things out afterwards.

But you know… it’s kind of hard to do that now when one of them is dead.

5. Rebeca and Samuel

This is possibly the most normal couple that Elite could’ve come up with. When Rebeca first appeared in the second season, I just knew that she was going to end up with Samuel. There was no question in my mind!

They’re definitely overshadowed by the bigger personalities in the show, but their normality is what makes them rootable. It’s taking quite some time for Samuel’s feelings for her to kick in, but we have our hopes up for this couple to get some romantic development in the fourth season. The actors also have some major chemistry going on which warrants their high spot in this Elite couple ranking.

4. Polo, Carla & Christian

These three made up the OG Elite throuple that pushed the envelope when the series had first come out. It was an eye-opener for the global Netflix audience to see a throuple’s dynamics be seen in a positive light… and in a teen drama at that!

While other couples may overtake them in terms of chemistry or likability, no one can deny how iconic this throuple is. If you were a late comer to the show, you probably encountered a video or GIF of them in your feed. Their sex scenes were hot, their drama was fun to watch, and it led to major repercussions later on. It’s such a shame that it had to end in tragedy.

3. Omar and Ander

Omar and Ander are just made for each other. It always seems like life wants to keep them apart, but their love is just too strong.

They are probably the most storied couple in Elite because we saw them go through a lot. Both of them ran into trouble from the very beginning when they were struggling to come out — Ander to his friends & Omar to his family. Once they had overcome that, came a chain of unfortunate events where their relationship was truly tested: Ander discovered Polo’s secret, Ander learned he has cancer, and then Omar hooked up with Malick.

But through their troubles and missteps, you could tell that they care about each other. Even when they had broken up for a little while, there was not a moment in their entire relationship where I questioned if they would end up together. Individually, they are two of the kindest people in the show. Together, they are indestructible.

2. Guzman and Nadia

It was hard choosing between them and the eventual “winners” of this Elite couple ranking. Eventually, I had to place them a bit lower because of my personal bias and the unsatisfying ending for Guzman and Nadia. Don’t get me wrong, I completely understand that Nadia had to leave him to pursue her dream, but their relationship arc fell a little bit… flat for me?

Looking back, it felt like they ended at the same place that they started. They were on, they were off, Guzman had to prove himself to Nadia’s family… it never really went anywhere beyond that. I would’ve loved to have them be an official couple even for just a little while.

But let’s stop being a Negative Nancy because there are many good things about this couple. They were a perfect match because they were able to grow and learn as people through their relationship. Nadia needed someone like Guzman to make her realize that she shouldn’t submit to her father’s wishes all the time, and Guzman needed her so he could be more understanding of everyone else. For example, we saw Guzman’s selflessness manifest itself when he made a deal with Nadia’s father to stop talking to her so she could finish her studies in Las Encinas.

It’s a shame Nadia had to leave, and we would love to revisit their story before the series ends.

1. Polo and Carla

Polo and Carla are soulmates. They may not have made the perfect romantic couple, but their souls have always been intertwined.

It was a tough decision placing them at #1 in this Elite couple ranking, but I feel like I wouldn’t be staying true to myself if I hadn’t. I would argue that the both of them have the most complex relationship in the entirety of the show. They were once the inseparable couple until they started to deteriorate naturally. It’s something that’s bound to happen when you’ve been together since you were twelve.

But man, did they go to lengths to save their relationship… like getting into a throuple with Christian. Unfortunately, this backfired, and it ultimately destroyed what they had for good. Polo was a hopeless romantic and committed the most stupid act of passion for Carla: murder somebody. It was after that incident where we really got to see their devotion to one another; Carla defended him without hesitation and kept his secret from everybody else for as long as she could.

Who does that for someone they didn’t love?

Despite keeping out of each other’s way in the third season, we were able to get a glimpse of how Carla truly felt about Polo when he was killed. When asked if she was responsible for his death, Carla faced the Inspector with the saddest eyes and told her: “I would never him. Not him. I loved him.”

Am I reaching by naming them the best couple in the show? Probably, but you can’t deny that they are the most vital couple in Elite. A lot of things happened because of their love for one another.

Do you agree with our Elite couple ranking? Leave your thoughts and your own ranking in the comments down below!

Get hyped and ready for season 4 with Elite content sent straight to your inbox. Just place your e-mail address, it’s that easy!

If you’re looking for more info about the characters in Elite Season 4, check out our guide here. Don’t miss out on anything by following us @ZoomersCornerPH on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The post ‘Elite’: All Couples Ranked from Best to Worst, Throuples Included appeared first on Zoomers Corner.

Ever since COVID-19 delayed the production of the fourth season, the Elite team has been working nonstop to feed us. Without as so much a hint about the release date of the upcoming season, the Elite season 5 new cast members have just been announced along with the huge news that they are now in production again!

It wasn’t even a long while ago when we released our guide introducing you to the new characters in season 4. But now, we’re already preparing ourselves to meet the faces who will run the Las Encinas scene two seasons from now.

Spoiler alert: they look like they’re gonna cause so much drama.

1. Valentina Zenere

Valentina Zenere is a sultry 24-year old Argentinean actress and singer with a huge following thanks to her Disney Channel roots. With 7 million followers on Instagram, she will surely bring a lot of new eyes to the show. Her feed is nothing short of glamorous and beauty which instantly makes her a perfect Elite fit.

She is best known for her role in the Disney Channel telenovela Soy Luna (yes, they make those in Latin America) where she plays the popular antagonist, Ámbar Smith. Before that, she was actually in another telenovela playing a spoiled adopted daughter named Alai.

Beautiful? Check. An aesthetic Instagram feed? Check. Telenovela experience? Check.

With these things under her belt, we are sure that Valentina Zenere will be a natural in whatever role she plays in the show. Based solely on her photo in the iconic Elite uniform, it seems like she’s going to play a villain that we’re going to absolutely hate.

We also mentioned that she was a singer, and a quick Youtube search led me to this video from the Soy Luna soundtrack.

Yeah… let’s just hope she moves to a more mature sound now that she’s not a Disney girl anymore.

READ: All 16 Elite Characters Ranked from Worst to Best

2. André Lamoglia

André Lamoglia also found fame and recognition thanks to good ol’ Mickey Mouse. An up-and-coming 23-year old Brazilian actor, he is best known for his role as Rafael Smor in the Disney Channel Brazil surfing comedy, Juacas. He was even rocking the surfer dude hair for some time!

Much like Valentina, he has telenovela experience as he starred in a youth-oriented one entitled Bia. André joined the main cast in the second season as Luan, a happy-go-lucky gamer who accidentally falls in love with his rival.

What’s interesting to me is what his character will be like in Elite. Will he continue to play the carefree and nice guy roles that he has been known for? Or is he going to end up in the more morally and sexually questionable storylines that our favorite Spanish teen drama loves to do?

We sincerely hope it’s the latter because every Disney star has to take on more mature roles to show that they can be taken seriously as actors. Whatever his character may end up as though, one thing’s for sure: he’s going to win over a lot of viewers with his big smile and rock-hard abs.

Regardless of their Disney backgrounds, we see a lot of potential with the casting of Valentina Zenere and André Lamoglia. I’m sure that the announcement of the Elite season 5 new cast members has got all fans excited for their eventual appearances.

But the crazy thing is, the fourth season hasn’t even come out yet! O great Netflix, when will you stop the agony and release the damn thing?

If you clicked on this article just because the people in the photo were hot, this is your time to hop on the Elite train. Check out our spoiler-free guide to the entire series here.

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The post Meet the New Cast Members of ‘Elite’ Season 5 — Yes, Season 5! appeared first on Zoomers Corner.

Elite has some of the most memorable characters in today’s TV streaming landscape. And just like us normal un-elite people, they all have their imperfections and have had questionable moments. Despite this, some of them have were able to worm their way into our hearts, while some have just been downright unlikeable. In this list, you’ll see the Elite characters ranked from worst to best.

The criteria is… there is no criteria! However, it will most likely boil down to two things: (1) likeability — including their character development and my personal affinity for them — as well as (2) their overall importance in the show — referring to how much drama they caused.

We’ll only be taking a look at the 15 Las Encinas students (plus Nano) whose journeys we watched in the first three seasons of Elite. So no, people like the Detective, random season 1 professor Martín, and the parents are not included here no matter how iconic Ander’s mom is.

Since we don’t know much about the Elite Season 4 characters as of the time of writing, they are also not part of this particular Elite character ranking. But if you want to learn more about them, you can view some info in our guide here. Spoilers ahead!

Tier: Get Them Off My TV Now!

16. Yeray

Deciding who should come in last place in this Elite character ranking was a tough call between Yeray (played by Sergio Momo) and the 15th person in the list. In the end though, I went with Yeray because he just did not bring enough riveting drama to the show. Was he ever a legitimate threat to Carla and Samuel? No. Did we ever relate to his story as a successful young start-up founder who lost a lot of weight and became hot? No.

Was he ever the most interesting character in a screen? No, Carla always stole their scenes.

Yeray was only able to accept that Carla really didn’t like him when he saw her drugged-up. I mean how messed up is that?

This isn’t a knock on the actor since he just played with what he was given. I think his storyline with Carla was the only obvious misstep in an otherwise perfect third season. We love seeing Sergio Momo and Ester Expósito hang out in each other’s IG Stories, though.

15. Malick

If I’m being honest, I hated Malick (played by Leïti Sène) more than Yeray. In fact, just watching Malik frustrated me even before he showed his true colors. Introduced as the polar opposite of Guzman and potential love interest for Nadia, my Guznadia heart just didn’t like him because his “kindness” was obviously fake.

But even if I knew he was being phony AF, what he did as the season progressed was even more despicable: destroy Omander. We will get into that whole debacle later on because to Malick’s credit, it does take two to tango.

He was obviously placed in the show to add some drama, but to the show’s credit, it freaking worked. At least his presence made me feel something which is more than what I could say for Yeray. Even if those feelings were mostly negative, it was the emotion that the writers were hoping to get from the viewers.

I’m just glad he was able to help out Nadia and Lu in the end and leave Las Encinas for good. I just hope that the damage he had caused in the Omar and Ander characters was not irreparable.

Tier: Boring to Watch

14. Rebeca

I would like to apologize to Rebe (played by Claudia Salas) fans, but this is more of a critique against the writers and not the character. To be honest, I like this girl. She’s feisty, she’s real, and she’s one of the more sane ones.

But I’m struggling to think of a storyline that got me invested in her. I obviously remember her drug lord of a mother and all the drug-selling she was doing later on. Did it stir any emotions in me though? Not really.

There was one moment where I remember her clearly: when all the other students stood up for her when she was about to get expelled. It almost brought tears to my eyes, but you could replace Rebe with any of the characters and I’d feel the same.

So let’s hope that she gets a more interesting storyline in the next season.

READ: ‘Elite’: All Couples Ranked from Best to Worst, Throuples Included

13. Samuel

Oops. This is probably the first unpopular opinion in my Elite character ranking, and I actually didn’t want to place him this low due to the potential backlash. But you know… journalistic integrity and all.

Samuel/Samu (played by Itzan Escamilla) is a great example of being a Vanilla Protagonist. Think Ted Mosby from How I Met Your Mother, or Spongebob Squarepants. Since the series revolves around them, they suffer from having to be “plainer” than the rest of the characters to balance everything out.

I totally get the presence of their type, but in a crazy Spanish teen drama like Elite, being boring is a sin. Despite having traits of a rootable lead, Samuel is a safe character that makes him easily fades into the background.

He’s not morally good all the time. Nor is he Satan.

I enjoy him most when he’s with Guzman, who started to form an unlikely friendship due to circumstance. They mesh together well because of their differences in personalities — the biggest one being Guzman’s impulsiveness, and Samuel’s rational decision-making.

Tier: Hot Mess

12. Nano

It was a tough decision ranking Nano (played by Jaime Lorente) above Samuel in my Elite character ranking, especially when my memory of the first season is a bit hazy after all the awesomeness of the following seasons. But I look back at his character, and I can say that he really brought a lot of drama then.

Nano was definitely the more interesting one of the Domínguez brothers (if you’re interested in learning the last names of all Elite characters, check out our guide) and was pivotal to many plot-centric moments in season 1. Stealing the watch of Carla’s dad, the reveal of Marina’s HIV-positive status, and Marina’s pregnancy wouldn’t have been possible without him.

Nano was misunderstood and had a lot of enemies, but he wasn’t necessarily a bad person. I wouldn’t mind seeing them wrap up his storyline more definitively in a future season.

I acknowledge that his story may not be “sexy”, and he is hardly sympathetic, but he was a much-needed wedge between Samuel and Marina who just felt wrong and icky together.

11. Valerio

When I think of Valerio (played by Jorge López) and where he fits in the Elite character ranking, I want to place him at a high position. But there’s just something… unremarkable about him.

That’s saying a lot about him because he was involved in two of the most scandalous relationships in the show: his incestuous relationship with half-sister Lu, and his throuple-mance with Cayetana and Polo. He was also the catalyst to Guzman and Nadia’s sextape being leaked.

So despite all this, why have I found myself not liking nor disliking him? If someone has the answer to the question, tell me. I think he peaked when he played with Lu’s vajayjay under the dinner table to expose all the creepy incest to their father.

Somewhere along the second season, Valerio and Jorge López won over the fans and the writers had to put him in the third season even if he didn’t serve much of a purpose there. Even his final moment in the show where he ends up being the manager of Carla’s winery came out of left field.

10. Marina

Marina (played by María Pedraza) is the definition of hot mess; I literally designed this tier for her. Starting off the series as a sympathetic girl who makes sure Samuel finds his place in Las Encinas, she soon reveals herself to be a manipulative but misunderstood girl.

I hate to say this, but Marina was the perfect murder victim.

She was trying to be a better person but was also making enemies left and right in the process. There was a certain darkness to her that we saw slowly creep in the second half of the first season. Eventually, all of her lies and scheming led up to her death.

As a fan of Laura Palmer from Twin Peaks and Alison DiLaurentis in Pretty Little Liars, I can appreciate a complex character like Marina. I am ranking her this low though because her likeability just went down the drain as we saw her bad side jump out.

9. Cayetana

The first time Cayetana (played by Georgina Amorós) was introduced in the show, I don’t think anyone expected her to be a wild loose cannon as she turned out to be. I honestly think she’s the most polarizing character because you either love to hate her, or just plain hate her.

My journey with her started with thinking that she was just Carla 2.0 (starting a relationship with Polo didn’t help), but then we find out that she has actually just been faking her lavish lifestyle all the time. I was so entertained with how she tried to hide her secret from everyone, and the eventual reveal of her lie.

While lying isn’t really a “likeable” character trait, I was able to feign some sympathy for her because of my enjoyment of watching her make a huge-ass mess out of herself.

And then… season 3 happened. Not only did she force Polo to keep the secret even if the guilt was killing him, but she made sure that he couldn’t transfer schools by spreading fake tweets in his name. It was so frustrating to watch, and her likeability just went to zero after that.

I don’t believe for a second that she had nothing but selfish intentions when she did what she did.

Since then, I’ve had no sympathy for her, but I’m willing to give her a chance to redeem herself in the fourth season. Nonetheless, she has consistently brought a lot of drama and entertainment to the show which I can’t penalize her for.

Tier: Like ‘Em

8. Christian

Christian (played by Miguel Herrán) was the most likeable character among those who departed the show early. This goof was a big personality that stole the spotlight in the scenes that he was in. He brought some harmless fun into the show despite being written off pretty violently.

In his short stay, we won’t forget his friendship with Nano, and his polyamorous relationship with Carla and Polo. I know this storyline shocked a lot of viewers, but in my opinion, it was never overtly trashy and tied itself neatly to the main mystery later on.

I have nothing against Christian, but he was just ranked this low because we weren’t really able to explore his character as deeply as we did with the others.

7. Guzman

Guzman (played by Miguel Bernardeau) is the jerk with a gold heart. It was easy to dislike him due to his — and pardon the pun — elitist behavior against Samuel, Nadia, and Christian in the first couple of episodes. But as we saw his protective brother side come out, we started to root for him.

It was actually when Marina was murdered that Guzman started to become more appreciative of the people around him. That includes his ex-rival and now good friend, Samuel. And of course, his weakness for Nadia has shown what he is willing to do anything for the woman he loves. Their romance brought nothing but good vibes from us despite being doomed from the beginning.

Out of everyone in the show, I do believe Guzman is the best and most loyal friend out of all of them. He was supportive of Ander through his coming out and his cancer treatment. And let’s not forget that he was able to forgive the person who murdered his beloved sister.

Tier: Love ‘Em

6. Lu

Raise your hand if you hated Lu in the first two seasons of Elite!

Lu (played by Danna Paola) was constantly stirring drama in the show. It was tough defending this girl because of her overwhelming insecurity and manipulativeness, but somehow and some way, she came around in the third season.

All her snarky remarks and scheming were obviously a front for someone who had never been the “first choice” in her life — whether it’s by her crush Guzman, her friend Carla, or her father. It was only in the second season when we started to see through the walls that she built.

And when her whole world crumbled in the third season thanks to Valerio, she started to humble herself and grow into a better person.

When I look back at Lu’s entire character arc, I couldn’t help but be proud of her. She was definitely ready to be sent off by the last episode of the third season.

You can’t argue that she brought a lot of entertainment in her stay. From kickstarting a scandalous bet with Guzman to try and humiliate Nadia in the first season, to her incestuous relationship and charity gala-turned-Las-Encinas-exposed party in the second season, and to her character redemption in the third season, she was never dull. This is the #1 reason why she’s so high up in our Elite character ranking.

When the least remarkable thing about you is accidentally killing someone, then you know you’ve had an eventful life.

We just hope that her friendship with Nadia is forever because that was honestly one of the best things to come out of the last season.

5. Omar

While he has never been the focal point, Omar (played by Omar Ayuso) has progressively made a bigger impact in the show. He was introduced as Ander’s romantic interest at the beginning of the series which made him an instant favorite.

Their relationship had always been a focal point for Omar’s character development, and it kind of sucks that they couldn’t let him have his own thing going on. He seems pretty detached from the “main crowd” aside from being Ander’s arm candy and his admittedly cute friendship with Lu.

That said, we would love to see more interactions with him and the other cast members. If we’re excited about anything in the fourth season, it’s the fact that he’s now officially a student of Las Encinas.

There’s also the rocky relationship he has with his conservative dad which spoke to an issue that many gay teenagers face. It’s actually weird seeing a storyline in Elite be so grounded in reality, and we can’t help but sympathize with Omar’s struggles.

Most viewers turned on him in the third season because of his tryst with Malick, but hot take: I could kinda totally see why he did what he did. He and Ander were placed in a tough spot and neither of them knew how to react without hurting each other. But if Ander can forgive him, why can’t we?

And if you haven’t noticed, Omar is my personal bias so I was too quick in forgiving his mistakes.

4. Nadia

Nadia (played by Mina El Hammani) probably ranks high in a lot of people’s Elite character ranking. It’s not surprising because she’s probably the most normal one out of all of them.

She has had quite the journey from being a judgmental and snobbish teenager with conservative views, to being the more laid-back and accepting version of herself when she graduated. Nadia might not have a big personality, but she has the biggest heart.

I don’t think anyone could stomach a guy like Guzman who initially saw taking her virginity as a medal to be won. Lu was unnecessarily mean to her when she first transferred to Las Encinas because she was simply the smarter one. Then her own brother betrayed her by sleeping with a guy she liked and was planning to move to New York with.

But what did Nadia do? She not only forgave all of them, but she was able to develop stronger bonds with those people.

There was nothing like seeing Nadia let loose for the first time in the nightclub!

3. Polo

I mean there wouldn’t even be an Elite if it wasn’t for him. Even before he was revealed to be Marina’s killer, Polo (played Álvaro Rico) was already interesting to watch because of his creepiness and hopeless devotion to Carla.

No one will ever forget the first time we really got to meet Polo: with his hand on his junk watching Carla and Christian get it on. Unfortunately, the monster that is jealousy started to make its way to the surface. What we thought was just going to be a fun polyamorous storyline was cut short when he struck Marina with the dreaded trophy.

Looking back, Polo was a tragic figure who somehow got what he deserved and then some. It was difficult watching him suffer from guilt — his attempted suicide, and his desperate pleas to leave the country. I got angry for him for putting the other characters through so much pain, but is it bad to say I felt sorry for him?

His descent to social outcast was honestly deserved, but it got to an uncomfortable degree where we just wanted his suffering to be over. Those sad puppy eyes didn’t help either. He just wanted to be loved!

Well Polo, you brought us a lot of entertainment. May you rest in peace.

Tier: Iconic Legends

2. Ander

I honestly believe Ander (played by Arón Piper) is the most universally-loved character in Elite. While I do find him a bit overrated, and I think that half the reason people love him is because of the man who plays the character, I just couldn’t imagine the show without him.

Ander had many notable storylines throughout the series’ run. Let’s start with the first season where he starts to explore his sexuality and enters a relationship with Omar. The process he underwent coming out to his friends and parents was a joy to watch after seeing him struggle with his sexual identity. As he started to embrace who he really was, here comes Hurricane Polo to ruin everything.

The Ander in the second season was tough to watch because he was one of the characters whom you just wanted to see happy. Learning that Polo killed Marina, the let he guilt take over him. He started to become emotional, pushing Omar and Guzman — the people who loved him the most — as far away from him as possible.

Then just when he was able to free from the shackles of his own guilt, he discovers he has cancer.

I mean, come on. Give Ander a break!

The thought of his own death did prove to us what we had already known about Ander: that he’s a genuinely good person. Putting Omar’s happiness over his, and being there for Polo and Guzman were some of the most standout character moments in the show.

While we are in awe of Sad Ander’s resilience and kindness, we hope that the writers bring back Happy Ander in Season 4.

1. Carla

In making this Elite character ranking, I don’t think it was ever a question for me that Carla (played by Ester Expósito) was going to be number one. She is Elite.

I don’t think Carla was planned to become as huge a character as she turned out to be, but thanks to Ester and the writers, Carla became many people’s lowkey favorite in the first season. Everyone remembers the badass moment when she ran away with Polo and Christian, and flashed the middle finger to her parents.

Then when the second season came, homegirl stole the freakin’ spotlight. She was doing a lot of work covering for Polo, starting a sexual cat-and-mouse game with Samuel, and playing detective on her father. It was so captivating watching her try to keep herself together through it all. And when she finally broke, it felt so satisfying to see the vulnerable girl behind the bitch exterior that she’s been projecting.

Unfortunately, the writers couldn’t keep the momentum going in the following season as she got stuck in a crappy storyline with Yeray that led to her “release” from her parents. I understood that it had to be done to conclude her character arc, but I wish it was done in a more… entertaining way.

We are going to pretend we didn’t watch that.

To give her credit though, she was always a highlight in the scenes that featured her.

Her relationship with Polo is also something that I love to think about sometimes. Their complicated relationship was one of the major highlights of the first three seasons of Elite for me. I believe that they were soulmates (in a non-traditional sense) and she does care for him a lot.

In a matter of three seasons, we saw her with the “perfect boyfriend”, the fallout with said boyfriend, the means she’d go to to protect him, the breakdown of her ridiculously strong walls, the rock bottom she had hit, and eventually, the freedom from her parents. It was quite the character arc that highlighted many facets of Carla’s personality.

The amount of exposure she got — and being a resilient and strong woman all throughout — is probably why a lot of people love her.

Now I want to ask you: what’s your Elite character ranking? Do you agree or disagree with some of our choices? Leave your thoughts in the comments down below!

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The post All 16 ‘Elite’ Characters Ranked from Worst to Best appeared first on Zoomers Corner.

It’s been almost a year since the third season of Elite came out on Netflix and shook us to our quarantined cores. If you haven’t jumped on the bandwagon yet, then you’re in luck! We still have a few months to go before the next season rolls out so here’s your chance to learn more about the soapy trashy teen drama that swept the world.

This guide is relatively spoiler-free, so don’t worry about learning too much about what happens.

What is Elite about?

Elite is a Spanish-language drama about friendship, love, murder, and being young. The title pretty much encapsulates what it’s all about: a group of rich and privileged teenagers in the “inner circle” living their not-so-glamorous melodramatic lives.

We are first introduced to Samuel, a teenager from humble beginnings who transfers to Las Encinas, the school where only pretty people can apparently enroll in. He is joined by the social climber Christian and the conservative Nadia who are also not as well off as the other students. Obviously, the popular kids are not too thrilled with the new people in town.

And if there’s anything the past decade of teenage dramas have taught us, rich jealous kids always end up in murder.

While the murder mystery and its consequences drive the narrative forward throughout the series, it’s really a show about teenagers who all have baggage of their own and confront. In between are lots of steamy hot scenes that will make you go “that’s not PG”, and lots of moments that go there.

You can read more about the Elite plot in our initial review of the show.

Where and how to watch Elite

Elite is available for streaming on Netflix worldwide. While there are plenty language options, we recommend watching the series in Spanish audio to feel the whole vibe.

At the time of writing, it only consists of three seasons with eight episodes each. Most episodes clock in the 40-minute range. If you’re really committed, you can finish the whole thing in three days sitting through one season every day! And there’s more to look out for because they actually renewed Elite for two additional seasons.

While we still don’t know when season 4 of Elite is coming out because of production delays caused by COVID-19, you better start now just in case it drops anytime soon. Trust us when we say you won’t be able to escape spoilers in the internet once Netflix releases it.

Is Elite a good show?

While our definition of “good” may be different from yours, Elite is definitely must-see TV. It’s one of the shows that borders on trash television, but manages to overcome all the odds with its tight storytelling and irresistible drama. You can ironically love it, but most people wouldn’t judge you if you’re unironically a fan as well!

The tropes we see in teen drama are all here, but Elite manages to turn them all up to eleven and incorporates some twists to make things interesting. As I look back at my time watching it, the murder mystery takes a backseat to the character development I watched unfold throughout the three seasons.

I honestly wouldn’t say the show is relatable, because how many of us can actually say we attended parties every week when we were in high school? But we sympathize a lot with the characters who are dealt crappy hands, being born rich notwithstanding. Seeing how certain relationships change from hatred to brotherhood and rivalry to friendship is where the magic lies in the show.

By the end of the third season, you’ll find yourself rooting for every single on them even if you despised them at the start. Every episode is action-picked thanks to the seasons only having eight episodes apiece. That means no filler and we get to the resolution faster! And if you know me, I love it when shows make use of quick pacing to their advantage.

All in all, Elite is just a visual and audial treat from start to finish. I would like to particularly give a shoutout to the wardrobe/costume department in the show because all of these characters serve looks.

And the music? Ugh, muy bien! Consisting of modern bops in Spanish and English, make sure you have your Shazam ready when watching Elite. I honestly believe that it has the best TV show soundtrack that I’ve encountered in a long while.

If you’re still not yet convinced, you can read more about why you should watch Elite here.

Shows similar to Elite

Elite is a teen mystery making it similar to shows like Riverdale and Pretty Little Liars, but its more dramatic aspects is reminiscent of Money Heist. It might not make a lot of sense if you’ve watched all three of them, but hear us out.

In our initial review linked above, we tell you how Elite is basically a sexy and smart Riverdale. Of course, we’re talking about the first season when it wasn’t falling off the rails yet.

Both shows are high school dramas that dare to take the insanity levels to unexpected heights. It’s tough to say which of the two is more relatable, but I would definitely say that the things that happen in Elite and the characters’ reactions are more grounded in reality. I mean there are no musical episodes and gang wars in Elite.

Fans of Riverdale will also love the cast and characters in this show. Just like Archie and the gang, the reason we keep watching is because we’ve become so attached to the teenagers whose stupid decisions both entertain and frustrate us. Before we know it, we’ve actually grown fond of them.

If you liked making up theories about who A was, the mystery aspect of Elite is extremely addicting that will have you guessing every time. But unlike Pretty Little Liars, Elite doesn’t draw out the mysteries longer than it should.

You read that right: the show moves on from one mystery to the next pretty quickly making it a perfect binge for more impatient viewers.

If I’m being honest, the mystery in PLL is a lot more captivating because the show drops many clues to keep you guessing. In Elite, the writers give you no idea until the big reveal unless you’re extremely observant and actively looking for the killer.

And if you’re a fan of the chic fashion and big glamorous parties in Pretty Little Liars, there’s no shortage of that here!

Despite their huge differences in plot, Elite and Money Heist have a lot of similarities when it comes to the dramatic aspects. We are referring to the moments between the “action” — for Elite, it’s the mystery, and for Money Heist, it’s the actual robbery.

In times when the curtains are pulled back and the characters are away from the action, we see how everyone is just trying to do what they can to become happy.

The personal battles both sets of characters face have a lot of parallels. Perhaps the biggest one is how a doomed romance can mess up your life, and how far you are willing to sacrifice yourself for the people you consider family.

While many fans of Money Heist are addicted to the mastermind plan behind the heist, they will undoubtedly have a similar level of affection for the characters in Elite along with all the craziness that the show has to offer.

And bonus: three of the cast members in Money Heist are also part of the main cast in Elite: Miguel Herrán, María Pedraza, and Jaime Lorente. Despite their casting similarities though, Elite and Money Heist do not have the same creators.

Elite cast and characters

This show features a stellar cast with the most talented and beautiful actors, rivaling our favorites from The CW. There’s just no way to avoid discussing the actors in this show because you’ll end up falling hard for at least one or two of them. Maybe all of them!

Our watch guide for Elite wouldn’t be complete without discussing its cast.

Trust us: you’re going to find yourself stalking these people’s Instagram profiles by the end of your binge. We even linked them here to get you started.

Every one of them has their own unique charm that will make you root for them no matter how terrible their life decisions may be. Head on down to find your new celebrity crush!

From left to right, we have Samuel Domínguez played by Itzan Escamilla. While he may seem like a gentle and boring protagonist at first, he learns to grow a backbone as certain events force him to be. Christian Expósito (played by Miguel Herrán) is an outgoing student who knows what to do to get what he wants. Nadia Shanaa (played by Mina El Hammani) is an overachieving student raised in a traditional Muslim family but learns to break out of her shell in Las Encinas.

And next up we have the breakout star of the show with Ester Expósito playing the role of the wealthy and cold-hearted Carla Caleruega. Her boyfriend is lost puppy and hopeless romantic Polo Villada (played by Álvaro Rico).

Another star who found worlwide fame because of Elite is Arón Piper who plays troubled and loyal friend Ander Muñoz. His love interest is the brother of Nadia, Omar Shanaa (played by Omar Ayuso). His carefree demeanor and sexuality places him in a sticky situation with his father.

Guzman Osuna (played by Miguel Bernardeau) is the alpha male of the school who is not a fan of the new kids until Nadia worms her way into his heart.

The next two cast members may be familiar to fans of another Spanish-language show: Money Heist. Jaime Lorente plays the brother of Samuel, Nano Domínguez. Fresh from prison, he finds himself in precarious situations all the time. Marina Osuna (played by María Pedraza) is one of the most interesting characters of the show: a seemingly nice girl who hides a lot of secrets. She is similar to Laura Palmer in Twin Peaks and Alison DiLaurentis in Pretty Little Liars.

To push the star power of the cast to a whole new level, Mexican superstar Danna Paola plays the polarizing sassy character of Lu Hendrich.

In season 2, we see the departure of a few cast members from the first season. But fret not, the new main characters introduced in this season are just as iconic.

On the left is Cayetana Pando (played by Georgina Amorós), another polarizing figure in the series. While she is the queen of questionable choices, we love her because she puts the DRAMA in team drama. Valerio Rojas (played by Jorge López) is the stepbrother of Lu and is a bit of a wildcard. There’s only one thing he loves more than parties: drugs.

And last is the no-nonsense girl Rebeca Ávalos or Rebe for short. She is played by Claudia Salas and is honestly the an unremarkable presence in the show. However, that’s more the writers’ fault than anything else.

The third season places the spotlight on the graduating students of the bunch, so we only get two new characters this time around. They are probably the most boring and unlikable additions to the show, but thankfully, both guys are written off by the last episode.

Leïti Sène plays Malick, who was simply introduced to cause chaos. So much chaos. I can’t say much without spoiling what happens, but watch out for this guy. Yeray (played by Sergio Momo) is the more likable of the two — a rich self-starter who falls for Carla.

The third season places the spotlight on the graduating students of the bunch, so we only get two new characters this time around. They are probably the most boring and unlikable additions to the show, but thankfully, both guys are written off by the last episode of the season.

Elite Season 4 Cast and New Characters

The new cast members who will be joining Elite Season 4 are Manu Rios, Pol Granch, Martina Cariddi, Carla Díaz, and Diego Martín. This is the biggest shake-up to the series so far as Season 3 concludes the arcs of many of the OG characters. With their departure and the new arrivals, we expect Season 4 to be a soft reset for the teen soap much like in Skins.

Not much is known about the new characters at the moment but we expect them to be just as wild as the previous ones. Most noticeably, the character of Diego Martín is the first time any adult was treated as a member of the main cast. We speculate that he might be running into a scandalous affair with one of the new students.

Singer and model Manu Rios is probably the biggest star out of the new bunch with over five million Instagram followers. He was discovered in a popular Spanish talent show called Tú sí que vales that launched him into fame.

What is the best season of Elite?

While all seasons are great, there’s no doubt in my mind that the third season of Elite is the best one yet. You can tell how they were still trying to figure out who the characters truly were in the first season which led to some ho-hum storylines.

The mystery was the main driver of the series at the beginning, but once the writers became more confident about who the characters were, they started to create more compelling stories that made every storyline matter in the following season.

Then everything builds up to the tumultuous third season which puts an exclamation point to many long-standing storylines. All the drama from the previous seasons come crashing, and stakes have never been higher knowing that graduation is just around the corner. By all means, it wasn’t perfect and featured some questionable storylines that involved the new characters introduced into the show, but not once does the show bore us nor jump the shark. There is no shortage of drama to be found in this season; it features the most heartbreaking storyline that features a beloved character and couple.

In the middle of watching it, you realize how much the characters has actually become one big family despite their rough patches. It’s difficult having to say goodbye to a lot of the characters we fell in love with in the span of only 24 episodes, but each and every one of them got a beautiful farewell.

Having the bar set higher and higher every season, we’re actually a bit nervous how Season 4 of Elite will pan out. But even if the greatness of the show stops in the third season, it is a worthwhile enjoyable ride that you have to get on.

Have more questions about Elite? Leave a comment down below and I’ll get back to you with what I know.

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The post Your Guide to ‘Elite’, the Show Similar to Money Heist and Riverdale appeared first on Zoomers Corner.

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!

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.

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.

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?

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!

Featured Image: The Nerd Daily

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