Watch La casa de papel

La casa de papel is a Spanish television series that premiered on Antena 3 in May 2017. The show is created by Álex Pina and produced by Vancouver Media. It is a crime thriller with elements of drama and heist. The series follows a group of eight robbers who plan and execute a sophisticated and daring heist of the Royal Mint of Spain in Madrid, with the help of their enigmatic leader, known only as The Professor. The plan is to print billions of euros and escape unscathed, while keeping hostages inside the Mint and negotiating with the police outside.

The robbers, who are code-named after cities around the world, are a diverse group of individuals with different backgrounds, skills, and motivations. They are led by the charismatic Tokyo, who narrates the story in a non-linear fashion and addresses the audience directly. The other members of the gang are Rio, Moscow, Berlin, Nairobi, Denver, Helsinki, and Oslo, each with their own roles and personalities.

Meanwhile, the police are led by Inspector Raquel Murillo, who is tasked with negotiating with The Professor and rescuing the hostages. Raquel is a smart and determined detective who becomes personally involved in the case as she starts to uncover the secrets and hidden agendas of both the robbers and her own colleagues.

The first season of the show consists of 13 episodes and was originally intended to be a limited series, but its popularity and critical acclaim led to a renewal for a second season, which premiered in October 2017. The second season has 9 episodes and continues the story of the heist, with new challenges, twists, and revelations.

The show has been praised for its fast-paced and suspenseful plot, its complex and well-developed characters, its use of flashbacks and metaphors, and its social commentary on issues such as capitalism, inequality, and authority. The performances of the cast, especially Úrsula Corberó as Tokyo, Alvaro Morte as The Professor, and Itziar Ituño as Raquel Murillo, have also been widely acclaimed.

La casa de papel has become a phenomenon in Spain and many other countries, where it has been distributed through Netflix. It has won several awards, such as the International Emmy Award for Best Drama Series in 2018, and has inspired spin-offs, adaptations, and parodies. The show has also been criticized for its violence, sexism, and unrealistic portrayal of the Spanish police, but its impact and influence on popular culture cannot be denied.

The third season of La casa de papel was released in July 2019, with 8 episodes that continue the heist and introduce new and old characters. The third season has a higher budget and production value than the previous ones, and focuses more on the emotional and psychological aspects of the story. The fourth season of the show was released in April 2020, with 8 episodes that bring the story to a climax and resolve many of the conflicts and mysteries. The fourth season has been praised for its epic and emotional scenes, but also criticized for its confusing and unsatisfactory resolution.

In July 2020, Antena 3 announced that a fifth and final season of La casa de papel would be produced and released in two parts, the first one in 2021 and the second one in 2022. The fifth season will conclude the story of the heist and the characters, and promise to be the most thrilling and shocking season yet.