Last year, La Casa De Papel took the TV world by storm. Although I enjoyed the show’s debut (read my review of parts one and two), I often felt like the show overstayed its welcome. 15 overstuffed episodes could have easily been edited down to eight self-contained hours instead of robbing (pardon the pun) the narrative of its momentum. Thus you can imagine my hesitation before sitting down to watch part three. Well much to my surprise, the show’s return is absolutely sensational; it’s actually better than everything that came before.
The great thing about this new season is that it wastes no time getting into the action. In fact, there’s not a single wasted moment across all eight episodes. There’s no fluff, and no narrative wheel-spinning. Every scene and every development has a purpose, and that makes these episodes an absolute breeze to sit through.
Of course nothing would work if the show’s cast wasn’t so uniformly strong. Everybody is still in top form (Alba Flores’ Nairobi is still a standout), and the show even manages to continue utilizing Berlin (thank you flashbacks). Moreover, the show’s editing continues to be magnificent, capably layering multiple timelines together to convey a real sense of urgency throughout.
The most exciting addition to the cast is Najwa Nimri as Alicia Sierra. The inspector is fascinating to watch with her pregnancy and endless sugar-cravings. She’s consistently unpredictable, and her diabolical plots actually make her a brilliant match for The Professor and Raquel.
FINALE SPOILERS
The finale is a thing of beauty – packed with mind-boggling twists at every turn. The final 15 minutes in particular are stunning to watch as the Professor falls for Alicia’s pretend-execution of Raquel, and all hell breaks loose (Tokyo and Rio blowing up the tank, Nairobi getting shot etc…). It’s a pulse-poundingly beautiful climax – I actually need another season now. How great is that?
FINALE SPOILERS
Conclusion
A nail-biting and incredibly thrilling season that’s one of the best things I’ve watched all year. Blockbuster TV at its finest.