Money Heist is the kind of series that even those who dread watching series are hooked like it’s an IV drip. This article contains no spoilers.
Bella Ciao! If we are looking at the brighter yet mundane side of things in this pandemic, we would say one of those would be that we can now find time to squeeze in a few episodes of our favorite shows while working. However, we do not entirely recommend this habit because of two reasons. One, you could lose your focus on what you are working on. Two, if it’s Money Heist you are watching, every minute counts, so full attention must be paid. Besides, this Spanish-language-series-turned-global-phenomenon deserves all your attention—unless you want to miss the tricks up their sleeves for every situation.
Money Heist released its fifth and final season during the first week of September. A day before its Season 5 premiere, Money Heist climbed the leaderboard as the most desired series across all streaming platforms globally. It easily increased its demand worldwide to 78.9 times more compared to other series (data from Parrot Analytics).
Right after Netflix released the new episodes of Money Heist, it further increased its distance from competitors. It became 122.6 times more desired by viewers versus other series worldwide. But what’s interesting about these numbers is the fact that non-English shows are gaining more popularity worldwide.
Money Heist and the rise of local-language series
Money Heist may not be the first local-language series that became a global phenomenon. But it does carry on the quest to break language barriers. Other series like Narcos, Elite, and Lupin, the current leader in terms of popularity, per Netflix, are just some of the series in the list of non-English shows making waves worldwide.
For four seasons, Money Heist fans, onlookers, and even curious viewers were kept at the edge of their seats. Viewers would try to decode plots and possible next steps of the Professor and the mask-wearing, red jumpsuit gang of Tokyo, Nairobi, Denver, Lisbon, Rio, Palermo, Helsinki, Bogota, Stockholm, and the new character that made some controversies last year, Manila—a transwoman portrayed by Belen Cuesta. Fans expressed their disappointment that they gave the role to a cisgender woman instead of casting an actual transwoman.
Money Heist is one of those series that uses the soap opera formula. But we dare say that what makes it a global hit is how they made each character’s persona very relatable. They portray each character’s humanity genuinely and authentically—less character BS, more congeneric.
The second half of the season finale will be available on Netflix on the 3rd of December, 2021.
