Six things to remember before starting season five of 'Money Heist'

The first volume of the final season of the widely-popular Spanish show will be available to stream on Friday

The first part of the final season of 'Money Heist' (La Casa de Papel) will release on Netflix on September 3. Courtesy Netflix

With their red jumpsuits zipped and their Dali masks in hand, television’s motliest group of bank robbers will resume their heist of the Bank of Spain this weekend, bracing themselves for an all-out war against the Spanish army.

The fifth and final season of the popular Netflix show Money Heist will be released in two volumes, with the first available on the streaming platform on Friday, and the second to come in December.

Money Heist has gained popularity with its criss-crossing storylines and breathless cliffhangers, but with everything that has happened in the real world since season four concluded in April 2020, it’s natural if your memory of the show may be foggy.

A falla inspired in the Spanish Netflix hit series La Casa de Papel (Money Heist) is pictured during the Fallas festival in Valencia on September 2, 2021. AFP

So, for those looking to jump right back into the world of Money Heist, here are some things to remember before watching season five.

Nairobi has died

Nairobi’s death was one of the most poignant moments of season four. It was also unexpected, mainly because she had just endured another almost-fatal experience after getting shot in the chest by a police sniper.

After surviving, she is then taken captive by bad guy Cesar Gandia, who uses Nairobi as a human shield to keep her crew members from shooting at him.

As the tension builds up, Gandia pretends that he will let her go before fatally shooting her in the head in one of the most shocking moments from the show.

What about Gandia?

Few have caused as much harm to the Money Heist crew as Gandia. He killed Nairobi, took Tokyo captive and tried to strangle Helsinki with a noose.

So, it's understandable many fans felt a pang of excitement when Bogota knocked Gandia’s head against the railing as the security chief tried to escape. Gandia fell unconscious as the rest of the crew shouted “For Nairobi!” in a celebratory moment.

However, whether Money Heist’s steely-eyed antagonist manages to escape, remains to be seen.

Could there be an enemy within?

The crew also have frictions within their own ranks to worry about, namely from its short-term commander Palermo.

Palermo seems to care less about money than he is in sowing chaos. Photo: Tamara Arranz Ramos

For those who might need a refresher, Palermo seems to care less about money than he is in sowing chaos. His volatility makes him lose favour among the crew, with Tokyo soon taking over control.

Palermo instead gets put along with the rest of the hostages. Embittered, he is the one who convinces Gandia to break his own thumb to free himself from the handcuffs the crew had placed on him. It is at this point that Gandia decides to go after the crew, which eventually leads toNairobi's death.

While Palermo is let back into the group, he also gets shot at by Gandia and ends up needing surgery to remove glass shards from his eyes.

Lisbon is back in the gang

Lisbon, the Professor’s romantic interest and a former inspector, spent most of last season in police custody. She was illegally detained and suffered the cruel investigation tactics of current police inspector Sierra.

The Professor spent a lion’s share of the last season organising an elaborate escape plan for Lisbon, helping her reach the Bank of Spain and join the rest of the gang.

The gang has yet to get the gold

The plan for the heist was to melt 90 tonnes worth of solid gold bars into grains before moving it out of the bank. But how far are they from the goal?

In the show, the group are shown to have just passed the halfway mark, melting 50 tonnes. But the chances are growing slim to get it all finished with police surrounding the building and personal conflicts chafing their ranks. It remains to be seen whether the group has the fortitude and luck to see through the heist.

The Professor has been cornered

And in typical fashion, the last season of the show also concluded with a cliff hanger.

Season four of 'Money Heist' ended after inspector Sierra cornered The Professor in his hideout. Photo by Tamara Arranz Ramos

After disobeying orders and getting fired from the police force, Seirra decides to go rogue and pursue The Professor alone. She corners the heist’s mastermind in his hideout and holds him at gunpoint.

At this stage, fans are left to wonder how will this confrontation end. Will The Professor live through it? Or will the pregnant Sierra go into labour, giving The Professor the chance to escape?

Fans will just have to wait until Friday to find out.