The highly anticipated final season of Money Heist (La Casa de Papel) dropped on Netflix on September 3 and became the most-watched show in the UAE the next day, as well as a trending topic on Twitter globally.
The Spanish series has been popular since it was released on the streaming platform in 2017, with the characters' distinctive and eye-catching red jumpsuits and Salvador Dali masks winning over fans.
But only five episodes – the first half of season five – have been released so far, with the final five to come on December 3, and viewers were left not only with a cliffhanger, but a major turning point in the series.
As the show nears its end, it remains to be seen if The Professor and his group can manage one more clean escape after facing its most powerful enemy ever: the army.
These are the five biggest questions we were left with after watching the first five episodes.
Warning: spoilers below.
Will Alicia Sierra join the heist?
Season five picks up after the very pregnant police inspector Alicia Sierra holds The Professor at gunpoint. She’s been presented as one of the main antagonists for two seasons (including her part in killing fan favourite Nairobi).
After her role in the torture of Rio gets leaked to the public, she gets fired and goes rogue, discovering The Professor's hideout by herself.
In the new season, the police try to spin her story by planting fake evidence and claim she’s switched sides and joined The Professor and his gang. She goes into labour and because her baby is breech, she has no choice but to untie The Professor so he can help her give birth.
After her daughter is born, she watches The Professor as he communicates with the team in the Bank of Spain, guiding them in their fight against the army. At one point, she puts her hand on his arm, seemingly trying to comfort him before he pushes it away in anguish.
While it seems the two might be on the same side, in the final moments of the fifth episode, she hides a pair of surgical scissors or pliers in the bathroom. This has led many to wonder whether she will end up betraying The Professor later on.
How does Berlin’s son Rafael fit into everything?
An interesting backstory is the introduction of Berlin’s son, Rafael. Through flashbacks, we learn that Rafael is talented at hacking, however, he makes it clear he does not want to be a criminal like his father.
Eventually, Berlin convinces his son to join him in his first heist, which ends with Rafael getting a taste of what it takes to pull off a successful robbery. There are also subtle hints of a possible affair between Berlin’s new wife Tatiana and Rafael, although viewers are left in the dark as to what happened there.
Fans have theorised that one or both characters could be key to the success of the current heist at the Bank of Spain. We don't know how they might tie in, but it was revealed earlier in the show that Berlin and The Professor are brothers, so a call to Rafael for help might be their way out of the Bank of Spain.
Will Denver and Stockholm have a happy ending?
Denver and Stockholm also have a rocky start in the new season, mostly because Denver doesn’t want Stockholm to join the second heist, insisting she stay home and raise their child instead.
While Stockholm is part of the gang now, things get more complicated this season. She may have accidentally killed Arturo (although that remains to be seen) and is suffering from PTSD, while Denver’s childhood friend Manila has admitted her love for him, asking if he truly loves Stockholm.
Could all of this be a precursor to their split? Will one or both survive to go to back to their son? Will they be able to move forward together through their trauma from the latest heist?
Who will take over as narrator now that Tokyo is dead?
Early on, many people thought Tokyo would be the sole survivor of the heists since she's the narrator. She’s not only an original character (and appeared long before the show was picked up by Netflix), but also one whose backstory was more deeply examined in the new season.
However, after the group is split up while under attack in the Bank of Spain, Tokyo is injured by snipers. This show is notorious for its characters' close calls, and so, at first, it seemed Tokyo might find a way to survive. But then, in an emotional and shocking final scene, she sacrifices herself to save her fellow heist members.
The producers once said every death happens for a reason and that it fuels the characters and the story. It'll be interesting to see how Tokyo's death affects other members of the group.
Also, one major question that remains unanswered: who will narrate the last five episodes? There are theories that they might each be told from a different character's perspective.
How will 'Money Heist' end?
This is the biggest question on everyone's minds. With only five episodes left before the series finale, the group is looking no closer to an escape.
Is it possible that everyone who survives will have a happy ending or will they all go down, guns blazing, in their battle against the Spanish government?
For a show that’s always kept viewers on the edge of their seats with tense moments and cliffhangers, not to mention its willingness to kill off fan favourites, it’s hard to predict how the series will wrap up.
It’s been theorised that Tokyo’s death may have revealed what will happen to most of the characters – they won’t make it out of the Bank alive. Others are more optimistic that The Professor will somehow manage to find an escape with the help of Berlin’s son. For now, we’ll just have to wait and see.
