Elite, season 4 + short stories

“Elite” the Netflix series that began back in 2018, marketed as the Spanish “Gossip Girl,” quickly met and exceeded expectations with 3 fabulous back to back seasons exploring at breakneck speed what happens at the very fancy Las Encinas school when the class barriers between the haves and have nots are shattered by sex, competition, backstabbing and murder.

Over the years we have come to love Samuel (Itzan Escamilla), Omar (Omar Ayuso), Ander (Aron Piper) and Nadia (Mina El Hammani). And love/hate Lu (Danna Paola), Polo (Alvaro Rico), Guzman (Miguel Bernardeau) and of course the Marchioness herself, Carla (Ester Exposito). Season 2 brought us new characters like Cayetana (Georgina Amoros) , Valerio (Jorge Lopez) and Rebe (Claudia Salas), who all made their way into the 3rd season.

Elite Short Stories

One of the greatest surprises with these new episodes are the Elite Short Stories. 4 Stories, with 3 mini episodes each. These stories, which bridge the gap between the 3rd and 4th seasons are so delightful in their own unique ways and as good if not better than what has come before them.

The Story most fans will be clamoring for (this fan included) is “Carla Samuel,” and it doesn’t disappoint.

Getting to see Carla and Samuel together again is quite the surprise. We pick up right where we left off at the end of season 3, with Carla headed to London. The big twist is that Samuel actually goes after her! Although the ending to Samu and Carla’s story isn’t exactly a shock, it is still incredibly bittersweet.

In “Guzman Caye Rebe,” Rebe tries to throw an intimate party for her friends, but the combination of uninvited drug dealer guests and magic mushrooms turn this Short into a real comic highlight for the whole series.

“Omar Ander Alexis” brings back cancer patient Alexis (an incredible Jorge Clemente) in what is probably the most honest bit of storytelling the show has given us. It’s touching and very human. It’s also great to see Aron Piper and Omar Ayuso continue to grow into these wonderful queer characters.

And for anyone who has left someone they loved to achieve their dreams, “Nadia Guzman” will certainly make an impact.

What comes across the most with the Elite Short Story episodes is how well these characters truly work together and how great these actors have become playing these roles over the years. I hope this isn’t the last we see of this format.

Elite, season 4

Season 4 begins with new Las Encinas Principle Benjamin (Diego Martin), taking over the school with a new and rigid philosophy, hoping to correct the mistakes of the past two years.

Along with Benjamin come his children, Patrick (Manu Rios), Ari (Carla Diaz), and Mencia (Martina Cariddi). No surprise here, they end up doing their best (and worst) to shake things up with their arrival.

For the most part, the new cast is incorporated seamlessly, with the writers wasting no time with introductions, instead weaving them immediately into the story.

Although the show is still very sexy and has its usual “murder” mystery at the center, the tone seems a bit more subdued than previous seasons. And without Carla and Lu, there is a bit of camp missing as well. Of course the sex, the clothes and the parties are still over the top, otherwise it wouldn’t be Elite, but things definitely feel different.

Georgina Amorós who plays Cayetana is a real stand out this season as she faces the fact that after pretending and then playing rich with both Polo and Valerio, she is now the school’s janitor. In spite of this she ends up pursued by Prince Phillippe, yet another newcomer played by Pol Granch. It’s everything Caye has ever wanted, but it also comes at a price.

In what I consider the series’ first big miss, the new season’s central mystery is a bit of a letdown. The character they chose as the “victim” has so few redeeming qualities in the earlier episodes, you don’t really care whodunit or why. And once you do come to care, it’s too little too late.

“Elite” has always been able to miraculously and authentically turn its characters on a dime, which is not only a testament to the gifts of creators Darío Madrona and Carlos Montero, but also the actors. And although the overall mystery isn’t as strong as in pervious seasons, it doesn’t really matter because the heart beats a bit stronger in season four, and that makes me look forward to the next season even more.

Elite Short Stories and Elite season 4 are available now on Netflix!