It took me two days to finish the first season of Elite. Which, to be honest, was really only thanks to some serious self-restraint. Having finished the first five episodes over the course of one frenzied day, I decided to leave the last three episodes for future enjoyment. The next day, I immediately watched all three back-to-back-to-back. Elite is not a meditative show (which, of course, is why I will spend the next a thousand words or so thinking about it). It is a show about teenagers, most of them obscenely rich, whose wealth only magnifies their desires. They want what they want, preferably twenty minutes ago. Most of their desires are fairly mundane actually: to be with the pretty girl, to be top of the class at school. But money breeds entitlement; entitlement that is petty, overwhelming, and unforgiving. For, when you feel like you have the right to something, then any obstacle seems unjust, deserving of destruction. If the obstacles happen to be people, well, one casualty seems like a fairly small price to pay. Is it any surprise, then, that Elite begins with dramatically smeared blood and a prone body? Teenagers, drama, and violence, it is a heady and familiar cocktail.
The show distinguishes itself, though, by introducing class tension in the form of three scholarship students. Out of the three, Samuel (Itzan Escamilla) is our first and main conduit into the exclusive (Is there any other kind?) private school, Las Encinas. One can tell he is the central character from the blandness of his storyline and his generally do-good nature. He is the man left behind to survey the damage, not the one who is setting off the fireworks. Perhaps Samuel is the least interesting because he actually believes his own morality while every other character wields theirs as weapons or trades them away entirely. Morality, after all, must be based on some foundational beliefs, values that cannot be deviated from. Elite is most interested in pushing where those moral boundaries are drawn. What can be justified when its in the service of friends, family? What cannot? It is in the drawing of those boundaries that most distinguishes each character. Even the dastardliest of bullies can surprise with a moment empathy or a sudden depth of feeling. Elite works hard to establish a cliché but not rely on them. It allows its characters to react more naturally to a given situation, even if it might be against their ‘type’. Thus, the show can have its teenage drama cake and eat it too.
And I have to say, I immensely enjoyed consuming this show. It is undeniably horny yet obsessed with more than the heteronormative and monogamous. It is addictive yet chooses to combine its slickness with substance. The show doesn’t always succeed, of course. I, for one, question how they chose to depict a conservative Muslim family by excessively leaning into their conservatism. But the show executes the familiar twists and turns so well and with such enthusiasm, that it pulled me in, nevertheless. Shows starring teenagers are often automatically labeled low-tier television. Trashy and fun indulgences but not worth serious consideration. Their flaring romances are dismissed as silly flings. Their emotional outbursts seen only as overreactions. In Elite, the adults are often dismissive of the lives of their children. They are more concerned about their children as extensions of their public image. Teenage rebellion is not some frivolous acting out; it is constructing an identity of one’s own. Elite allows each of its young characters to grow and change throughout the first season. Sometimes rebellion comes in the form of a jubilant middle finger. Sometimes its tender, two closeted teenagers, recognizing that they love each other. They are defining who they are, who they love, what they stand for.
Of course, for television’s sake, their journeys to self-definitions are heightened. Coincidences abound and love’s arrow hits only the most inconvenient targets. But that’s what’s fun about a show like Elite. It will jump between four different escalating storylines, have you watching until 3 a.m., and deliver enough substantial character growth to keep your tired eyes glued to the screen. So, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to binge season two.
Off-Script:
- A place for spoilers and overenthusiasm. Reader please, beware of both.
- My favorite storyline by far was the constantly evolving relationship between Pablo, Carla, and Christian. At first, Christian seems to be the person with the least power. He drawn into Carla and Pablo’s fantasy without his knowledge, much less his permission. But when Christian chooses to engage willingly in a threesome, the dynamics become more nuanced. Is Carla really falling for Christian’s abs? Or is it really Polo who’s interested? It was so satisfying to simply indulge in unrestrained desire, free of judgement and expectations. In comparison, the love triangle between Samuel, Marina, and Nano seemed much too self-serious, like wading through thick mud. The best part about Pablo, Carla, and Christian’s relationship is that it doesn’t seem to figure too much into the main plot until it does.
- This is a show that loves setting montages to music. And I love the show for it. From excessively dramatic entrances to lingering looks over the shoulder, Elite double-underlines its important moments.
- I think I liked how the show treated Marina? She is such a messy character which was a welcome reprieve from the usual perfect martyr. But maybe I’m mistaking inconsistent writing for smart writing. Marina swerves from mistake to mistake, jumping from frying pans into bonfires. Elite uses Marina’s variety of messes to build the mystery around her death. She manages, somehow, to give everyone a reason to kill her. In the end, I appreciated how Marina wasn’t able to resolve any of the predicaments she found herself in.
- So many couples to discuss and so little time. Ander and Omar! Nadia and Guzman! Guzman and Lu! I hate to admit it but that last scene with Guzman and Lu got me. Sure, the relationship might be toxic for both of them, but at the most important moment, Lu was there for him. The mean girl has a heart after all.