(Spoiler-Free) Money Heist Part 4 Somehow Still Manages To Remain Entertaining & Juicy As Ever

• “This is no longer a heist or defying the system. This is war. Act accordingly.” – The Professor

The cliffhanger in Part 3 finale of Money Heist (La Casa De Papel) made it clear that the stakes have never been higher and as The Professor (Alvaro Morte) mentioned it himself that this is not just a heist anymore, it's war, and it should be treated like one.

The most-watched non-English show on Netflix has finally returned with the fourth season (or Part 4) and while the timing of the same isn’t quite opportune (owing to the COVID-19) pandemic, it is one of the rare things, fans from around the globe were looking forward to. Having seen over a couple of episodes from Part 4, here is my review of the show that has everyone hooked on to it.

While the review is indeed SPOILER-FREE, we are assuming you have seen the three seasons of the show at least and if you have, you needn’t worry about getting any spoiler for Season 4 in this piece.

The thing about Money Heist has been how actually difficult it becomes to be talking about it without giving away any spoilers but it can be done. Not giving away as to the fate of one of the most loved characters Nairobi (Alba Flores), the season does pick up right from where it left off. One would imagine how easily lethargic or monotonous a show like this can get. Anything and everything can go wrong after a point of time where the shock value of how Professor has a fix for everything and how everything he has planned does turn out to be exactly that way  -- doesn’t really shock anymore. But the beauty of the show is that with now-4 seasons down, it realizes that.

Having seen multiple switching of teams (Raquel Murillo {Itziar Ituno} and Monica Gaztambide {Esther Acebo}) in the previous seasons, you still have that sense of surprise going on even though it might deter you a bit. La Casa De Papel Part 4 absolutely delivers on one of its promises – that it indeed is a war now. From the first frame in the first episode to going ahead, the pace continues to be quicker than ever and you might constantly be on the edge-of-the-seat with the developments. All flashbacks (well, almost) in this season are more important than ever. But there is one another factor that this season succeeds really well in and that is-

Showing Professor’s vulnerability. It is no secret that The Professor has been almost inch-perfect with everything he has done so far in three seasons with a few hiccups. But in the first few episodes of Part 4, we see him at his vulnerable most finally reminding us – that even if it is for a brief time – he is human and can lose the plot too. Without any doubts whatsoever, this was the biggest highlight in the select few episodes.

A flaw for this season would be the now-getting monotonous flashbacks of planning. This always had a novel element in the previous seasons where it would be amazing to see how the team and Professor anticipated every move and worked for it, but a few flashbacks in Part 4 pertaining to a massive plot twist are too good to be true. It is entirely to the actors’ credit that they still manage to sell what seems too good or rather – too absurd.

Finally, Money Heist Part 4 delivers on almost everything it is known for. Pace, skills, betrayals, suspense, stellar acting performances and of course, constant surprises. If you are a person who has been binge-watching the first three seasons to watch the fourth one, you will barely notice any continuity issues. It is amazing how over a span of three years, the chronological order of the heist, actor’s appearances, and other things look absolutely believable and hard to fault. Even though with a show like this, you can go wrong on more instances than you can imagine, Money Heist Part 4 somehow manages to stay as entertaining and juicy as ever.

Rating - **** (4/5)