In anticipation of the final five episodes of Netflix’s hit series Money Heist, here are five facts about the show you might not have given a second thought.
Money Heist tells the story of a group of criminals who try to pull off the biggest heist in recorded history, to print billions of euros in the Royal Mint of Spain led by a criminal mastermind ‘The Professor.’
To help him carry out the ambitious plan, The Professor recruits eight thieves with specific abilities and who have nothing to lose. The group of thieves storm the band and take hostages to aid in their negotiations with the authorities, who strategize to come up with a way to capture The Professor.
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With a scheduled end for today, fans will say goodbye to the series when streaming giant Netflix releases the final five episodes of one of its most-watched series.
So, here are five interesting facts about the crime series you should know:
SLEEPER HIT
Money Heist wasn’t an immediate hit at first release, guess you didn’t know that. In fact, its debut season scored so-so ratings when it was first broadcast on free-to-air Spanish TV station Antena 3.
The first episode aired on May 2, 2017, and only recorded four million views, and this number continued to drop. The final episode of its debut season recorded just 1.4 million viewers, a far cry from the high numbers the show had recorded in recent times.
However, after Netflix bought the show, re-edited it, dubbed it and began streaming it in December 2017, the show’s views tripled, and it went viral in Spain and the rest of the world.
RESISTANCE SYMBOL
Money Heist follows a group of criminals who break into Spain’s Royal Mint to print their own money, a symbol of revolt against capitalism’s excess, which struck a code with thousands of viewers a decade against the global financial crisis.
French daily Le Monde described the series as “an allegory of rebellion.” The series’ red overalls and Salvador Dali masks worn by the show’s fictional characters have become symbolic and have been donned in protests around the globe.
CRIME INSPIRATION
In December 2020, a group of gunmen carried out a brazen robber in Criciuma in Southern Brazil, which inspired the series. The heavily armed gang had burst into a band, detonated explosives to blast open the safe and left bills flying into the air as they fled.
Police efforts to catch the robbers were foiled by bystanders who raced to collect the money that was flying around.
CITY NAMES
If you’re a big Money Heist fan, you should already know that each gang member has a code name after cities worldwide: Tokyo, Rio, Berlin, Moscow, Nairobi, Oslo, Helsinki, Denver etc.
What you probably didn’t know is that the show creator got this inspiration from a staff member who wore a t-shirt with the word Tokyo.
BUILDING SWAP
Tourists to Madrid often take pictures of themselves in front of the Royal mint, where much of the series takes place.
However, for security reasons, the exterior images of the building in the movie were actually shot in front of another institution with similar architecture — the Spanish National Research Council.
For Money Heist fans, the series finale brings indescribable sadness. However, fingers crossed, something better might follow soon.
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