If at some point during quarantine, you were scrolling and going through Netflix like candy, then you heard of this one.
To those who are unfamiliar with the show, the best way to describe it is a Spanish crossover between Gossip Girl, Dare Me, and Skins into one.
I have been watching many Spanish dramas lately like Control Z, Money Heist, and Baby. I don’t know what kind of budget these productions have aboard, but I’ll tell you, it brings me great joy to see how great everything flowed together. Everything from the lighting to the character’s wardrobe. I mean, if looks could kill, this cast certainly would.
I’ll try not to spoiler the plot buttttt; this is the synopsis.
When three working-class students are awarded scholarships to attend an elite secondary school, they are greeted with hostility and suspicion by their more privileged classmates. The conflict that arises from their enrollment in the school leads to a murder that changes all of their lives forever.
Today, I’m going to focus on the core 5; Carla, Nadia, Lu, Rebecca, and Cayetana. Let’s describe each girl.
Carla Rosón Caleruega
The Ice Princess, aka The “Marchioness”
Carla comes from money; her father is a successful businessman while her mother is an heiress of the Marquesado de Caleruega and owns a vineyard of the same name.
*Hint: Why people nickname her the Marchioness.
At first glance, she seems like a typical beautiful rich girl, but she’s a master manipulator. She has excellent fashion sense known to wear different accessories such as designer belts and brooches with her school uniform but tends to stick to pinks and blues with her casual outfits.
Throughout the series, she has multiple relationships. Most notably are her relationships with her long-time boyfriend, Polo, and a budding relationship with one of the new boys. Let’s say she has a lot of guys wrapped around her fingers.
However, underneath the icy exterior, there’s a girl who’s willing to do everything to save the ones she loves, even casting her feelings aside.
Lucrecia “Lu” Montesinos Hendrich
The Queen Bee 🐝
Lu comes from a family of diplomats who represent Mexico, and as a result, she moved around a lot as a kid. She’s fluent in three languages Spanish, English, and Arabic. Her family consists of her parents and later on, her older half-brother, Valerio.
Lu and Carla are bffs. While Carla is more subtle with her manipulations, Lu is the opposite. She speaks her mind, is very competitive, and is ambitious in everything she does. Her style is almost legendary, preferring bold colors, most notably reds. She’s most known for styling her long locks with hair accessories from headbands to barrettes.
This boss bitch knows what she wants and how to get it. At first glance, she may give you Blair vibes, but this Mexican barbie has more layers to her. Between a rivalry, relationship, and family drama, she doesn’t let anything get her down.
Lu is the kind of friend you would want in your corner, loyal with a capital L.
Nadia Shanaa
Girl Next Store
Unlike Lu, Nadia is sweet but blunt in her actions and what she says.
She comes from humble beginnings in a Muslim household. Her family includes her parents and older brother, Omar, who’s gay. When not in school, she works part-time in her family’s grocery store.
She’s the new girl who instantly clashes with Lu but gains the attention of Lu’s bae, Guzmán. Nadia is more down-to-earth than the other girls. Like Lu, she’s ambitious but believes in hard work. She doesn’t need material things nor to manipulate others to get what she wants most. Her style is modest but stylish, wearing the school uniform most of the time but wears casual shirts and jeans with and w/o her hijabs.
Due to her beliefs, Nadia has to live a certain way, unlike her classmates. She wants to live her life and still please her parents, particularly her father. She is even willing to make sacrifices to please him but at the cost of her unhappiness.
However, underneath it all, she wants everyone to get along and gain an excellent education.
Rebeka “Rebe” Parrilla de Bormujo Ávalos
Cool Girl
As the new girl, it takes a lot to be a part of this crew. Luckily, Rebe is the perfect addition in season 2.
Her father died while working as a construction worker when she was young. This left Rebeka living with her mother. At some point, her mother entered the drug world and thru provided them with much financial security. In her first appearance, she is in a car passing by Samuel on her way to her new home (Guzmán’s former crib).
Rebe is an outspoken, opinionated, and dominant chick. She takes no bs from anything or anyone. She has been a standout character since her debut in season 2. Plus, her style is amazing! Think bold colors ranging from bright neons mixed with some patterns or metallic, mainly athleisure wear pieces while usually sporting a high pony or has her hair half up half down. She usually wears some statement jewelry, hats, or shades.
Despite her tough girl exterior, she’s a total sweetheart and a reliable ally around you either as a party buddy or as a shoulder to cry on.
Cayetana “Caye” Grajera Pando
The Wannabe
Caye joins the main characters as another transfer student in season 2. At first, she seemed a little too perfect; beautiful, cute bubbly personality, and has a keen eye for high-end fashion.
Unfortunately, this is far from the truth. In reality, she lives in a poor neighborhood with her mother and sickly grandfather. Her mother is the new janitor of the school and manages to get her daughter a scholarship to the school. Caye was initially embarrassed by the fact her mother was a janitor. She decided to pretend to come from a rich family by stealing clothes from her mom’s clients. Let’s just say that doesn’t work out too well.
Luckily, Caye had a dark knight to help her in her time of need.
Cayetana initially came on the scene as an imposer but she slowly shows both the elite squad and fans there’s a more down-to-earth part of her.
Ok. Now that we establish the girls with their archetypes, it’s time to break down some iconic moments from the series.
- Lu’s speech at the charity event
Let’s start with this one. In this scene, Lu just found out that all of her loved ones have betrayed her in one way. In response, she delivers this speech, which is a necessary f*** you to all who dare to cross her. Classic AF.
2. Nadia telling Guzman off
She has argued with Guzman before, but this is the first where we see her character change.
3. Carla pulls one over her father
Carla and her father’s relationship has been slowly deteriorating. I mean, he’s indirectly was the reason why Carla was adamant about the watch in the first place. Also, he pimped her out to get a business deal. Wow. Father of the year. At least we managed to see his face once Carla told him that she now owns his company. Checkmate!
4. Lu and Omar’s friendship moments
Ok, this one is seen throughout the current season. Before season 3, these two haven’t had any real interaction. Seeing how supportive Lu is to Omar after Anders low-key ditches him shows another side of her we don’t see often. Plus, both of their Halloween looks were the best!
5. Carla and Samuel’s talk at the Halloween party
Speaking of Halloween, another major story is the ever-growing sexual tension between Samuel and Carla. I mean, Carla was letting him know who would be the boss in this relationship. Plus, first, Carmuel, kiss!
6. All budding relationships
One of the most endearing aspects of the series is watching the evolution of the relationships among the group. Some may drift apart while others unexpectedly grow closer. Most notably are the ones involving the girls. Female friendships have been shown in media to be more complex than their male counterparts. Elite has done a great job showing the layers of all the girls' relationships.
I mean who would ever think Nadia & Lu would become friends?
