There was a time when the Spanish teenage hit “Elite” signified mystery and murder mayhem; Las Enchinas has always been the breeding ground for ornate romance or well orchestrated crimes scenes. While the first five seasons reigned on the basis of this concept, the quality began to decline when the series entered its fifth season. Forgoing logic, new characters were added for atypical drama and illogical conclusions. Despite this, the show still managed to survive (makes you question Netflix’s inability to distinguish between good and bad dramas; considering the steady number of LGBTQ dramas that they have axed). And yet, Elite has managed the impossible; they keep missing the axe. Is it because the show has a consistent fandom who are ready to devour the baseless storyline as long as they get melodrama? The current season remains true to this premise; we have old and new characters; some delusional, others opportunistic. We are here to talk about the queer characters, so let’s just train our lens on them (there is nothing to discuss this show anyways).
Omar Returns as a Depressing Character
One of the original protagonists in this show, Omar Shanaa (Omar Ayuso), returns to Las Enchinas, albeit with a twist. He is suffering from depression and undergoing therapy. The guilt he feels for Samuel’s death makes it difficult for him to move forward, and he suffers from insistent nightmares. The only silver lining in his life is his new boyfriend/roommate, Joel (Fernando Líndez). While studying social work at the university, he receives an internship at Las Enchinas to test their new app for students’ welfare. Initially, he is apprehensive about returning to his alma mater because of his past trauma. But finally he accepts the offer, when Joel starts attending Las Enchinas. If you have watched the previous seasons, you will recognize the uncanny difference between Omar in the previous seasons and the one in the present. When this show started, Omar was in the closet and apprehensive about accepting his sexuality. But his ensuing romance with Ander (Arón Piper) drew him out of his shell, and Omar was majorly portrayed as a dominant character. In Season Seven, he seems like a lost cause, oscillating between handling his trauma and his fluctuating relationship with Joel. I felt sorry because a strong protagonist like Omar was reduced to this; if he returns for Season Eight, I’m hoping they redeem him, because Omar is so much more than this!
The Impossible Romance
Ivan (André Lamoglia) returns to Las Enchinas after his near to death experience. His father is no more and Patrick (Manu Rios) has disappeared. The dual loss leaves him devastated, and that is when he meets Joel (Fernando Líndez). Joel is handsome, charismatic and something new. For Ivan, he serves the purpose of a being a new distraction. The only cliche, their budding romance, turns into an unwarranted tragic love story. Ivan has an uncanny ability to be drawn to love triangles; he was in an on-off relationship with siblings, Ari (Carla Díaz) and Patrick (Manu Rios) while Ari was dating Samuel (Itzan Escamilla). It does make you question his moral compass, because even after learning of Joel’s relationship with Omar; Ivan continues pursuing him. Joel is no better; he is equally attracted to both Omar and Ivan. Ivan’s shiny status as a rich heir is enough to grab his attention; but he can’t handle the guilt of breaking up with Omar. This leads to a messy love triangle, where Omar decides to sacrifice their relationship; so Joel can pursue Ivan instead. Shockingly enough, seeing them together is enough to push back into depression, and Joel decides to rescind on his budding romance with Ivan. The show projects both Omar & Ivan as his eager pursuers, while Joel is left with the difficult decision to choose between the two.
The Injustice Dealt to the Only Trans Character in this Show
There are very few shows that portray a trans character in a positive light or depict the issues faced by them. So when Nico (Ander Puig) was added to this multiple ensemble, it gave us hope that he would embody their struggles. Alas, that wasn’t the case; Nico spends the entire sixth season being obsessed with Ari, who has difficulty accepting his identity. His situation doesn’t improve in the seventh season as well. He does try to reconcile with Sonia (Nadia Al Saidi), but blows his chance by having a one-night stand with Chloe (Mirela Balic). Uncharacteristically, Nico spends this entire season babysitting his rogue cousin, Eric (Mirela Balic). His redemption arc was reduced to something entirely inconsequential and I’m not sure where Nico’s story will lead in the future.
Exclusive Update-
Netflix has renewed Elite for the eighth time, which will be the season finale. It is reported that Mina el Hammani, who portrayed the character Nadia in season 4, will be returning to reprise her role. New cast members include Ane Rot and Nuno Gallego.
The BL Xpress 