*This post contains spoilers, if you haven't watched all the episodes, you've been warned!
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I just finished watching three seasons of Money Heist, a popular TV series that is currently streaming in Netflix. The story focuses on a group of robbers who planned a heist at the Royal Mint of Spain. Headed by a man called "The Professor", he recruited his band of thieves and each of them is named after a city. The story is narrated by one of its main characters, Tokyo. Originally produced for the Spanish audience, it has become a worldwide phenomenon. It is probably one of the best TV series I've seen in recent years. It is the story, characters, story-telling, and its plot combined with music and its injection of humor make it one hell of a show. More importantly, the series brings a message, something that we can ponder, looking upon our everyday lives.
Money can't make your life complete
As a famous credit card company says in its ads, "There are things money can't buy..." and yes there are. Ever since I was a child, I was always thought that having a lot money does make you happy. I believe in that. For me, money may not buy you happiness, but... it can buy the things that can make you happy. But happiness is a vague world, too subjective for each and one of us. So instead of focusing on happiness, I emphasize completeness. Though happiness and completeness are not mutually exclusive, I will explain why I think it's better to separate the two though, in reference to the show.
Many people don't have money, but being together with their family or loved ones, they feel happy and/or complete. But also, some people don't. Even with living with millions of cash after the heist, Rio and Tokyo lived in an island for two years, living the dream. But again, Tokyo didn't feel complete, even with living with Rio - the most important person in her life - she decided to leave and enjoy the things she likes - in the city, partying and drinking. The Professor, who now lives with Raquel (the former police inspector turned lover, and now part of the group and named "Lisbon") planned another heist. Why? One of the reasons for such is to rescue Rio, who was captured when the authorities traced his call to Tokyo (after they separated), The Professor's other intention is to avenge his brother "Berlin". Being complete is not desiring for more money, it is doing the things we love, being with the people that we can't live without.
With the matters of the heart, love is all that matters.
As the cliche goes, "Love conquers all". Falling in love does not pick a time, or a place, or a person. It just happens to anyone and when it does, it can go against all odds, reason beyond reason, and may change the way we view things we never thought possible. In the story, Denver does mind if he is not the biological father of Cincinnati (the child of the pregnant hostage Monica). He accepted him as he loves Monica (now named "Stockholm") so dearly. Monica on the other hand, felt the same even if she was once a part of those who have been held hostage by the group. Raquel was part of the police force, who had sworn to execute the law and apprehend who violates it. But she got torn when she discovered that the love of her life, The Professor, is the very same person she wanted to be stopped and captured. She captured The Professor but the latter eventually just walked away and Raquel, who loves The Professor so dearly, let him escape.
It is good to have a Plan B.
There are things in life beyond our control that may happen because of our own doing which is not originally what we planned to do. It is always good to have a contingency in place, just in case things won't turn out the way we anticipated them. The Professor thought he had created the perfect plan, but he didn't expect to fall in love with Raquel. Had Raquel not fallen in love with him, or chose to shoot or kill him when she discovered his true identity, it could have brought the heist into a total disaster.
Family is Love.
As negative as it may seem, The Professor planned the heist as a sign of love for his father. He did it as a fitting tribute to the man who lived in the world of crime to have money to pay for his sickly kid, the young Professor then. The idea of the heist originated from his father but he wasn't able to complete it because he died before he can even begin with it. Then there's the brotherly love between The Professor and Berlin. The latter sacrificed his life so that The Professor and the rest of the team can escape the authorities. Then there's Moscow and Denver, Raquel and her daughter, Nairobi and her son, Helsinki and Oslo. They all have different relationships and different circumstances but what binds them in common is the love for family. Yes, some families might be dysfunctional but in general, our family is the source of our strength. They are the reasons why we keep on in life, against all odds, in the midst of trials and tribulations. They are the most important people in our lives and without them, we also feel incomplete.
Money Heist is more than just a story of a group of people trying to steal money from the government - it is a story of love, a story of family, a story of making a difference.