Money Heist (or La casa de papel) has become a worldwide sensation since its first season was released on Netflix in December 2017.
Having just finally wrapped up all five parts – technically three full seasons – the thriller drama series is, without a doubt, on its way to becoming a pop culture icon of this generation.
Now that we’re at the end of the line, this is a great time to answer any and all questions about Money Heist.
Whether you’re wondering about the show in general, curious about characters, or confused about that finale – we’ve got you covered.
Just a heads up, though: there will be spoilers.
So let’s get cracking on all your burning questions about Money Heist!
General questions about Netflix’s Money Heist
What is Money Heist about?
An eccentric genius, going only by the name “the Professor” recruits eight people from different criminal backgrounds to pull off an ambitious heist: to enter the Royal Mint of Spain and walk out with almost €1B.
With complications arising at every turn, the Professor must make sure the team on the inside stays on the right path so they can continue to outsmart the Spanish elite police force.
The second heist – initially a ploy to save one of their own who has been caught – finds the group inside the Bank of Spain.
When and where is Money Heist set?
Both jobs in Money Heist are set in Madrid, where both the Royal Mint and the Bank of Spain are located in real life.
There’s no indication as to when exactly they take place, just that the second heist was executed some four years after the first.
How did Money Heist become a worldwide phenomenon?
As mentioned, Money Heist hit peak popularity after the Netflix acquisition that allowed it to air internationally, even after production had already been shut down locally in Spain when ratings dropped.
A lot of things can be said to have contributed to its rise to fame like the appeal of their matching red jumpsuits and masks, the draw of their international code names, and the ability to binge-watch all episodes without a break.
On top of that, the show became somewhat of a benchmark – a rallying cry, if you will – against government corruption and oppression despite its lofty, fictional spin.
What’s the significance of the costume they wear on Money Heist?
The robbers wear matching red jumpsuits and Salvador Dalí masks.
Money Heist has become known to strongly reflect the Spanish identity and both aspects of their costume are in line with that.
Red is one of their national colors (along with yellow/gold) and Dalí was a Spanish artist who played a significant role in the surrealist movement.
Apart from that, both the color red and Dalí have symbolic connotations related to revolution and rebellion against the system, which is what Money Heist is all about at its core.
What’s the meaning behind the Bella Ciao song on Money Heist?
In keeping with the show’s theme of resistance, the robbers use the Italian folk song Bella Ciao as a sort of mantra right as they’re on the verge of victory.
Originally, the song was sung by women working in the rice fields to describe their terrible working conditions.
Since then, Bella Ciao has developed into a song of protest, with dark undertones hinting at the inevitability of death that really hit home when it’s sung by the gang in Money Heist.
How many seasons and episodes of Money Heist are there?
There are three seasons, though each one is divided into two parts. Season 3 consists of just Part 5, but Part 5 is split into two volumes.
Complicated, I know, but Netflix is a fan of this format.
In total, there are 41 episodes of Money Heist.
When did Money Heist Part 5 come out?
Season 3 was comprised of Parts 4 and 5 of the series.
Part 4 was released on Netflix on September 3, 2021, and the final installment (Part 5) was released exactly three months later on December 3, 2021.
Will there be new episodes of Money Heist? Will the show have a 6th season?
Sadly, Part 5 marked the end of the entire series.
Is the Money Heist spin-off titled Berlin happening?
Yes, it looks like the Berlin-centric Money Heist spin-off is happening!
Netflix recently announced that it had ordered production of the spin-off that’ll bring Berlin back to our screens.
However, don’t expect it any time soon! The tentative release date is still in 2023.
Is there a Korean version of Money Heist?
There will be a Korean version of the series!
Slated for release this 2022, the South Korean adaptation titled 중이의 집 will follow the original series in most aspects but will also introduce changes reflective of the country’s own culture, giving it the same fast-paced feel with a fresh perspective.
Squid Game star Park Hae-soo has been announced to star in the series. Park will play Andrés “Berlin” de Fonollosa.
Character-related questions
Why are all the characters named after places on Money Heist?
One of the Professor’s golden rules during the first heist: no real names. Thus, the gang agreed on using city names of their choosing for their code names.
Are the Professor and Berlin brothers?
Yes, it was revealed in season 1 that Berlin is the Professor’s older brother.
What was the Professor sick with?
The Professor’s sickness is never explicitly stated in the show, just that he was a sickly child who needed specialized treatment in America.
It was Berlin’s sickness that was named: Helmer’s Myopathy, which their mother suffered from as well.
What’s the Professor’s real name?
His real name is Sergio Marquina, though in the first season he operated under the alias Salva Martín.
Who is Berlin’s son?
Berlin’s son Rafael is introduced at the beginning of season 3 (Part 5).
With a degree in both engineering and cybersecurity, Rafael initially wants nothing to do with his father’s criminal life but is eventually convinced by Berlin to participate in a small-scale heist to steal Viking gold.
Who’s Tatiana and how does she tie into everything?
Tatiana was a renowned pianist, jewel thief, and Berlin’s fifth wife – and subsequently, ex-wife.
There was a lot of lead-up to her involvement with the second heist through the flashbacks in seasons 2 and 3, and it all comes to a head in the last few episodes when she and Rafael actually manage to outsmart the Professor.
Are Tatiana and Alicia Sierra the same person?
This was a popular theory alongside the speculations that Tatiana and Alicia were somehow related. The striking red hair was hard to ignore, after all.
However, we now know that not only are they two separate women but there’s no relation between them at all.
Who is the father of Alicia’s baby?
Alicia mentions her late husband Germán several times but he never makes an appearance, even in flashbacks, as he passed away from pancreatic cancer prior to the start of the series.
What’s Tokyo’s real name?
A robber with a dark and devastating past, as well as the series’ narrator, Tokyo’s real identity is Silene Oliveira.
Who’s Manila? What’s her real name?
Manila’s real name is Julia Martinez. She is a trans woman and is both the goddaughter of Moscow and Denver’s childhood friend with whom he used to do petty crimes.
Who is Bogotá?
Bogota is Santiago López. We don’t know a lot about his background except that he is an expert in metallurgy.
He worked in a Norwegian oil platform where he met Berlin and Palermo and helped them steal the large pipe they used to transport the gold out of the Bank of Spain.
Another interesting fact? He has seven children located around the world, with seven different women.
Character deaths
Who dies on Money Heist?
That list is far too long. Just from the team of robbers alone, there’s Moscow, Oslo, Berlin, Nairobi, and finally, Tokyo – each one more devastating than the last. Not to mention those who died from the soldiers sent in by the government (but let’s face it… no one’s really sad about those).
Is Tokyo really dead?
I was very much in denial when Tokyo became a casualty at the end of Part 4 but yes, she really did die in the explosion.
Honestly, there’s no way she could have survived that. Thankfully, she did still play her part as the narrator in Part 5.
How did Berlin die?
Berlin died in the first heist at the Royal Mint of Spain, right at the end.
It was sad not to have him see it through to the end, but he did nobly sacrifice himself to give the rest of them a chance to get out with the loot.
How did Nairobi die?
Personally, Nairobi’s death was the most emotionally devastating.
Her backstory with her son was revealed and she was on the path to finally being happy with Bogotá. Sadly, she butted heads with Gandía and he shot her point-blank in the head.
It was the sudden, merciless way she died that really made an impact on viewers’ emotions.
What was written on Nairobi’s coffin?
Her makeshift coffin had “La Puta Ama” written on it, which translates to “The F*cking Boss” – and there’s no better way to describe her.
Why did Helsinki kill Oslo?
After an attack by a hostage that knocked him out, Oslo was left in a vegetative state and the group could no longer revive him.
He didn’t want to live out the rest of his days like this, so his cousin Helsinki smothered him in an act of mercy.
Does Arturo get killed in Money Heist?
No, but it was very close!
After he leads a rebellion out of his desperation to kill Denver and proceeds to taunt both Denver and Stockholm about the real parentage of their son Cincinnati, Stockholm shoots Arturo multiple times.
He’s in critical condition but is eventually saved and sent to the hospital.
Story-related questions
Who is the real mastermind behind the heist?
The Royal Mint heist was planned by the Professor, though the execution itself needed some help from Berlin on the ground when the Professor was indisposed.
However, the Bank of Spain heist was masterminded by Berlin and Palermo.
Who is the main villain in Money Heist?
One could argue that it’s the government, the corrupt system that rules over society; Colonel Tamayo was the figurehead for that in this case.
The professor and the group he recruited may have been the con artists, thieves and criminals, but they certainly weren’t the villains.
How did Raquel know ‘Salva’ was the Professor?
Both Raquel and Ángel came so close to catching him throughout the investigation, but the Professor always just seemed to be one step ahead.
Finally, the smoking gun for Raquel came just as they were about to start planning a getaway together.
It was right after the ‘clowns at the hospital’ stunt the Professor had pulled, and Raquel spotted a single strand of orange hair on his jacket that matched the wig of the clown they were searching for.
Why did Raquel become Lisbon?
She fell in love by the end of the first heist and that, probably coupled with being disillusioned by the police force she was part of, led her to follow the Professor and become a member of the gang herself.
Why did Palermo help Gandía? Was Palermo a traitor?
Alongside Berlin, Palermo was one character with a really polarizing personality.
On the one hand, you feel for his unrequited love for Berlin but on the other, he was an egomaniac who ultimately caused Nairobi’s death.
In a bid to regain control and leadership over the group, he betrays them by helping Gandía escape from his handcuffs while everyone else is busy tending to Nairobi’s gunshot wound.
Though he does eventually flip sides again, the damage is done: Gandía goes on a rampage that ends in him shooting Nairobi.
How do the flashbacks of Berlin’s life play into all of this?
It took a while to become apparent, but the flashbacks into Berlin’s life while planning the second heist really ends up being the glue that binds the whole story together.
Ultimately, it was a look into the relationships he had with his family and it helps viewers to fully understand two things: first, that the Professor executed the second heist fully not just as a way to save Rio but as a tribute to Berlin; and second, why at the very end, Rafael and the Professor come to an agreement about sharing the gold.
Does Alicia Sierra switch sides and join the heist?
This was another popular theory circulating when season 2 came to a close with Alicia holding the Professor hostage at gunpoint.
It certainly started to look that way when she went into labor and it was the Professor, Benjamin, and Marseille who helped her deliver her child.
However, it wasn’t until the last few episodes that Alicia fully switched over to their side and considered the Professor a true ally.
How to watch the show?
Where can I watch Money Heist?
All seasons of Money Heist are available to watch internationally on Netflix.
Which Money Heist season is best?
If you ask me, it’s really impossible to say! All seasons tie into each other seamlessly, and every single one is so packed with action and intrigue that there’s no one that’s better than the other.
Which Money Heist season should I watch first?
You absolutely need to start at the beginning. Despite the flashbacks running throughout, the events still unfold chronologically!
Money Heist finale explained
How did Money Heist end?
Without going into all of the details, suffice it to say that the heist was an overall success even when it seemed like everything was going to go up in flames.
The biggest turning point had two major events leading up to it: the thieves had gotten all the gold out of the bank and were getting ready to transport it, and the national police was (seemingly) hot on their tail.
When it looked like they had been caught and it was all over, the Professor realized that their gold had also been stolen from right under their noses by none other than his nephew, Rafael, and his partner Tatiana.
With the Professor handling matters with Colonel Tamayo inside the bank, Alicia is left to lead the hunt for the missing gold.
Using her superior deduction as a skilled police inspector, she is eventually able to track it down. It looks like Alicia and her crew are about to enter an intense shootout with Rafael’s side, but a simple note she hands over to him changes it all.
What did the note from the Professor say during the Money Heist finale?
We never see exactly what it says on the note, but that mystery just adds to the finesse of that finale, in my opinion.
All we know is that it was “a family matter”, as he explained to Tatiana, and it was enough to turn the tides and have Rafael working with them, agreeing to return the gold in exchange for half of the share.
Did Money Heist have a happy ending?
I would definitely say so. On the outside, it might look like the system won (they got their “gold” back, the thieves “died” in a shootout) but in reality, the gang has the upper hand.
Despite suffering numerous devastating losses, they’re able to walk away scot-free and even protected by the government – flush with gold and brand-new identities to let them live fresh lives.