Elite: Season 1/ Episode 7 – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

Drastic moves are made to stop eveyone’s love/hate cycle. Which includes everything from embarrassing someone to violence.

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Network
Netflix
Director(s)		Ramón Salazar
Writer(s)		Carlos Montero
Air Date		10/5/2018
Characters Introduced
Teodoro	Rubén Martinez
Pilar	Irene Arcos

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Anything For Family: Ander, Nadia, Omar, Yusef, Azucena

As has been made clear, Nadia is very conflicted about Omar’s decisions. On one hand, he is her brother yet with her moral and religious beliefs against him dealing drugs and being a homosexual, she faces many a dilemma. However, with May always lingering in the back of her head, she finds a way to justify whatever needs to be done so her brother has the support May didn’t.

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For example, when Ander gives Nadia a note for Omar, she not only passes it along but lends Omar her phone to contact Ander. Then, as icing on top, she talks Yusef down from an arranged marriage for Omar. Thus giving Omar the ability, if for a day, to be with Ander, have sex, and just enjoy each other.

Unfortunately, though, Azucena witnesses Omar leaving and tells Ander’s dad he is gay. Who doesn’t care for he sees tennis sponsorship opportunities coming out of it. However, with Ander telling his mom Omar is his lover, so begins the dominoes being set up for what follows.

Commentary

I wonder, if this gets a season 2, will we meet May? Her absence clearly has a strong effect on Nadia and her family yet we haven’t gotten to know her ourselves. I mean, all things considered, season 2 could be a prequel season. One which jumps back to when Marina met Pablo, when May left, just cover a lot of what made this series interesting.

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Focusing on the topic at hand, is it wrong to think the sex between Ander and Omar would be more vigorous? We haven’t seen Omar with anyone, nor Ander, ain’t nobody seemingly masturbating, so you’d think, with no one in the house, it would have been on. Though, let’s set some things straight. Outside of Christian, no one is consistently having sex and even though this is Netflix, and the show isn’t US-based, nudity has been minimum. Basically, behinds and breasts.

Which I’m not complaining about. However, considering how over the top some of the drama is, it is surprising the sex scenes aren’t EPIC. If not, at the very least, more frequent between characters. Hell, the only one who had a good sex scene was Nano, one time, and the one who is most frequent, Christian, his scenes are all tame.

With that said, I did like the intimacy of Omar and Ander after they did the deed. Legs wrapped around one another and just talking. Having a passionate moment and trying to make it last for past that moment in time, who knows if it could happen again. Bringing a sort of sweetness the show doesn’t afford too many.

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Why Kids Don’t Go To Adults: Azucena, Yusef, Nadia, Omar, Ander, Guzman, Lu

With all that has happened, Lu finds herself truly making peace with Nadia. She says she recognizes her as her equal – similar even. Making her wonder why is she giving up on her education so easily? Guzman feels the same. With him confessing his love of Nadia, to Lu of all people, it pushes him to try to find a way to get her to stay.

Speaking to her? Not going to work. She is too traditional. So, Guzman tries going to Azucena who, between Ander asking for help and now Guzman, she decides to call Yusef to the school. BIG MISTAKE. You know why? Yusef already knows about Azucena policing his daughter wearing a hijab, doesn’t like how the school is changing his daughter, so her questioning his beliefs? Her questioning his abilities to parent? Man, he decides better to snatch Nadia out that school now than wait.

Leading to, as Yusef storms away, Nadia’s arm in hand like a toddler, Azucena outing Omar. Which, of course, leads to a confrontation but Omar denies what Azucena says. Following that, Yusef is ready to push Omar into an arranged marriage ASAP. He is fearful of his name being tainted, the family name, and is done with western morals infecting his children.

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Commentary

As noted, I like when characters aren’t always presented as progressive and when they are conservative, they aren’t demonized. Do I agree with Yusef being against homosexuality and dragging his daughter out of school? Absolutely not. Yet, taking note his age, where he is from, raised, and him being a conservative Muslim, you get why he says and does what he does. It sucks for his kids, but if he was accepting and all that, it would seem off a bit, no?

But one thing I do love about Yusef is they show him as more than a traditional man. Despite his actions, he does love his kids and wants to protect them. Him arranging a marriage for Omar, the first time, was out of love. After all, it might have been how Yusef met Omar and Nadia’s mother – whose name I don’t think was ever spoken. She is a woman who joined him in traveling across many a country for a better, alongside safer life. Gave him healthy kids and while, yes, one is who knows where, they tried didn’t they? They pray for her together, right? She is his rock and I’m sure he wants that for his kids.

Leading to the need to say, Azucena was so out of line. Granted, for some reason, the elite Muslims who live in Spain, you know they exist, don’t want to have their kids go to your school. Okay. That doesn’t mean you have to say one ignorant ass thing after another. Let’s not forget she could have put her foot down and let Nadia wear her hijab and not write it off as an accessory. There was never any pursuit of middle ground with her. She was just as arrogant, or perhaps better said, ignorant, as Yusef. Just she had the backing of the local majority on her side to keep her from being shamed.

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Pushing why, in general, there needs to be more stories featuring Muslim characters like Yusef, Nadia, and Omar. Because people like Azucena and Lu have this warped belief system and while some of it may hold true, depending on the person, those of Muslim faith aren’t a monolith. As shown, Yusef might be strict but if Nadia can find some kind of loophole, she takes it. So considering the position Azucena has, she’s lucky no wealthy Muslim kids go to her school or she’d be cursed out without one single expletive leaving someone’s lips.

All Falls Down: Polo, Carla, Christian, Marina, Guzman, Ventura, Nano, Ander, Omar, Yusef, Nadia, Teodoro

Attempting to make a long story short, Carla breaks up with Polo and spends more time with Christian. Someone who wants to be her boyfriend but after breaking up with someone she was going to spend her life with, she wants Christian to chill. Especially since she needs a friend more than a boyfriend right now. Especially since Nano is trying to blackmail her dad, Teodoro, and while she knows Marina is involved, she can’t prove it without a shadow of a doubt.

So, instead, she just tells her dad who tells Ventura, after Guzman got his bail and freedom. Leading to your usual argument that ends with Marina saying she is pregnant with Nano’s child. Leading to Guzman getting into the same mindset that nearly killed Pablo and calling Ander and Polo to assist.

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Now, here comes the messy part. A brawl happens and it begins with Guzman announcing that Marina is pregnant with Nano’s baby. This is news to Samuel since, despite the back and forth, he and Marina are still together. So, as Guzman takes a bat to Nano, and a brawl breaks out, Samuel gets on good punch on his brother while he is fighting.

Thus giving Guzman the chance to run. As for Polo? Well, naturally he goes after Christian who he already had a verbal altercation with. Lastly, in terms of Ander? Well, he just helps but doesn’t seem to fight anyone we know.

This all ends with Guzman hiding in Yusef’s shop, Polo escaping, and Ander getting the hell beat out of him but Omar finding him alive.

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Commentary

So where did Guzman get money from exactly? Over the course of three days, nearly everyone said no. Who ended up saying yes, likely with some kind of premium attached? Also, how are Ventura and Teodoro cool with him, likely, not trying to get him out of jail? Especially considering he could have sold a few things to chalk up that cash for his business partner? I’m just saying.

Also, there is the need to question how did Guzman, Polo, and Ander, not all get equally beaten to a pulp. You are in Nano and Christian’s town. Where they party, have friends, and it seems they were with a large group – which included Carla by the way. The fact only Ander got beaten to the point of nearly being unconscious doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.

Then again, neither did Samuel getting one punch in then pausing like he was in a musical and it was time for the next number. This guy had sex with your girl, before you, and didn’t say anything. Also, despite being your brother, he was capable of hanging out with you and your girl and pretend like nothing happened. You lost your virginity to her man! You can’t touch her but this guy? The one who you planned a heist with? He played you!

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But watch them hug in the next episode like nothing happened. Just like how, despite Marina wanting nothing to do with Ventura just an episode ago, not even visiting him in prison, being all excited to see him. All these people fake as hell.

Other Noteworthy Facts & Moments

• Samuel and Nano’s mother’s name is Pilar. I mention that since I feel like this may be the first and last episode we hear that name. Oh, and fun fact, she is into tarot cards.
• Carla was hanging with Christian and his people to make their friendship more real. Not just them being in her world but her visiting his as well.

Question(s) Left Unanswered

1. Did Omar and Ander use a condom?
   1. Following that up, since it seems Christian bottomed for Polo, did Polo use a condom?
      1. Also, how does Carla feel about Christian being gay for play? Does she not care, is it a turn on, was that a factor in her wanting to just be friends for now?

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Highlights

1. The sweet moments Omar and Ander had with one another.
2. Christian not that ashamed of being bisexual. At least if the price is right.
3. Yusef, while a bit of an ass, being shown as someone who isn’t some backwards I feel like they presented enough for you to understand why he made so many drastic decisions. Nadia he probably felt was turning into another May. Then with Omar, Yusef already learned he was on drugs, it seems he skips school, so him being a homosexual would probably feel like a huge personal failure. So, in desperation, he thinks a woman could help his son.
4. With that said, you got to love how the spectrum on sexuality is shown for men. You got Christian who might just not care as long as there is consent, Polo is bi, Omar and Ander are just gay, and thus we get a little bit of everything.

Low Points

1. Azucena showing her whole ass when dealing with Yusef. Between calling him oppressive and outing Omar. I understand the passion but it was so unprofessional.

On The Fence

1. I honestly do keep forgetting about the fact Marina is dead. The whole investigation thing hasn’t really pushed much of a need to speculate who did what. Also, it didn’t really create a timeline after establishing Nano was there first, then Samuel after. As for what happened before that, it seems only the season finale can answer that.
2. With that said, I really don’t give a damn about Marina at this point. It’s unfortunate she died, but I don’t have any call for justice in me honestly.

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