Summary
Season 5 opens up in cinematic and dramatic circumstances — we wouldn’t expect anything less at this stage.
This recap of Netflix’s Money Heist season 5, episode 1, “The End of the Road,” contains spoilers.
Ah, we are finally back! Inject Money Heist into my veins. What a shame this is the first chapter to the end of the road. I could easily watch these characters forever. Please make sure you comment below telling us what your favourite moment of episode 1 was.
Money Heist season 5, episode 1 recap
Following the intense season 4 finale, Alicia Sierra has the Professor at gunpoint, mocking him and telling the genius that he’s living like a rat. She wants his entire plan, and then she plans to get him convicted for terrorism. Professor attempts to get out of this extremely sticky situation, and the pair fight, but of course, Sierra wasn’t going to give up so easily.
Episode 1 treats the audience to another Berlin flashback. The character development in this series has been so incredible that Berlin is somehow relevant and exciting despite him being dead since season 2. In this flashback, Berlin meets his son Rafael; it’s clear they haven’t seen each other for a long time, so they are reconciling. Berlin’s partner Tatiana shows up looking classy and sexy, and the son is slightly annoyed by her attendance. Berlin’s usual sinister side comes out as he asks his son if he’d sleep with his partner if the situation were different. The conversation then turns to Berlin trying to convince his son to do a heist with him as he’s a cyber security engineer. His son calls Berlin a despicable and selfish human being, but Berlin vows to give him a path to freedom.
In another flashback, lovestruck Professor tells Lisbon about the Rome plan that will be after the Paris plan. He’s accepted that the police will turn to the army once they manage to return one of their own to the bank. He knows the sole aim will be to destroy them, so they will need to get out as soon as possible. In the present day, Bogota disagrees with speeding up the exit plan and raises his concerns to Palermo.
Continuing in the present, as the Professor predicted, the police want to involve the army as any civilian casualties will become the lesser evil. In the bank, Libson wants to start pulling the plug on melting the gold. As the episode wears on, it’s clear something is “just not quite right”. Lisbon is trying to radio into the Professor, but he’s tied up by Sierra. She’s interrogating the Professor for information and cruelly shoots him in the foot. Professor reveals that they are getting the gold out by making them into nuggets and putting them through the sewer systems. Sierra does not believe him. She threatens the Professor by placing him above sewer water while chained up, but Professor refuses to give in, so she leaves him hanging, levitated above the water.
Episode 1 highlights how desperate things are getting for all characters, including the panicking Colonel Tamayo. He asks General Sagasta to assemble his team so they can assault the bank. Angel attempts to raise to Tamayo how the authorities are acting more illegal than those in the bank, but the Colonel mocks him back, marking how he messed up this situation in the past by being a lovesick puppy over Raquel (Lisbon). Ouch!
Amongst the chaos, episode 1 does calm our nerves and brings more perspective to Tokyo’s life. In the bank, Tokyo tells Lisbon that love grows exponentially during a heist because it could be “over very quickly.” She describes her previous heists with her lover and how it felt indestructible and amazing. This was the lover that was killed outside a bank. In a touching moment, Tokyo states that she will never find love like that again. We could be forgiven that Tokyo is foreshadowing Lisbon’s fate.
And then it is back to the madness. Marseille, who used a military helicopter to smartly drop Lisbon on the bank roof, is being tracked down by Colonel Tamayo’s team. He lands the helicopter at a farm, and then the authorities arrive. Benjamin acts like an innocent farmer nearby, and he instantly implements distraction tactics, accusing the officers of killing two of his lambs nearby. Benjamin purposefully describes the wrong car that drove off, so the police chase the wrong person. A different man gets out of the car with a bomb strapped to him. In comedic fashion, Angel tells Tamayo that they have been duped again. Meanwhile, Marseille gets away in a farm truck with Benjamin.
The ending
As we reach the ending, Sierra forces Professor to answer the radio. He tells Lisbon that the authorities know about the Stormwater Tank, and then Sierra reveals herself, speaking into the radio. The others now know that Professor is captured. Flashbacks reveal that Professor told Lisbon that if the authorities know about the Stormwater Tank, then it’s all over. In the present day, Professor delivers an emotional moment, apologising to each member of his team one at a time. There’s a shock in the bank — it feels like the beginning of the end.
Episode 1 ends in dramatic circumstances — Helsinki looks outside, and he sees the military approaching.
Season 5 opens up in cinematic and dramatic circumstances — we wouldn’t expect anything less at this stage.
Additional points
- Stockholm is furious at Manila for breaking protocol and revealing herself to be one of the heist team. She wanted a plan B for someone to look after her child.
- Lisbon tells Tokyo that there is no Plan B.
What did you think of Money Heist season 5, episode 1? Comment below.
Read the review of Money Heist: The Phenomenon.
