Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Elite’ Season 8 on Netflix, The Final Installment Of This Saucy Spanish Teen Drama 

As the long-running Spanish teen drama Elite returns to Netflix for its eighth season and final eight episodes, there is continued fallout from the suspicious death of toxic boyfriend Raúl (Álex Pastrana), the welcome return of season one veteran Nadia (Mina El Hammani), and the revelation of an exclusive tier inside the already really exclusive environs of Las Encinas, the high school attended by everyone from the supremely wealthy and those who only seem like it to scholarship students just scrambling to get by. That anyone is even in high school is nominal. Elite has always concerned itself more with who is having sex with who and where it’s happening, who’s hating on who else, who’s overhearing or accidentally seeing what they shouldn’t – and then sharing that hot goss on social media –  and of course, all the murdering that keeps happening wherever these kids go.  

ELITE – SEASON 8: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT? 

Opening Shot: There’s a party on the lawn of Las Encinas, complete with drones, drugs, and uniform blazers accessorized with cold bottles of bubbly. “I’d like to propose a toast” cries Isadora (Valentina Zenere), “to the senior class. A toast to our freedom to do whatever the hell we want to do!” This scene is a flash-forward, as is typical of Elite’s format. And it seems that what somebody decided to do is murder.  

The Gist: As Elite returns, it’s with the death of Raúl still a topic for the socials of influencer Sara (Carmen Arrufat). Without evidence, Sara is convinced it was Chole (Mirela Balić) who pushed her abusive ex off that roof. In actuality, we know a little more about the incident than she does, and it’s become another example of Chloe and her mother Carmen (Maribel Verdú) always searching for an outcome that benefits them. But they better watch out, because we also know that Dalmar (Iván Mendes) has footage of the murder on his phone. There’s always a murder in Elite, and thanks to its introductory flash-forward, we know this final season will be no different. But before we get there, what is Alumni?

Fashionable, attractive, and filthy rich siblings Emilia (Ane Rot) and Héctor (Nuno Gallego) break into Las Encinas’ internet to call the seniors to an introductory meeting of The Alumni, a selective, invite-only organization with the stated pillars of “pleasure, freedom, and contacts.” Having reunited with her brother Omar (Elite season 1 OG Omar Ayuso), Nina (El Hammani) says Alumni’s connections to business and wealth are incredible – it’s how she got her United Nations internship in New York. Chloe and Eric (Gleb Abrosimov), who are now an item, and Sonia (Nadia Al Saidi), Nico (Ander Puig), and Sara listen to the Alumni pitch. But Héctor is only interested in sponsoring the membership of Joel (Fernando Líndez), and to determine who will receive her favor, Emilia pits Chole against Isadora. That Isa’s once wealthy family is actually broke isn’t something she’s gonna tell Emilia or anyone else.

Héctor’s hots for Joel is kind of menacing in its intensity. (If it’s the middle of the school day, then it must be time to strip and take a voyeuristic shower.) And Joel’s already got guy trouble, because he still has mad feelings for a returning Iván (André Lamoglia), though they fight as much as they make out. Will Sonia be able to help Dalmar with his visa issues? And is Chloe really as terrible for Eric as Nico insists? Elite is already stirring up its component parts for a satisfyingly spicy, gossipy, and bloody series conclusion.

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? The students on Elite are in class as much as the supposed teens of Euphoria, which is to say basically never. A little less racy but no less catty is teen drama The A-List, also on Netflix. And over its eight seasons, Netflix has further explored the Elite universe with a series of vignettes featuring different pockets of the show’s ever-evolving cast.   

Our Take: Over the years, Elite established a pretty solid track record for introducing new characters to its format, being able to plug in new faces and new problems even as memorable cast members departed. Last season, the one-two punch of Mirela Balić and Maribel Verdú as opportunistic mother-daughter team Chloe and Carmen were delightful in their scheming. (That hasn’t changed this season – we wouldn’t say no to an Elite spinoff featuring the continuing adventures of Carmen and Chloe.) But this time around, as Elite enters its final frame, it’s definitely done it again with the addition of Ane Rot and Nuno Gallego as conniving society siblings Emilia and Héctor Krawietz. With their select and snooty Alumni club, these two have immediately agitated the core group we know. But what’s going on with their internal dynamic? When Emilia rolls her eyes at her brother’s desire for Joel, he offers to sleep with her, too? What?! We’re excited to learn the contours of the crazy that Emila and Héctor will bring to the already outrageous proceedings of Elite.

Sex and Skin: Only one or two male butts in the early going, but Elite is known to steam things up whenever possible.

Parting Shot: We return to the flash-forward moment that began season 8 of Elite, and learn a little more about what could’ve possibly led to the latest murder to tarnish the reputation of Las Encinas. 

Sleeper Star: As Elite drives to its conclusion, Valentina Zenere continues her fine work as Isadora. Night club owner, high school student, impossibly gorgeous fashion plate: Isadora is all of these things. But Zenere is always conscious of revealing Isa’s inner life in ways you don’t expect. 

Most Pilot-y Line: “The Krawietzs? They’re one of the families that you might say are de facto owners of this country.” With their family’s generational wealth and power behind them, Emilia and Héctor are planning to majorly fuck with the social power centers of Las Encinas. 

Our Call: STREAM IT! Elite is a riot with its heightening of every emotion and social media interaction, with all of its hookups and heartbreaks. And since this season marks its final run, it’ll be really interesting to see how it tidies up storylines and concludes character journeys, some of whom have been with us since the beginning.

Johnny Loftus (@glennganges) is an independent writer and editor living at large in Chicagoland. His work has appeared in The Village Voice, All Music Guide, Pitchfork Media, and Nicki Swift.