(4): TV show review: Lacasa De Papel; Netflix is the new weapon for spreading western ideologies.

The war in favour or against feminism, and the fight against toxic masculinity, patriarchy, matriarchy, misogyny or any type of gender rivalry and jingoism, is not a news as a global movement. And it has been among the hottest agendas for the greatest part of 21st century. Books have been published, papers have been presented, journals have been discussed, mass movements have been organised, placards have been carried for both passive and radical demonstrations. Mainly to ensure the effectiveness of the said targeted agendas. However, what is feminism, or whether feminism is of any relevance in our societies, what should be considered toxic masculinity or misogyny, patriarchy or matriarchy, what threats do they cast on our social and economic coexistence, is something that people of interest are still debating.

But what needs no debating, is the rising popularity and adaptations of LGBTQ principles; which embrace gay marriage and relationships - license to both men and women to be in a relationship with other people that belong in the same gender bracket as they do. Or a sexual warrant for them to be straight in their mating affairs, particularly, heterosexual rights, etcetera. Which in anyway is nothing but an open rebellion against the core value of human meaning, an insult to human coexistence, and a mockery of highest order to our values as human beings. 

And Money Heist, like almost any other TV show televised by Netflix, is subject to heavy demonstration of LGBTQ principles, among other interesting topics on feminism, toxic masculinity and misogyny. Which couldn't help but trigger the question; is Netflix the new weapon for spreading of Western agendas? In this review, I'll discuss this question, relative to the contents of the TV show.

At the end of the previous season, the Heist team defied the military sophistication of Spain, and fled, leaving behind the corpse of Moscow, and the remains of Berlin who insisted on staying to hold up the military, to a geographical area beyond the reach of Spanish justice. Berlin is presumed dead.

In their attempt to escape justice, in season 3, the heist team sailed through the ocean of Portugal, to find refuge on international waters, before deciding on where to nest next - a place they must ensure is covert and suitable for the hiding of criminals of their class. And as any smart tactician would think, it was obvious to them that no matter what happens, they couldn't afford risking one player of the heist team getting arrested. For they know better than to count on the loyalty of fallible men and women, lesson from the arrest of Tokyo in season two. Which compelled the team coach and chief lieutenant, The professor, to declare the situation: 'no one is safe, until all are safe'.

For that reason, the ever-conscious Sergio - the professor, divided the team players into four equal parts. Namely: his genius self teamed up with his new lover and former police inspector, Rachel murillo. Denver teamed up with his coincidental lover, and former Spanish royal mint official, Monica. Tokyo teamed up with her only-death-can-do-us-apart Rio. And Nairobi teamed up with Helsinki. Each of them conditioned to be settled in a different location to one another, with Thailand set as rendezvous for them, and emergency phone numbers in the possible event that one team gets apprehended. All, in accordance to a given guidelines that were overseen by the professor, the most specific of which being the 'ban on using mobile phones'.

That's how the heist team enjoyed good three years, enjoying the fruits of their robbery, outside Europe. For Europe surely is but efficient, yet unattainable destination for anyone of them who wishes to live his life outside the prison walls. As we all know, "What ever goes up must surely comes down". Unless that thing is Lionel Messi. And that's what happened to the heist team, through the weakest link of their collective play; Rio and Tokyo. Rio is young and Tokyo is wild. Both are rich and drunk from the crudest wine of love. They settled on the Pellican Island where many people can not be found, enjoying all that's there to be enjoyed in being rich, exuberant and in love. One day, the wildness in Tokyo makes her feel bored, for she can't survive more than three years of uncoked life, away from partying and travelling. So she decides its time for a fresh experience. And Rio is as amateur as unripe Mango. The only thing he knows was getting hugged by the exotic woman old enough to give birth to his immediate younger brother, whom it'll be fair to say physically is ageing backwards, or totally refuses to age. He imagines no life unconnected to Tokyo, so he gave her an unregistered phone that he and Helsinki acquired from one Malaysian merchant, so they'll be contacting each other, since he couldn't go with her. Upon her departure, he cried a lot. And three days passed with Tokyo not on the picking side of Rio's phone call. And as expected, the spoiled little brat became too worried, and keeps calling and calling. His knowledge of computer itself was ineligible to turn him sober from being drunk of such excessive attachment, so that he may understand the fact that too much calling can trigger the noticing of authorities upon even an unregistered network. Which was what happened. Tokyo remembered and picked up the call, allowing the Spanish forensic official, Martinez, to locate their locations, which he notified  Colonel Cortes rightaway - the person that has been desperate and on their search since the last day of Royal mint heist.

Upon the invasion, Tokyo escapes narrowly away from Panama. While Rio gets arrested, on the surrounded-by-ocean Pellican Island. Tokyo run straight to Thailand, where she find the professor to tell him about what happened, which tells them that Rio was surely arrested, even though there was no sign of the news on the headlines. Professor, with his impeccable mind, realised the authorities wants the arrest of Rio to be covert. So as to be warranted to torture the kid into confessing the whereabouts of his teammates, away from the notice of press and human rights orgs. So the professor contacted the rest of the heist team, calling for an emergency meeting. Truly they defied Alexander Mahone's principle of crime: which he promised that any criminal must commit a mistake within the first 40 days in which he commits the crime. But the Heist team survive three good years, thanks to him who for now, has been mentioned enough.

On the other part, Nairobi and Helsinki have grown a half-baked and confused bond, which is too gross and lacking in affection to be considered love. Helsinki was straight, he prefers male in a relationship. While Monica has delivered Arturo's baby, and is married to Denver, who is calling the boy his son. Professor is chilling with Rachel.

After their arrival in a very entertaining style, they start the meeting where they discuss how Rio gets arrested and the need to rescue him if they have any intention of surviving. Denver objects, but was later convinced by the professor after reminding him of how Tokyo - Rio's main plug of the machine, stayed by his father's side during his last hours, which is a gesture payable only by rescuing her baby boy. So to put the authorities at disadvantage, the Professor adopts the basis of first move of chess game. Because if they allow the feds to get something out of Rio, or warrant them to start hunting them first, they'll be too weak to afford life on the run. For not all tactician is a Michael Scofield - who could afford decades of life on the run. So the plan was set, based on the team staying on the offensive feet, leveraging Rio's rescue through another well crafted Robbery, that's bigger than the previous one, which the professor gets behind the adoption of their robbery dress code in demonstration protests in many countries, to declare the robbery, the voice that says: "Enough is enough".

To deliver my verdicts on the role of Netflix towards advertising the new western ideological agendas, relative to the plot of Lacasa De papel, I'll but mention few of the obvious, or rather notable demonstrations. For example:

The season three of 'La Casa De Papel' is very extreme in its portrayal of feminine role, in total contrast with how it was in the previous seasons. In season 2, Nairobi and Tokyo seized power from Berlin and they had to abandon it and apologize, for Berlin was too much of a masculine to be defeated by women. However, they seized power from Palermo in season 3 and retain it. Which is both good news and bad for the respective genders. Good news for portraying how women are capable of going shoulder-to-shoulder with men in whichever endeavor, with as much if not more willingness to command a competent leadership and control - which I believe is one of the major arguments of feminism. For instance, in the entire robbery, Nairobi is the one you want in command when things go south. The aura of her leadership and the command her presence commands can't be matched by any Money heister, since the death of Berlin. Tokyo on her side, is the one you want holding the gun when authorities invade. No one is better at raining bullets. And they're both women, with none put in charge, but they still do it anyway. The same way Allicia tackled the military control, and sabotaged every bit of the plan at the expense of her masculine counterparts.

However, its a bad news to masculinity, for it depicts how masculinity is regressing, from the ungentlemanly Berlins down to disastrous Palermos, courtesy of the massive rise in the number of irresponsible masculine like Palermo, who are too weak, unfocused and incapacitated to be trusted with a control of any kind. Whom, in totality, couldn't do anything except succumbing to the new western ideological idiosyncrasies of gay relationships, flexibility of gender functions, and the inherent intimidation of women in the name of granting of rights.

Truly its a disgrace, the existince of women who can't obey, and men who can't lead. They  both bring instability to social order. But to be fair, are women to blame for disobedience when the ones put in charge are incapable? I think not. And that's what masculinity is reducing into, courtesy of gender regression. And when women protest, it triggers intimidation and insecurity. Notable from Lacasa De papel, if masculinity can remain stable, feminism would commit suicide without anybody's knowledge. That's one clear message from the TV show. 

Misogynists and Toxic masculines like Palermo who believe women are of little importance, are one of the biggest problems every society is facing. But the rise of strong and intellectually aggressive women like Nairobi and Tokyo will surely keep that in check. Even though it'll land the society in turmoil in the long run. But men should blame themselves, and their succumb to idiosyncrasy. Still, the portrayal of toxic masculinity so that the rise of feminism can be justified is flawed in the TV show, because its clear, gay relationships are the reason men and women no longer respect each other's value, and are always at each other's throat.

Lack of social justice would always turn the populace against the government whenever they get the chance to do so. It only took the Heist team a heavy rainfall of hundred and fourty million euros upon the madrid park to buy the support of the Spaniards, which as was showed, extended to many other countries, making people wear the uniform of the heist team as a demonstration against injustice. And that's despite the inspirational speeches Arturo volunteered to give on panels. Would that have happened had there was trust in the system, and the way resources were allocated? I don't believe so

Not only that, lack of effective accountability would always put the government on a wrong foot when dealing with covert national security operations. Cheap stuffs that weren't better than to get explained to the world using highly skillful, professional journos would be made a threat against the competency of the government, because the government convince everyone its a secret worth keeping, triggering an attempt to compromise its collective effort when it falls in the wrong hands. The heist team first defensive strategy was base on acquiring ministry of interior's paperworks which were hidden in the bank by the government, for they believe its a secret worth keeping away from public, which turned into a strategy that helped and abetted in the smooth going of the heist plan. And is there bigger disgrace than people rightly supporting criminals knowing that they're not wrong to do so? Democracy surely needs a review! 

"Chaos is not a pit, chaos is a ladder". Lord Peter Baelish can't be more correct, for that was also the belief of Berlin when professor spoke of chaos, while discussing the presence of Tatiana, Berlin's girlfriend. Berlin knew who ever will carry out that plan will have to land in trouble, but still believed its worth trying, even though the risk wasn't calculated. This entire chaos is a distraction, and storm before the calm, so that the professor would drop a mind-blowing masterclass. Professor's contingent mind is more than capable of brushing off Inspector Alicia and her counter intelligence, her pettiness and mastery of Nash.

The current chaos isn't courtesy of flawed plan, or due to the fact that it wasn't worked out by the professor himself. Rather the lack of trust and nervousness the professor showed in executing the plan. Because even the successful plan in season one and two weren't crafted by the professor, but his father. But his trust, and the little assignments he worked out made it successful. If he resigned to what makes him nervous in that plan, Allicia and the entire Spanish authorities will be in massive trouble. And we're firmly waiting for the next season, which perhaps we may see how human beings can marry animals, or a man who is unwilling to eat but is willing to drink his piss, or masculinity to get reduced too low that men start calling themselves by the names of women. Because I trust that Netflix can do worse! 

In the end, the rampant demonstration of LGBT by Netflix could not do much better to convince watchers that its not an agent of the west. And truly, its teachings are manifesting, for now people are following suit. The channel should fear for its integrity, and respect its heteregeneous consumers. And if integrity and respect to anyone involves demonstration of LGBT to respect the values of gay, then certainly boycotting Netflix by any theist would be understandable. People can respect themselves and distance themselves from such stupidity. Because Netflix isn't going to stop televising shows, just as unthoughful people aren't going to stop being given birth to. For truly its contents shouldn't be for consumption of any random man. As a suggestion, HBO would be a much better alternative. Also this should serve as a precaution to the growing youth population in order not to be too involved with Netflix, except for the ones who can think rightly for themselves, and some of us that always feel the urge to uncover the relevant points that are hidden behind those cinematic scenes. For surely now Netflix isn't for consumption of fool. 

Reviewed by:

MA Iliasu

Kank State 

Nigeria.