Though the series does have its share of light-hearted moments, Elite mainly centres around the trials and tribulations of its protagonists, exploring "hot-button", progressive issues like homosexuality, classism, parental neglect, and illicit activities including drug use, crime and murder.
The debut season, comprising eight episodes, premiered on Netflix on 5 October 2018, earning positive reviews from critics and viewers who described the series as a "guilty pleasure".
[1] Three young friends – Samuel, Nádia, and Christian – receive scholarships from a construction company after a collapse suffered at their previous school due to poorly executed works.
In Las Encinas, the three meet wealthy siblings Marina and Guzmán, whose father controls the construction company blamed for the collapse of the roof of their old school.
Through a series of flash-forward scenes, beginning with the opening of the first episode, it is shown that the unfolding stories of a clash of lifestyles somehow led to down in Marina's mysterious murder.
After the revelation of classmate Marina's death, and the subsequent disappearance of Samuel, the second season revolves around the students returning to school for their senior year, focusing primarily on their first semester.
Unable to find a suspect, Polo's death is ultimately ruled as a suicide, with his parents eventually telling police that he had confessed to Marina's murder.
The narrative takes a turn when Ari is found on the brink of death, and each plot thread, revealed through flash-forwards, sheds light on the circumstances leading to this incident.
Benjamin's kids, along with the French prince Philippe who got caught up in a scandal, join the same class as Samuel, Guzmán, Rebeka and Ander, who have to repeat their final year, and Omar, who becomes a new student of Las Encinas.
In a flash-forward, Samuel's lifeless body is found floating in a pool, and each plot thread leads to the revelation of how he ended up there, uncovering the truth behind the events.
[7] At the time, Erik Barmack, Netflix's VP of original series, said that Elite would be "a very different kind of teen thriller that will cross borders and affect audiences globally".
He said that the choice to set the mystery drama in a high school was important because "it is the time of your life when things matter the most", allowing them to explore the pressures of fitting in as an elite alongside the other plot lines.
[12] Social media is another theme examined in season 2, with Darío Madrona and actress Mina El Hammani commenting on how it gives a perception of someone being good if people like who they are on the Internet, which can be dangerous.
[7] The initial main cast was confirmed before the series debut, featuring several actors from other Netflix series and films either created or distributed by Netflix España y Latinoamerica,[al] including Itzan Escamilla of Cable Girls,[26] Danna Paola of Lo más sencillo es complicarlo todo,[27] and María Pedraza, Jaime Lorente, and Miguel Herrán of Money Heist.
[32] On 19 May 2020, it was confirmed via Elite's Instagram account that Mina El Hammani, Danna Paola, Ester Expósito, Álvaro Rico, and Jorge López would not return for season 4.
On 22 May 2020, Itzan Escamilla, Miguel Bernardeau, Arón Piper, Omar Ayuso, Claudia Salas and Georgina Amorós were confirmed to reprise their roles in season 4.
[33] On 19 July 2020, Carla Díaz, Manu Ríos, Martina Cariddi, Pol Granch, Diego Martín and Andrés Velencoso were announced to have joined the fourth season's new main cast.
On 25 February 2021, along with the fifth season's renewal, Argentine actress Valentina Zenere and Brazilian actor André Lamoglia were officially confirmed to have joined the cast, which was initially rumours of the fans.
[41] In January 2022, Arrufat was confirmed to join the sixth season with Álex Pastrana, Alvaro de Juana, Ander Puig and Ana Bokesa.
In the four stories, different plots of some of the most veteran students of Las Encinas and newer ones will be explored, revealing what they have been up to in the last summer before starting their new school year.
[50] The story is based in New Delhi's upscale school, Hampton International, where three new students from starkly different backgrounds challenge the existing dynamics at the elite enclave and their lives are immeasurably changed by the events that occur there.
Produced by Bodhitree Multimedia Limited, and directed by Ashim Ahluwalia, Class will star Gurfateh Pirzada, Ayesha Kanga, Chayan Chopra, Anjali Sivaraman, Chintan Rach, Madhyama Segal, Cyaawal Singh, Naina Bhan, Moses Koul, Piyush Khati and Zeyn Shaw.
Natalie Winkelman from The Daily Beast gave the first season a positive review, saying that "with Euro-cool style and compelling characters, Elite is trashy, diverting fun".
[54] John Doyle from The Globe and Mail likewise complimented the first season in his review, adding that "Elite is no masterpiece but is one of those oddly satisfying, binge-worthy curiosities.
And with the addition of a smart flashback structure keeping its central murder mystery afloat, Darío Madrona and Carlos Montero's drama quickly proves addictive.
[60] Genevieve van Voorhis of Bustle notes that the series can feel aesthetically more like a horror than a teen drama as it pairs "wide shots of the school [that] are almost Wes Anderson-like in their color coordination and perfect 90 degree angles" with eerie music.
[61] Kathryn VanArendonk of Vulture stated in a positive review of the series that though "Elite is not pushing new boundaries in television, it's not a self-serious reboot of an old property" and that "in spite of that—or more likely because of it!—its commitment to breakneck melodrama is undeniably enjoyable.
[63] Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya from Thrillist recommended the first season in their review of the series by stating that "Elite might be the only show that could give Riverdale a run for its money when it comes to excessive slow-motion shots.
The website's critical consensus reads, "Elite is back for another entertaining, edge-of-your-seat mystery that succeeds thanks to charismatic characters and a bloody plot that doesn't take itself too seriously.
"[66] Framke also notes that Netflix in the United States[am] automatically defaults to the show with an English dub, and suggests changing the audio back to its original European Spanish for the best experience.