The highly anticipated final season of Money Heist (La Casa de Papel) dropped on Netflix on September 3 and became the most-watched show in the UAE the next day, as well as a trending topic on Twitter globally.
The Spanish series has been popular since it was released on the streaming platform in 2017, with the characters' distinctive and eye-catching red jumpsuits and Salvador Dali masks winning over fans.
But only five episodes – the first half of season five – have been released so far, with the final five to come on December 3, and viewers were left not only with a cliffhanger, but a major turning point in the series.
As the show nears its end, it remains to be seen if The Professor and his group can manage one more clean escape after facing its most powerful enemy ever: the army.
These are the five biggest questions we were left with after watching the first five episodes.
Warning: spoilers below.
Will Alicia Sierra join the heist?
Season five picks up after the very pregnant police inspector Alicia Sierra holds The Professor at gunpoint. She’s been presented as one of the main antagonists for two seasons (including her part in killing fan favourite Nairobi).
After her role in the torture of Rio gets leaked to the public, she gets fired and goes rogue, discovering The Professor's hideout by herself.
In the new season, the police try to spin her story by planting fake evidence and claim she’s switched sides and joined The Professor and his gang. She goes into labour and because her baby is breech, she has no choice but to untie The Professor so he can help her give birth.
After her daughter is born, she watches The Professor as he communicates with the team in the Bank of Spain, guiding them in their fight against the army. At one point, she puts her hand on his arm, seemingly trying to comfort him before he pushes it away in anguish.
While it seems the two might be on the same side, in the final moments of the fifth episode, she hides a pair of surgical scissors or pliers in the bathroom. This has led many to wonder whether she will end up betraying The Professor later on.
How does Berlin’s son Rafael fit into everything?
An interesting backstory is the introduction of Berlin’s son, Rafael. Through flashbacks, we learn that Rafael is talented at hacking, however, he makes it clear he does not want to be a criminal like his father.
Eventually, Berlin convinces his son to join him in his first heist, which ends with Rafael getting a taste of what it takes to pull off a successful robbery. There are also subtle hints of a possible affair between Berlin’s new wife Tatiana and Rafael, although viewers are left in the dark as to what happened there.
Fans have theorised that one or both characters could be key to the success of the current heist at the Bank of Spain. We don't know how they might tie in, but it was revealed earlier in the show that Berlin and The Professor are brothers, so a call to Rafael for help might be their way out of the Bank of Spain.
Will Denver and Stockholm have a happy ending?
Denver and Stockholm also have a rocky start in the new season, mostly because Denver doesn’t want Stockholm to join the second heist, insisting she stay home and raise their child instead.
While Stockholm is part of the gang now, things get more complicated this season. She may have accidentally killed Arturo (although that remains to be seen) and is suffering from PTSD, while Denver’s childhood friend Manila has admitted her love for him, asking if he truly loves Stockholm.
Could all of this be a precursor to their split? Will one or both survive to go to back to their son? Will they be able to move forward together through their trauma from the latest heist?
Who will take over as narrator now that Tokyo is dead?
Early on, many people thought Tokyo would be the sole survivor of the heists since she's the narrator. She’s not only an original character (and appeared long before the show was picked up by Netflix), but also one whose backstory was more deeply examined in the new season.
However, after the group is split up while under attack in the Bank of Spain, Tokyo is injured by snipers. This show is notorious for its characters' close calls, and so, at first, it seemed Tokyo might find a way to survive. But then, in an emotional and shocking final scene, she sacrifices herself to save her fellow heist members.
The producers once said every death happens for a reason and that it fuels the characters and the story. It'll be interesting to see how Tokyo's death affects other members of the group.
Also, one major question that remains unanswered: who will narrate the last five episodes? There are theories that they might each be told from a different character's perspective.
How will 'Money Heist' end?
This is the biggest question on everyone's minds. With only five episodes left before the series finale, the group is looking no closer to an escape.
Is it possible that everyone who survives will have a happy ending or will they all go down, guns blazing, in their battle against the Spanish government?
For a show that’s always kept viewers on the edge of their seats with tense moments and cliffhangers, not to mention its willingness to kill off fan favourites, it’s hard to predict how the series will wrap up.
It’s been theorised that Tokyo’s death may have revealed what will happen to most of the characters – they won’t make it out of the Bank alive. Others are more optimistic that The Professor will somehow manage to find an escape with the help of Berlin’s son. For now, we’ll just have to wait and see.
Titanium Escrow profile
Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
Premier League results
Saturday
Tottenham Hotspur 1 Arsenal 1
Bournemouth 0 Manchester City 1
Brighton & Hove Albion 1 Huddersfield Town 0
Burnley 1 Crystal Palace 3
Manchester United 3 Southampton 2
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 Cardiff City 0
West Ham United 2 Newcastle United 0
Sunday
Watford 2 Leicester City 1
Fulham 1 Chelsea 2
Everton 0 Liverpool 0
Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
RESULTS
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UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 194hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 275Nm from 2,000-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: from Dh155,000
On sale: now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to report a beggar
Abu Dhabi – Call 999 or 8002626 (Aman Service)
Dubai – Call 800243
Sharjah – Call 065632222
Ras Al Khaimah - Call 072053372
Ajman – Call 067401616
Umm Al Quwain – Call 999
Fujairah - Call 092051100 or 092224411
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
UAE v Zimbabwe A
Results
Match 1 – UAE won by 4 wickets
Match 2 – UAE won by 5 wickets
Match 3 – UAE won by 25 runs
Match 4 – UAE won by 77 runs
Fixture
Match 5, Saturday, 9.30am start, ICC Academy, Dubai
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The Rub of Time: Bellow, Nabokov, Hitchens, Travolta, Trump and Other Pieces 1986-2016
Martin Amis,
Jonathan Cape
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Yahya Al Ghassani's bio
Date of birth: April 18, 1998
Playing position: Winger
Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda
MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Fixture: Liechtenstein v Italy, Tuesday, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match is shown on BeIN Sports
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
ANALYSTS’ TOP PICKS OF SAUDI BANKS IN 2019
Analyst: Aqib Mehboob of Saudi Fransi Capital
Top pick: National Commercial Bank
Reason: It will be at the forefront of project financing for government-led projects
Analyst: Shabbir Malik of EFG-Hermes
Top pick: Al Rajhi Bank
Reason: Defensive balance sheet, well positioned in retail segment and positively geared for rising rates
Analyst: Chiradeep Ghosh of Sico Bank
Top pick: Arab National Bank
Reason: Attractive valuation and good growth potential in terms of both balance sheet and dividends
57%20Seconds
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Company%20profile
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
