Major spoilers ahead for the heist so far…

By Joanne Lowles

Published: Thursday, 19 August 2021 at 12:00 am


Netflix has revealed two major new characters that will be introduced in Money Heist part five, including a key figure from Tokyo’s life that has been teased since the very first episode.

Following the success of Sky Rojo, actor Miguel Ángel Silvestre is teaming up with Alex Pina once again, this time to portray the character of René, Tokyo’s first partner in crime who was killed in a botched burglary at the start of the series.

Although he has been referenced several times, René has never actually been seen on screen and his formal debut here helps to bring Money Heist full circle as it nears its grand finale. Here’s the first image of René and Tokyo together:

"Miguel
Miguel Angel Silvestre joins Money Heist in Part 5
Netflix

As if that weren’t enough, we’ll also be meeting Patrick Criado’s Rafael – the surprise son of Berlin – who has vowed to be nothing like his loathsome father. But is that really possible?

The end is in sight for the iconic Dali mask crew, so read on for the latest updates on Money Heist part five, including release date on Netflix, cast and trailer.

Money Heist season 5 release date

CONFIRMED: Money Heist Part 5: Volume will arrive on Netflix on 3rd September 2021.

This will be followed three months later by Part 5: Volume 2, which premieres on 3rd December 2021.

La Casa de Papel / Money Heist is finally coming back!

Part 5: Volume 1 premieres September 3
Part 5: Volume 2 premieres December 3 pic.twitter.com/kHQfVhw84F

— Netflix (@netflix) May 24, 2021

Money Heist season five may have taken its time getting green-lit, but the renewal came as no surprise given that the fourth outing dominated Netflix’s top 10 list around the world upon release last year.

The streamer has recently cut a number of its shows short before they can conclude their ongoing storylines, but fortunately that was not the case here.

Filming on Money Heist season five wrapped in May 2021, as confirmed by Netflix on Twitter with a group photo of the cast.

What started as a heist, ended as a family.

It’s a wrap on Part 5 of La Casa de Papel / Money Heist.

Thank you to all the fans for being part of La Resistencia! We can’t wait to show you how this story ends. pic.twitter.com/ey2TuEZENh

— Netflix (@netflix) May 14, 2021

Money Heist season 5 cast

The volatile nature of Money Heist means that no character is safe, but there were a few who were still standing at the end of season four.

The full list of returning cast members includes; Úrsula Corberó (Tokyo), Álvaro Morte (The Professor), Itziar Ituño (Lisbon), Miguel Herrán (Rio), Jaime Lorente (Denver), Esther Acebo (Stockholm), Enrique Arce (Arturo), Darko Peric (Helsinki), Hovik Keuchkerian (Bogotá), Luka Peros (Marseille), Belén Cuesta (Manila), Fernando Cayo (Coronel Tamayo), Rodrigo de la Serna (Palermo), Najwa Nimri (Inspector Sierra), José Manuel Poga (Gandía), and Pedro Alonso (Berlín).

Meanwhile, Netflix has also announced that Sky Rojo star Miguel Ángel Silvestre is joining the Money Heist cast as René, the original love of Tokyo, who was killed in a botched robbery before the first ever episode.

Meanwhile, Patrick Criado will also be making his debut on the show as Rafael, the secret son of Berlin, who is determined not to follow in the footsteps of his unhinged late father. Check out the first image of him below:

"Patrick
Patrick Criado plays Rafael in Money Heist season 5
Netflix

It’s ironic given how crucial the character has become to the show’s story, but Money Heist creator Alex Pina recently claimed that the powers-that-be once requested Berlin be written out entirely.

Speaking to Hindustan Times, he said: “I had no intention of taking him out of the series. Someone said to me, ‘This character doesn’t fit with the times. You should take him out of the series’.”

Of course, Berlin ended up sticking around via flashbacks after his death in season two, something that Pina is very happy about.

The writer added: “[He is] a misogynist, narcissist and psychopath in many ways… But we could have a character like that in the series and the audience could freely decide whose side they’re on, right?”

Last but not least, Money Heist Part 5 will see the introduction of José Manuel Seda as the “cold and ruthless” Sagasta,  Commander of the Special Forces of the Spanish Army – and he has his sights set on taking down the Professor’s gang once and for all. Here’s a first-look at him and his squad:

"Military
Money Heist season 5
Netflix

Alongside the cast, there are three directors confirmed for season five; Jesús Colmenar, Koldo Serra and Álex Rodrigo.

Money Heist season 5 plot

Season five of Money Heist will pick up from that cliffhanger, with quite a few plot strands to resolve when the show returns.

Previously in Money Heist, the gang attacked the Royal Mint of Spain (parts one and two), while parts three and four revolved around the gang’s attempt to melt all the gold inside the Bank of Spain and take it for themselves.

For a quick recap: season four opened in typically dramatic style with one member of the gang, Nairobi (Alba Flores), fighting for her life inside the bank, while The Professor was on the run, struggling to cope with the thought that the love of his life, ex-police officer Lisbon, had been executed by the police.

"LA

It seemed like the gang were in an impossible situation, but of course The Professor always has a plan. And the season, as fans who have already binge-watched the whole thing will know, concluded in dramatic style with the tragic death of Nairobi.

Money Heist executive producer Jesús Colmenar told Entertainment Weekly how this development will inform the remaining episodes of the show, uniting the fragile team of robbers in their final battle.

“Nairobi represented the heart of the gang in a way, and in this last season [she] would have had a hard time fitting in because this is a season of direct confrontation,” he said. “But her legacy is going to inspire the other characters.”

This is where we left everyone else at the end of Money Heist season four:

Tokyo (Ursula Corbero), the fiery and impulsive young woman is inside the bank with the rest of the gang.

The Professor (Àlvaro Morte), pulled off the dramatic release of Lisbon, but received an unexpected visitor in the last moments of season four.

Lisbon (Itziar Ituno), is free from jail, after The Professor’s cunning plan to release her worked, but she is now inside the bank.

Alicia Sierra (Najwa Nimri), the now-disgraced police officer is on a one-woman mission to take down her nemesis The Professor. She cornered The Professor leaving the crew with no means of escape…

"LA

Finally, there’s the Easter egg we were treated to. If you watched the credits you would have heard the resistance anthem ‘Bella Ciao’ playing. The song plays into a lot of the series’ themes, but this time round it holds even more meaning as actress Najwa Nimri is singing the cover. Just before that, those fighting with Berlin and Sergio can be heard singing. Is Alicia going to join the team? We’re unsure at this point, but we’d add that Nimri also says the last line of dialogue before the credits too.

Fans have also shared their theories. One is that Alicia is actually Tatiana, Berlin’s wife from the flashbacks. This doesn’t seem likely to us as, while they do have similarities, Tatiana is played by Diana Gomez not Nimri. We won’t completely rule out a connection yet though.

While the cast isn’t giving much away when it comes to what happens next, Úrsula Corberó, who plays Tokio, did talk to Identity Mag about her and Rio’s relationship.

“I have been wondering about whether or not this relationship is toxic. With Rio’s vulnerability and Tokio being very protective of him, we can see that from the very beginning. But perhaps it’s a bit toxic because of Tokio’s personality.

“For their future… I do know how it’s going to go from here… The way I see it is that there are like two teams – and we can see this very clearly on social media. Some people want Tokio and Rio to reunite and get back together and some others are very much against this relationship and don’t want them together ever again.”

Pina revealed a few key plot points in his interview with EW too. “We are moving from a chess game – a mere intellectual strategy – to a war strategy: attack and contention,” he said said.  “We always try that our opponents be charismatic, intelligent, shiny. In this case, in pure war film genre, we also look for characters whose intelligence can measure up against The Professor’s.”

He added: “Adrenaline is within Money Heist’s DNA. Every thirty seconds things take place and disrupt the characters, a turn of the screw to the action. The adrenaline mixed with feelings arising from absolutely complex, magnetic, unforeseeable characters will continue until the end of the heist to the Bank of Spain.

“However, the gang will now be pushed into irreversible situations, into a wild war: it is the most epic part of all the parts we’ve shot.

“It is action and feeling, it is black comedy and drama, romance and pathos.”

Money Heist final season and spin-offs

Money Heist season five is the final outing for the show, but Pina told Oprah magazine that he has ideas for spin-offs.

“We do have many possibilities for some spinoffs, yes, and I think that’s thanks to the strong and powerful identities of the characters.

“We’ve always looked for characters to have a very complex, layered design. So I think almost every character of Money Heist has a duality that we would like to see in a spinoff. We could watch any of them in other contexts.

“I think Arturito could have a black comedy. Berlin’s case for his own show is very clear – he’s a misogynist, a psychopath, egocentric, a narcissist, a delinquent, a rapist… but still there are lots of people who adore him, because he values friendship, loyalty or fraternity.

“From Nairobi to El Profesor… Denver is yet another character with his own charm. I would love to write all of them as spinoffs!”

We like the sound of all of those!

Money Heist cast are posting their goodbyes

With Money Heist season five being the last season the cast have already begun saying goodbye on social media. Pedro Alonso, who plays Berlin, paid tribute to his character on Instagram. A loose translation of his post follows:

“I made the sketch a while before shooting the sequence. I sent it to my co-captain. She replied ‘it’s a bit creepy’ and also ‘but I like animals.’

“It’s funny, then when I shot my shots of the sequence, my little brother told me ‘now yes, now I see that something disturbing in your eyes’.

“It’s funny. For me it was about love. And perhaps also a strange message for a future time, when it will be time to inspect the wound. Almost for the character, but also for the actor. I know it may sound a bit strange.

“Sooner or later that moment comes. It always comes. The one when it’s time to go to the end of what we don’t know. Or we don’t want to know.

“And in my opinion it is not bad. Although it does make an impression. As does true love and life itself. So chilling at times, but certainly so beautiful.

“It has been an extraordinary journey @alvaromorte One of those that really deserve to be kept in a treasure chest after the odyssey.”

Pedro wasn’t the only one saying goodbye, Itziar Ituño also posted on Instagram: “Now yes! GOODBYE, Inspector Raquel Murillo, Lisbon thief!! What a trip!!”

Miguel Herrán also shared on Instagram: “Rio… It has been an incredible journey with you. Today we close a stage together. And I can only tell you two things. THANK YOU AND I LOVE YOU!”

Finally, The Professor posted a video saying goodbye too: “Leaving for the last time the set of @lacasadepapel Words are unnecessary.

“Thankful for so much, for everything. To the fans (the first ones, of course), to the entire team of @vancouvermediaproducciones and @netflixes @netflix And to you, my dear Professor. I will miss having such a good time with you. THANK YOU.”

Money Heist season 5 trailer

A short teaser was released in May 2021 announcing the release date. It certainly looks explosive:

And a full-length trailer arrived in early August, proving once and for all that this looks set to be a nail-biting finale. Check it out below.

Money Heist seasons one to four are now available on Netflix. 

Looking for something else to watch? Check out our guide to the best series on Netflix and best movies on Netflix, or visit our TV Guide.