The fate of the show’s most despised villain hangs in the balance.
If there’s one thing that can unite Money Heist fans all over the world, it’s their shared hatred of the recurring villain, Arturo Román (played by Enrique Arce).
The character debuted in the first season as the director of the Royal Mint of Spain, which becomes the target of the legendary Salvador Dalí gang in their initial heist.
He staged a number of escape attempts during the robbery, most of which ended in humiliation and punishment, but he was nevertheless able to spin the experience into a successful media career.
He voluntarily becomes a hostage in the later Bank of Spain heist, intending to get in contact with his former lover Monica as well as develop some new material for his motivational talks.
The latest episodes have exposed a darker side to Arturo, who has carelessly injured two of his fellow hostages and sexually assaulted another, the latter being a storyline that actor Enrique Arce “pleaded” to be cut from the show.
For all of his misdeeds, many Money Heist fans are hoping to see Arturo get killed off in season, five part one – read on to find out his fate in the first five episodes.
Does Arturo die in Money Heist?
Actually, yes! But not for long. Let us explain.
Money Heist season five, part one opens with Arturo leading a chaotic rebellion against the robbers holding him hostage, with the bumbling foe actually gaining the upper hand when he takes control of the armoury.
However, it would be fair to say that the vast selection of weapons at his disposal quickly goes to his head, with Arturo deploying a flamethrower against his nemeses as well as a heavy duty machine gun strapped to a forklift.
This unpredictable behaviour has the Dalí gang rather rattled, until Stockholm is able to sneak up behind Arturo through the air vents and hold him at gunpoint.
The two have a stand-off which is made particularly dramatic given their complicated past together, as Stockholm (previously known as Monica) had once had an affair with Arturo whilst working as his secretary.
She became pregnant with his child but their relationship broke down when it became clear that he would not leave his wife to support her, leading Monica to join the robbers under the pseudonym Stockholm and raise the baby with Denver.
For more on all that drama, check out our complete Money Heist recap.
!["Enrique]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/09/enrique_arce_arturo_roman_money_heist-d659c97.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"enrique_arce_arturo_roman_money_heist\"")
Arturo uses this emotional history in an attempt to get Stockholm to drop her guard, while he sneakily intends to shoot her with a pistol concealed in his waistband.
However, she doesn’t fall for it and shoots her former lover multiple times. Cue: applause!
Not wishing to become a murderer, Stockholm is quickly consumed with regret over her actions and begins administering CPR with help from her fellow gang members.
Arturo does not have a pulse and teammate Palermo grimly informs Stockholm that he is dead, but she refuses to give up and is able to get his heart beating again using a defibrillator.
Still, he remains at death’s door, leaving the gang no choice but to send him out of the bank to receive more comprehensive treatment from medical professionals.
The last we hear about Arturo in Money Heist season five is when Colonel Tamayo tells the press that he is in “critical condition”, leaving his fate to be answered in the episodes still to come.
Just because he’s outside the Bank of Spain, doesn’t mean Arturo is safe, as behind closed doors Tamayo has made it clear that he wants him to die, hoping to pin an “innocent” death on the gang and spoil their public image.
As we near the final episodes of Money Heist, Arturo certainly has no shortage of enemies – but there’s still the possibility that he’ll wriggle out of trouble once again.
If you’re curious to know more about the latest episodes, check out our spoiler-filled breakdown of the Money Heist season five part one ending.
Money Heist season 5 part one is available to stream on Netflix – read our guides to the best series on Netflix and the best movies on Netflix.
Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.