On Oct. 5, Netflix released the Spanish show Elite, a teen thriller and drama. The show takes place at a school in Spain, and over the course of eight episodes, it unravels the murder of one of the 11 characters. However, the emotional acting and storyline has drawn viewers from all over the world to watch.

The show begins with three kids, Samuel (Itzan Escamilla), Nadia (Mina El Hammani) and Christian (Miguel Herrán), who are from a lower income area, preparing to attend the wealthiest school in Spain. They soon meet their rich and privileged classmates, and tensions immediately rise.

After its release, the show became extremely popular and has released different clips and content over Youtube and Instagram. The actors and actresses are also gaining popularity and fame, and many fans are anxiously waiting to see more.

The writers managed to create many smaller stories within the overall plot. For example, Ander (Arón Piper), the principal’s son and champion tennis player, falls in love with Omar (Omar Ayuso), a Muslim drug dealer who has to hide his sexuality and life from his family. The love story between the two weaves together and helps lead to findings within the overarching murder mystery.

Another brilliant aspect of the show is that each character connects to one another in a certain way. Marina (María Pedraza), the female star of the show, is caught in a nasty love triangle between Samuel and his brother Nano (Jaime Lorente). She is also the sister of Guzmán (Miguel Bernardeau), who is additionally constantly involved in drama with other characters. The way each character connects to each other makes the overall story more realistic at the end of the season.

Rotten Tomatoes gave the show a 100 percent.  This was well-deserved as the actors make their character come alive as a person, especially when it comes to adults playing the roles of teens. The setting in Spain is absolutely gorgeous, adding a visual appeal to the show. The writing astutely provides you with just enough information that the viewer is left wanting to know what happens next. The camera work successfully captures all the emotions of each scene.

Lastly, the show covers some serious topics that other series might be too afraid to do in a teenage setting. These include sexuality, suicide, depression and drugs.

The story contains some flaws,, however. First off, the show isn’t entirely realistic. Some of the things that these supposed “teenagers” are doing or dealing with make it seem like they are at least 30 years old. Also, not all of the actors look like teenagers, so it is a little less believable. To add to this, some of the issues, like blackmail, don’t exactly scream typical teenage problems.

Elite is definitely worth watching, and one can easily overlook the small issues. The thrilling drama keeps the viewer hooked throughout the whole season, and luckily, season two is on the way.