Elite season 1, episodes 7 and 8 recap: ¿Quién mató Marina?

Marina’s killer and their motive is finally revealed in the dramatic final episodes of Elite’s first season, but it might not be who you were expecting.

As Elite‘s first season draws to a close, Marina’s (María Pedraza) world begins caving in on all sides. After Nano (Jaime Lorente) and Samuel (Itzan Escamilla) blackmail Antonio (Alfredo Villa) without telling Marina, Carla (Ester Expósito) confronts Marina about her involvement in the watch theft. Nano later hands the watch over to Marina but insists on going through with the blackmail.

On the night of the end-of-year party, Marina waits for Nano on the deck of the school pool after winning Las Encinas’ top student trophy. They’re planning to do the handover, get the money and elope. But, of course, Marina never ends up leaving the pool deck. Here’s a breakdown of the four major takeaways from the end of Elite‘s first season.

1. Who killed Marina?

A perfect storm of circumstances sealed Marina’s cruel fate, but those circumstances ended being up almost entirely irrelevant to her — as is often the case in real-life crimes. The perpetrator was a jealous lover, but not one of hers.

It was Polo (Álvaro Rico) who struck the fatal blow with the trophy. Desperate to win Carla back, he seeks out Marina and tries to get the watch from her. An amused Marina mocks Polo, who grows increasingly aggressive, for being so pathetic and naive as to think the gesture will work on Carla.

After knocking Polo down to the deck, Marina accuses him of being a “puppet” to both Carla and Guzmán (Miguel Bernardeau) and says she pities him. Marina then turns her back, and Polo spots the trophy on the deck. In a fit of rage, he grabs it and forcefully hits Marina on the side of the head, but Marina doesn’t die immediately. Horrified, Polo runs away with the trophy and leaves Marina to bleed out.

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By the time Nano arrives, it’s too late. She dies in his arms. Covered in her blood, he runs from the scene (presumably to get help), and Samuel arrives just in time to see him fleeing.

With the killer’s reveal, Elite‘s creators Darío Madrona and Carlos Montero definitively prove they know how to craft a murder mystery. I was betting the killer wouldn’t be Samuel as he had the most obvious motive, but Polo was not high on my list of suspects. Yet, it makes perfect sense. The one person that everyone, viewers included, had underestimated finally snapped.

2. Who’s going to jail?

Thanks to a previously teased betrayal and a surprising alliance, the police do not arrest the right person. Samuel, still jealous that Nano slept with Marina, comes forward as a witness against Nano. However, after Nano’s arrest, a guilt-ridden Samuel turns to Christian (Miguel Herrán) for help, thinking Christian will want to save his best friend. Christian instead walks away in distress.

Unbeknownst to Samuel, Christian knows who the killer is, and he’s made a choice. In exchange for him protecting Polo, Carla is giving Christian what he’s always wanted: a chance to really be her boyfriend and ascend to the highest of social circles.

Christian’s choice isn’t surprising, but Carla’s is. She comes to Polo’s aid without hesitation after seeing him covered in blood while holding the trophy and Antonio’s watch. In fact, if Carla hadn’t taken charge — getting him cleaned up, changed into fresh clothes and reciting an alibi — Polo would’ve been caught almost immediately.

Carla tells Christian that the people at the top look out for each other. Polo got the watch for her, so now she’s helping him. She even guilt trips Christian by saying if he’d stolen the watch from Marina’s locker, as she’d indirectly asked him to, then Polo wouldn’t have killed Marina.

From where I’m standing, though, Carla’s actions suggest she cares more about Polo than she wants to admit, even to herself.

3. Where’s the trophy?

As is the revealed in the final seconds of Elite‘s first season, the murder weapon is resting on the bottom of that lake the students of Las Encinas are always meeting up at. Presumably, it will eventually be found, but I’m not sure what good it will do now.

The police already suspect the trophy of being the murder weapon, but they will need to find the killer’s fingerprints or DNA on it for it to be a smoking gun. Surely, that evidence has already washed away, though, right?

4. How are Elite’s ships holding up ahead of season two?

Samuel, Nano and Marina: Obviously, Marina’s death means neither of these ships will be moving forward in a literal sense. However, Samuel and Nano’s feelings aren’t simply going to disappear and will continue to put them at odds or bring them closer together — maybe both. I also wouldn’t be surprised if Marina were to return in season two in the form of visions, or something to that effect, that the grieving brothers are experiencing.

Carla, Polo and Christian: Carla is now with Christian but only because she clearly cares about Polo. Christian finally has what he wanted but feels uneasy about what it’s costing Nano. Polo is a mess but still wants to get back together with Carla.

Nadia, Guzmán and Lucrecia: Not wanting Nadia (Mina El Hammani) to lose her spot at Las Encinas on his account, Guzmán tells Yusef (Abdelatif Hwidar) that he will stop associating with Nadia if Yusef lets her return for the next school year. Yusef subsequently tells Nadia she can stay at Las Encinas if she stops hanging out with Guzmán. However, Nadia says she will only stay if doesn’t have to meet any terms — if she is free to be her own person.

Guzmán takes Marina’s death hard, blaming himself for not trying to stop her from running away. Lucrecia takes care of him, out of genuine concern, and even prevents him from drunkenly falling to his death. Lu tearfully tells Guzmán she needs him. Guzmán says he needs her. And the two kiss.

Ander and Omar: Nadia, realizing how much pain Omar (Omar Ayuso) is in, helps facilitate a meeting between him and Ander (Arón Piper) and the pair consummate their relationship. Azucena (Elisabet Gelabert) subsequently finds out about them and is accepting.

Next. Elite season 1, episode 1 premiere recap: ¿Quién está muerto?. dark

However, while later criticizing Yusef for his harsh and controlling parenting of Nadia, she lets slip that Omar is gay. Omar tells Yusef that it’s not true, but Yusef remains enraged that such an idea about Omar is circulating and renews his efforts to find Omar a wife.

Ander and Omar end the season as a couple, though. Omar remains under house arrest, so they have only ten minutes a day to spend together while Yusef is at the bank.

What did you think of Elite‘s first season? Did you predict Polo would be the killer? Will you tune in for season two? Let us know in the comments section below.

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