Written Output

1. AGUSTIN, JOHN CHRISTIAN M.
BCOM0523 - Communication, Culture & Society
Essay 3 - The Politics of Culture
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Reflections on the Power Relationships as portrayed and featured in
“MONEY HEIST”
Money Heist is a Spanish-language show on Netflix – known as La Casa De Papel in its
native tongue. The plot focuses on a bunch of highly experienced, career criminals who follow a
plan to rob the Royal Mint of Spain. There are hostages, political messages, psychological games,
and a hell of a lot of interpersonal conflict. But what relations of power featured in the series
Money Heist?
There are 8 robbers who get inside the Royal Mint of Spain or the place of the heist in the
robbery. The 8 robbers named Tokyo, Berlin, Denver, Rio, Nairobi, Oslo, Helsinki and Moscow.
Berlin is the person-in-charge in the heist inside the Royal Mint of Spain and also the one who
followed the commands and plan given by the mastermind of the heist outside which is the
Professor. In this case we can see that domination is present because the group of robbers has
supremacy over another which Berlin the person in charge or what we call the leader or the
captain has all the control through-out the heist and the other members are only need to follow.
Berlin’s leadership during that time sometimes made an unjust treatment to some of the
members and their voices and opinions were left out. He doesn’t listen to what other members
suggest or opinions just like what he did on Tokyo. In this situation we can see that there is an
oppression happens in this film. But, Tokyo challenged the power of Berlin by doing her own plan
and disregarding the plan of the Professor and Berlin. In this case we can see how the existing
power is challenged by the member, in short there is a struggle happened. As Tokyo continue her
plan to take over the command of the group on her ways, she also get some help to one of the
member Rio – the one who is in love to her. In this scene we can notice that there is co-option,
when Tokyo appoints Rio as a help to her plan.
Tokyo goes on with her plan and paths based on what she believes will really help the
heist even if it is not on the real plan made by the Professor. This situation leads to anger in Berlin
and creates a decision to punish Tokyo with the help of some members without also the approval
of the mastermind outside (Professor). In this set of circumstances that happened in the series,
we can really see subversion or how they undermined the power of authority of each other, when
Berlin creates decisions without the consent of the Professor and Tokyo does the same thing
without the approval of Berlin.
Tokyo was doing her own ways to command the group but Berlin wasn’t having it. So, in
a bid to teach her a lesson, he went too far and tied her on a cart and pushed her out of the Royal
Mint of Spain. Soon, the police pounced on her and the Professor had a new problem to deal
with. As we can see in this part of the Netflix series, there is a discipline or Berlin uses punishment
for people to obey or control codes of behavior. He also used this to threaten the other members
by the use of exclusion.

2. AGUSTIN, JOHN CHRISTIAN M.
BCOM0523 - Communication, Culture & Society
Essay 3 - The Politics of Culture
As soon as the Professor solves the problem of Tokyo, she brings back Tokyo inside the
Royal Mint through his smart plans and continues to execute the plan on the heist. When Tokyo
came back inside the bank she tried to rebel against Berlin. She planned to undo Berlin’s existing
leadership. She also talks to other members, to be specific Nairobi and Rio to help her. As we
can see in the situation there is a sedition or a conduct or speech inciting people to rebel against
the authority and using the influence of other members.
In general, we are able to catch the glimpse of the power relationships portrayed and
featured in the Netflix Series – Money Heist or La Casa de Papel. Even though there are times of
power challenges in the story, the team still achieves their goal of voicing out the reason and
messages of the heist. Just like in real life, there is no perfect group, we are also facing obstacles
and sometimes we feel the supremacy over another but if we have a goal, whatever differences
in culture or beliefs we have, we can still achieve it as long as we listen to each other.