La Casa | De Papel 1x1 Wikipedia
La Casa de Papel was conceived by Álex Pina as a limited series. The first episode was written to establish the show's signature narrative device: an unreliable narrator (Tokyo) recounting events from a future perspective. Pina stated in interviews that he wanted the premiere to feel like "a bank heist directed by Quentin Tarantino and Pedro Almodóvar."
"Efectuar lo acordado" was produced by Vancouver Media for Antena 3. It was the most expensive episode of Spanish television up to that point, with a budget of over €2.5 million. Filming took place in Madrid, including the actual Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) building, which doubled as the Royal Mint exterior.
In Spain, the episode premiered to 4.9 million viewers (25.9% share), making it the highest-rated fictional premiere of the year for Antena 3. After Netflix acquired global rights, the episode was re-edited (shortened) and released on December 20, 2017, as part of "Part 1."
"Efectuar lo acordado" debuted to 4.1 million viewers (24% audience share) on Antena 3, making it the most-watched scripted premiere of 2017 in Spain up to that point. It outperformed the network's average by 12%. la casa de papel 1x1 wikipedia
Álex Pina described the script as a "heist film that never ends." The pilot immediately subverts traditional heist tropes: instead of a silent, tactical team, the robbers are emotional, volatile, and wear Salvador Dalí masks. The episode introduces the "plan within a plan" narrative style, where viewers learn details only as the characters execute them.
| "La casa de papel" | | :--- | | Money Heist episode | | Episode no. | Season 1, Episode 1 | | Directed by | Jesús Colmenar | | Written by | Esther Martínez Lobato, Álex Pina | | Produced by | Álex Pina | | Cinematography by | Miguel Amoedo | | Editing by | David Pelegrín | | Original air date | May 2, 2017 | | Running time | 70 minutes | | Guest appearances | | * Roberto García Ruiz as Moscow (voice) | | * María Isabel Díaz as Professor's mother (flashback) |
| Episode chronology |
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"Imprudencias mortales" | La Casa de Papel was conceived by Álex
"La casa de papel" (English: "The House of Paper") is the series premiere of the Spanish television series La Casa de Papel (known in English as Money Heist). The episode was directed by Jesús Colmenar and written by series creator Álex Pina and Esther Martínez Lobato. It first aired on Antena 3 on May 2, 2017.
The episode introduces "El Profesor" (Álvaro Morte) and his assembled team of eight robbers, each named after cities, as they prepare to execute the biggest heist in history: printing €2.4 billion in the Royal Mint of Spain.
The episode opens with a voiceover from Tokyo (Úrsula Corberó), the unreliable narrator. She describes her life as a fugitive after a botched robbery that led to her boyfriend's death. A mysterious figure known as "El Profesor" (Álvaro Morte) recruits her for an ambitious heist: to print 2.4 billion euros in the Royal Mint of Spain, not steal from the vaults. "Efectuar lo acordado" debuted to 4
Act One: The Preparation The Professor assembles the team at an abandoned estate outside Madrid. He assigns them city-based pseudonyms to ensure anonymity: Tokyo, Berlin, Nairobi, Rio, Denver, Moscow, Helsinki, and Oslo. The episode establishes key tensions: Tokyo and Rio’s immediate romantic attraction (forbidden by The Professor), Berlin’s cold sociopathy, and Moscow’s fatherly wisdom. The Professor reveals the plan in five phases, but only the first two are fully explained in this episode.
Act Two: The Robbery The team enters the Royal Mint disguised in red jumpsuits and Dalí masks. They take 67 hostages without firing a shot, though Berlin fires a warning round to assert control. The episode contrasts The Professor (outside, coordinating from a mobile command center disguised as a silver camper van) with Inspector Raquel Murillo (Itziar Ituño), the lead negotiator. Their first phone call establishes a psychological chess match: The Professor demands no police intervention under the threat of executing one hostage every hour.
Act Three: The Twist The "plan within the plan" is revealed. While the police believe the robbers intend to melt gold, The Professor explains that they will stay inside for 11 days to print untraceable money. The episode ends with a cliffhanger: Rio is forced to shoot a hostage to prove they are serious, but it is revealed to be a theatrical blank. The final shot shows The Professor removing his glasses, revealing a cold, obsessive intensity behind the avuncular exterior.
