Olympo Review: Elite Creators’ Attempt to Reverse Engineer a Hit, and Fail Miserably
With shows like Elite, Netflix was taking a massive risk on non-American productions.
Many American-founded streaming platforms never venture outside the country in search of new stories and talents.
Netflix paved the way by investing in local productions around the world, and soon, the efforts paid off.
Shows like Elite were the testing ground for what international markets could offer Netflix subscribers.
It must have made executives happy when Elite became an instant hit, putting Spain in the global consciousness of entertainment and making stars out of its cast.
Elite ended – more like crawled to the finish line – last year, but even before the final season had been released, another show from the same creative team was in development.
Olympo was the next natural replacement, and based on the story and casting, it was a deliberate attempt to keep the Elite audience engaged with the platform.
The series follows a group of athletes at a sports institution called a High Performance Center (HPC). This specific one is called the Pirineos HPC.
Here, a lot is at stake. Athletes push their bodies beyond what’s usually possible so that they may stand out and win the spoils of being extraordinary.
Yet, the above description is exaggerated by me because after screening all eight episodes, the show does not exhibit any of that.
Olympo Does Too Much Too Badly
We used to think streaming would save us from the constraints of broadcast television, where the program is not the only consideration.
It’s always disappointing to see a streaming show that’s less than ten episodes long, with each episode lasting under forty-five minutes.
That’s how I knew Olympo might be messy.
Between opening and closing credits, that runtime becomes closer to thirty minutes than forty.
As a result, one can feel the narrative, especially in the first episode, trying to get the background information out of the way.
Television is a visual medium, and one of the most important rules is to show, not tell.
The pilot episodes literally walk the viewers through the school, explaining everything and everyone, and expecting people to buy whatever a character has said.
All of this is done through a new arrival who gets lost in the sea of other characters after the narrative picks up speed.
The time limitation makes it hard for Olympo to establish itself as a drama, thriller, or mystery.
Too much happens too fast, and it rarely registers as intended.
Olympo Makes Sports Seem Even More Boring than Usual
I’m not a huge fan of most sports.
There are too many arbitrary rules, and everything happens too slowly.
For some reason, my mind struggles to reconcile the mundane nature of most of them with the fervent following they receive.
For most people, there is a primary sport they love, while others have a lesser interest in it.
If Olympo were about a global spectacle like soccer (or football as it’s called everywhere else), it would have a bigger share of interested viewers.
Ted Lasso proved that, even though it had a special sauce.
In the HPC, sports include athletics, rugby, and swimming.
A character is as bright as their writer and as capable as their actor.
Those in Olympo are supposed to be incredibly skilled at their respective sports, but that does not always come across in most instances.
While the actors are incredibly fit, it’s not unusual for them to be.
But elite-level fit? Not really.
As a result, the sports portrayed are not impressive.
The show attempts to circumvent this by employing an editing technique, but after two or three slow-motion scenes, it becomes apparent that everyone is doing the bare minimum.
Well, not everyone, because the swimming team is quite impressive, but other than that, everything else leaves something to be desired.
The Drama Is Messy, and Not In a Good Way
Meanwhile, there is a lot of drama between the characters, and in the middle of it all, something mysterious is happening at the HPC.
Olympo is one of those shows where most characters are so unlikable that it becomes hard to root for them.
However, in its context, that works out fine as it elevates the competitiveness of the situation.
It makes it hard for relationships to flourish, even at a platonic level.
Relevant topics in sports are explored, including doping, body issues, and the ever-prevalent societal monster: homophobia.
In sports, homophobia is almost normal. There are efforts to try to change that, but progress is slow.
Through gay rugby player Roque, Olympo explores the current face of homophobia, especially for pro players.
This arc is one of the only ones that Olympo excels in, thanks to a significant focus on the character and Agustín Della Corte’s performance.
Even in a sea of forgettable personal arcs and an overarching arc that doesn’t warrant investing in, I’m glad for this story.
By season’s end, the central conflict gets a not-so-satisfying resolution that doesn’t build towards an exciting potential Season 2.
Olympo Reheats Elite’s Nachos
Before watching the show, I was sure it would be similar to Elite, but the similarities are uncanny.
Yet, where Elite excelled in keeping the murder mystery engaging in every season, Olympo fails at its mystery.
Despite having an attractive cast, many sex scenes feel contrived, something I never thought I’d say.
They act like fillers, in a show that doesn’t need fillers. I sound so Gen-Z complaining about sex on TV.
With everyone sporting the perfect body fat percentage that makes their jaws and asses pop, I’m sure this won’t do any good for for some viewers with body image issues.
The overcrowded characters made it hard for stories like one about an intersex athlete to feel exploitative.
I’ll admit I liked Cristian and Roque’s dynamics. They reminded me of Samuel and Omar, even when I never noticed their friendship.
Olympo has some foundational issues that viewers familiar with its predecessor, including some cast members, might not forgive.
But for those discovering the genre, it might be just fine.
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Olympo Season 1 hits Netflix on June 20.
Watch Olympo Online
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