Netflix original series have become increasingly popular in the past few years. One of Netflix's shows, Elite, has had a successful three season run and the fourth season is currently in development. The first three seasons focused on a group of students at an elite high school dealing with the aftermath of a murder.
One of the core characters in Netflix's Elite is named Guzmán. When Guzmán is first introduced, he seems like your average privileged jockey jerk. Throughout the show, he receives some much-needed character development. These additional layers allow audiences to empathize with Guzmán, but that doesn't mean they always agree with his choices.
Hated: Bullying The Scholarship Kids
To say that Guzmán isn't happy to see the scholarship kids join Las Encinas would be an understatement. He immediately makes it clear that Samuel, Christian, and Nadia do not belong and should leave the school. It is later revealed that his sister, Marina, had a bad experience with a prior scholarship student. This fuels Guzmán's rage.
But these newcomers shouldn't be held responsible for something another student has done. Marina's struggles aren't an excuse for Guzmán's treatment of the new students. Samuel, Christian, and Nadia are the target of constant verbal attacks and threats from Guzmán and his friends.
Felt Bad: Expelled From School
Guzmán definitely deserves to be punished for some of his outbursts, but this punishment is a bit harsh. One day before graduation, Guzmán is expelled from school. He is prohibited from taking his final exams and is told he will receive a failing mark for the entire school year.
This causes Guzmán to have to repeat his senior year of high school instead of going to college with his peers. Surprisingly, it seems that he will be repeating his senior year at Las Encinas, the very school that expelled him. If they were going to welcome him back, they might as well have just let him take his final exams and passed him.
Hated: Cheating On Lu
Lu and Guzmán's relationship was far from perfect. The pair seemed to bring out the worst in each other, making the relationship toxic. Still, it is clear that Lu cared deeply for Guzmán.
Lu stood by Guzmán's side and supported him when everyone else abandoned him. She regularly went through extreme efforts to make him feel happy, loved, and appreciated. He owed her honesty and respect and should have ended his relationship with her before beginning something with someone else.
Felt Bad: Ander's Betrayal
Ander and Polo were Guzmán's oldest and dearest friends. When Polo killed Guzmán's sister, he confided in Ander. Ander was conflicted but ultimately chose to conceal this secret from Guzmán. Of course, this secret was eventually revealed, severely damaging Guzmán and Ander's bond.
Guzmán also discovered that Ander and Polo had hooked up in his bed while he slept next to them. Losing trust in his two closest friends was extremely hard for Guzmán to process.
Hated: Keyed Nano's Car
Prior to learning that Polo had murdered his sister, Guzmán believed that Nano was responsible for sealing Marina's fate. Nano consistently asserted his innocence but Guzmán did not want to hear it. Guzmán ordered Nano to stay away from him and his friends.
When he learns that Nano attended a party thrown by Rebeca, he is furious. He controls Nano in the streets to try and instigate a fight. When Nano does not fall into his trap, he begins to destroy Nano's car. As Guzmán keys his vehicle, Nano walks away from him and into his apartment.
Felt Bad: Polo Not Jailed
After learning Polo was responsible for his sister's death, Guzmán is determined to take him down. He and Samuel launch an elaborate plan in which Sammy lets everyone believe he is dead, hoping it will prompt Carla to confess.
They believe their plan is working when Carla confesses to the police. But when Carla takes the stand, she revokes her statement. This results in Polo's release and return to Las Encinas. Guzmán is tormented by having to see his sister's murderer at school every day and is sent down a dark path.
Hated: Torturing Polo
Guzmán's desperation to take down Polo continues to grow. He eventually decides the best way to get Polo to confess is to torture the confession out of him.
Guzmán pretends to forgive Polo and convinces Polo to skip school and spend the day with him at his house. Once alone with Polo, Guzmán ties Polo up and hits record on his camera before beginning to torture him. Polo's pain is palpable and the scene is difficult to watch.
Felt Bad: Drug Addiction
After witnessing Guzmán's unstable mindset, Valerio offers Guzmán some drugs promising they will bring Guzmán happiness. This leads Guzmán down a dark path of addiction and reckless decision making. Guzmán becomes unrecognizable as he frequently consumes alcohol and ecstasy. His behavior becomes erratic and he proves to be a danger to himself and his classmates.
Hated: Almost Assaulted Nadia
Guzmán begins to get to know Nadia after Lu dares him to sleep with Nadia in order to ruin her reputation. After Nadia is drugged at a party, she returns to Guzmán's house with him. The ecstasy makes her flirtatious and she jumps into Guzmán's pool, inviting him to join her. Knowing that she has been drugged and is hitting on him, Guzmán sets up his phone and hits record.
He jumps into the pool, intending to take advantage of Nadia and record it. Before beginning the assault, Guzmán changes his mind and tells Nadia she has been drugged. Nadia seems grateful to Guzmán for not violating her trust and the show leads the viewers to believe that Guzmán should be commended for his choice. However, he should not be praised for this. The fact that he even considered assaulting Nadia (and recording it) is deplorable.
Felt Bad: Marina Died
Guzmán and Marina displayed some sibling rivalry, but the two still cared for each other. Marina's murder was traumatic for Guzmán. This event impacted him greatly, leading to all of the later destruction and poor decision making.
After Marina's death, Guzmán sank into a deep depression. Guzmán had been frustrated with Mariana shortly before her murder and hadn't gone to check on her when Samuel suggested he do so. Because of this, Guzmán blamed himself for what happened to Mariana.