The show Elite is a soap opera with a social conscious. Highly addictive and brimming with teenage drama, the Netflix original series has so far managed to be progressive and raise questions about social injustice and prejudice. It is fascinating to see how socioeconomic factors shaped the characters' decisions and their relationships.
As the show explored these questions, its characters have committed their fair share of despicable acts, many of which deal with betrayal or a lack of consent. Elite is not afraid to have its characters go down a dark or questionable road, nor is the show afraid of exploring the consequences that follow such acts.
Omar: Cheating On Ander With His Sister's Boyfriend
Two of the most important people in Omar's life are his sister Nadia and his boyfriend Ander. Omar betrayed both of them when he chose to be intimate with Nadia's boyfriend Malick.
It's even worse when considering that Ander was battling cancer at the time and he needed Omar's support more than ever. Malick was also at fault for cheating on Nadia, but that doesn't make Omar any less guilty.
Valerio: Exposing His Relationship With Lu
It was unsettling to see Valerio work so hard to be intimate with his half-sister Lu. The unsettling nature of the situation spun out of control when he exposed the relationship in front of their father.
During dinner, he and Lu engaged in a highly inappropriate act underneath the table and he told their father to look at what they were doing. It was a disgusting moment and it led to severe consequences for both Valerio and Lu. Their father kicked Valerio out and cut both of his children off, leaving them to fend for themselves with zero support for their futures.
Lu: Sending The Nadia And Guzmán Video To Everyone
When Lu received a video of Guzmán and Nadia having sex, she sent the video to everyone in the school. Lu knew that Nadia's parents were deeply conservative and that they had a falling out with their son Omar over far less.
Sharing that video threatened Nadia's life with her parents. It even destroyed an academic opportunity for Nadia where she was denied because of the video. All of Nadia's accomplishments and hard work were overlooked in that instance because of the video Lu decided to share so she could shame Nadia.
Rebeca: Selling Drugs To Carla
Carla had an addictive personality. Whether it was a romantic partner, a fine wine, or the power she held over someone, her appetite was insatiable and she always yearned for more. Rebeca knew this and she envied Carla because of the feelings Samuel still had for her.
Rebeca took advantage of Carla by selling her drugs. The drugs she sold made Carla collapse and fall unconscious into a pool. Carla ended up being okay, but it was a close call that easily could've been much worse.
Polo: Coercing Christian
Most fans would consider the murder of Marina to be Polo's worst action rather than his coercion of Christian. The difference is that Polo did not intend to kill Marina while he actively planned to sexually assault Christian.
Marina was egging Polo on and he killed her in an accidental moment of rage. On the other hand, Polo was being calculated when he told Christian he would become a famous model, but only if Christian engaged in a sexual act that he normally wouldn't do. Polo took advantage of Christian's desperation to be famous and knew exactly what he was doing while Marina's death was an accident he immediately regretted and it would haunt him until his dying day.
Cayetana: Ruining Polo's Opportunity
Cayetana latched herself onto Polo and refused to let him go. She was even willing to hurt Polo if it meant keeping him at her side. When Polo wanted to leave Las Encinas and attend a school in England so he could get a fresh start, Cayetana informed the school of all the negative press surrounding him.
The school refused to accept him and Polo had no choice but to finish out the school year at Las Encinas. Cayetana let Polo suffer so she could keep him in her life.
Carla: Forcing Polo To Cover Up Marina's Murder
Polo immediately regretted killing Marina. Carla profited from Marina's death because it allowed her to get the watch back that would keep her father from going to prison.
To protect her family, Carla forced Polo to live with his guilt and cover up the truth behind Marina's death. Nano was arrested for a murder he didn't commit, Polo became self-loathing and suicidal, and many others suffered because of the decision Carla made.
Guzmán: Planning To Assault Nadia
Guzmán's most despicable act occurred early in the first season when he planned to assault Nadia. He and Lu concocted a twisted scheme in which he would get Nadia to fall for him, be intimate with him, and film the entire thing to humiliate her.
When Nadia was on drugs and in his pool, he began recording on his phone and nearly went through it. He realized she was on drugs and didn't want to take advantage of her, but the fact he manipulated her and came that close to assaulting her is abhorrent in its own right.
Nadia: Shaming Marina For Having HIV
When Samuel was texting in class, the teacher took away the phone and had Nadia read the message out loud. The message had to do with Marina being HIV-positive, a fact that up to that point was not known by her peers. Marina was not ashamed of this, but it was still uncomfortable for something so personal to be shared without her consent and outside of her control.
Nadia made it even worse by judging Marina for this and thinking less of Marina because of it. Nadia changed her attitude not long after this, but it was closeminded to make an uncomfortable situation even worse for Marina.
Samuel: Planting A Bug In Rebeca's House
Samuel began the show as one of the more sincere and moral characters, but all the deception and injustice shaped him into becoming a darker and more manipulative character. This culminated in season 3 when a detective told him to plant a bug in Rebeca's house. By planting the bug, the authorities would have what they needed to arrest Rebeca's drug-dealing mother and in return, Samuel's brother Nano would supposedly be allowed to return without facing any criminal charges.
Samuel planted the bug to save his brother, but he lied to Rebeca about it and even kept up their romantic relationship, partly so she wouldn't suspect anything. In the end, even Samuel was corruptible and capable of deceiving the people who cared about him.