Episode Guide
Did You Think I Would Forget About You? Maria? You Have Reached Your Destination Open Wounds Helena Game Master I Am @allyoursecrets Graduation -| Review Score – 3/5 One of the more surprising hits to come from Netflix in recent years is Mexican teen drama Control Z. With a blend of internet-themed blackmail, soapy drama and a fast-paced plot, Control Z’s relatively short run-time (40 minutes per chapter) made it an easy show to pick up and an even easier one to binge through. The second season then took that same formula and upped the stakes, with mixed results. While still enjoyable, it was clear that the show had an archetype it was sticking to and that began to bleed through. Season 3 unashamedly leans into re-treading familiar territory once more, with a new blackmail case, giving nods to the first season as a result. So naturally, this third season has more drama, more mystery and more drawn out character issues. Season 3 picks up after the events of the season 2 finale. With the big scuffle up on the rooftop, Principal Susana falls to her doom and is lying on the floor, dead. Season 3 begins here, skipping between the events from this night and at school after the incident. Javi and Sofia are still close, frequenting escape rooms together (important bit of foreshadowing for later!) while Raul is throwing parties. Maria and Natalia have left town while the other characters from the previous seasons are still lurking about. The drama really begins when Raul receives a “gift” from a drone that flies down during his rooftop party. Inside, is a note reading “Do you think I’d forget?” and an incriminating polaroid photo. Not only that, but the other kids receive another message from @allyoursecrets, teasing the events from the night Susana died along with other secrets they’re keeping. But who sent all this? And why? This ultimately forms the crux of the mystery this year, as Sofia heads off on the hunt for who could be responsible for blackmailing them. It’s a familiar set-up from before, with Sofi’s sleuthing a bit of a mixed bag. You’ve got the usual array of characters giving exaggerated side-eyed glances and acting suspiciously, while others have their own agendas and issues going on. It’s something that was an issue for the last couple of seasons but it’s more prominent this time around, given the show uses the same blackmailing hook and clue-solving as before. Around this main plot are several other subplots that work to pad out the run-time. While they do have some development, most of these play second fiddle to the main mystery. There’s a separate thread involving Gerry, who befriends a newcomer called Bernando, and the pair hit it off together. There’s also Sofia’s father wo’s still knocking about in prison while a further subplot involving the theatre club is integrated into the main mystery with mixed results. While the previous seasons had done well to carve itself a unique slice of the teen-mystery pie, season 3 finds it more difficult to step out of Elite’s shadow. The framing of the first few episodes are particularly egregious, using the familiar police footage hook alongside several other timelines working in tandem that Elite has become so synonymous with. Not only that but a good deal of the montages and romantic subplots feel heavily inspired by that Spanish juggernaut too. Despite all of its flaws though, Control Z is still one of those guilty pleasure series that keeps you hooked to find out how its story plays out. With a definitive final season and no word on a follow-up, this Mexican series just about bows out on both feet, despite stumbling over the finish line. It’s not perfect, but if you were a fan of the previous seasons you should enjoy this one despite it being the weakest of the three.
