The Professor's Transformation Over The Seasons (In Pictures)

Sergio Marquina (better known as the Professor) is the brilliant mastermind responsible for planning the robberies and guiding the team in Netflix's Money Heist. He's initially introduced as a fearless character who's confident about every aspect of the grand plan to infiltrate the Mint, but the cracks in the facade eventually start to show when things start to go terribly wrong.

With the show coming to an end this December, it's the perfect time to look at some of the Professor's best and worst moments during the past seasons. From his ingenious solutions to his monumental blunders, the show wouldn't be the same without the smart character's actions.

5 Season 1

The first season of the show portrays the Professor as the smartest character in Money Heist. After painstakingly recruiting his and Berlin’s handpicked robbers for the heist of the century, he spends five months teaching them in a classroom-like setting in Toledo. Here, he tells them everything they need to learn about first aid, police tactics, and more to prepare for the heist. He also lays down some important ground rules, which include no personal relationships and no bloodshed.

The Professor never actually goes into the Mint with the rest of the gang, monitoring and controlling things from a nearby hangar instead. He goes head to head with the police force’s negotiator, Raquel Murillo (later known as Lisbon), as the two try to outsmart each other at every turn. The Professor wins every time, though, as he’s always one step ahead of law enforcement. His most questionable decision comes when he creates a fake persona as ‘Salva’ and begins a romantic relationship with Raquel. The Professor’s character is a big part of what made the first season of the show so interesting, as his brilliance and confidence shine through with every new challenge. It’s only the beginning of an arduous journey for Sergio and the team, however, as things begin to veer from the plan in season 2.

4 Season 2

The Professor’s budding relationship with Raquel continues to complicate the plan in season 2, as he is forced to pretend to be Salva to continue meeting with the negotiator over coffee. At one point, Raquel brings him to Toledo where she explains she has found the crime scene from the robbers’ training. As usual, the Professor is way ahead of the police and has littered fake evidence all over the house.

While the Professor is preoccupied with distracting and monitoring the police, however, things become increasingly chaotic inside the Mint. Tokyo gets kicked out by Berlin who almost kills Rio and Nairobi decides to take control of the entire group. Meanwhile, the Professor’s conversations with Raquel get him into some real trouble, as she finally catches on and learns his true identity. He’s detained and interrogated but promptly escapes after Raquel fails to shoot him. He’s eventually able to sway her over to the robbers’ side as the two admit their love for each other. This season shows how events can spiral downward really fast when the Professor isn’t around to control them. Because of his lack of focus on the team, he indirectly causes Moscow’s death by allowing Berlin to kick Tokyo out of the Mint. The robbers are shown as irrational and reckless when compared to Sergio whose logic and strategies haven’t failed him yet.

3 Season 3

After Rio is captured, the Professor gathers the gang on a remote island in the Philippines in season 3 where he shows he’s also one of the bravest characters in Money Heist. Like the rest of the group, he’s willing to risk everything to rescue one of their own by infiltrating the Bank of Spain. This time, Raquel joins them as Lisbon.

The Professor finds that things are different this time around, as he goes against a skilled and heartless negotiator, Alicia Sierra. She rarely falls for his tricks and comes close to tracking down his RV. She even drives a wedge between the Professor and Lisbon by threatening Raquel’s wife and child who are still in the Philippines. Despite the challenges, the Professor is able to get Rio back by successfully negotiating the release of a few hostages. Unfortunately, things go south when Lisbon is captured by the police who proceed to fake her execution. The Professor is devastated to learn of her supposed death and ominously tells Palermo that it’s time to go to war. Seeing Sergio and Raquel work side by side this season is thrilling, but it proves to have a major downside after Lisbon is captured and used against the Professor. Unlike the previous heist, the Professor has more to lose in the Bank of Spain, as aside from Lisbon, he’s grown close with the other robbers and considers them part of his family. This means he finds it even harder to follow his own rule of separating emotions and focusing on the work.

2 Season 4

Things are getting worse in season 4, as the Professor is still distraught over Lisbon’s fake death and dealing with Nairobi’s worsening condition from her gunshot wound. Tokyo surprisingly calms things down by successfully operating on Nairobi and helping the Professor deduce that Lisbon is actually alive. This revelation snaps the Professor out of his misery and he begins to focus on rescuing her.

Meanwhile, César Gandía is loose in the bank and causes trouble for the robbers. This situation is totally out of the Professor’s control so he chooses to focus on the original plan. He gets Rio to recount his experiences of brutal torture on national television, which causes the public to turn on the police. This act stops an assault on the bank, buying the robbers more time. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to the Professor, Alicia has found a way to track his hideout and the season ends with her tracking him down and Nairobi getting murdered by Gandía. This is not a good season for the Professor, as although he’s able to get Lisbon back into the bank safely, he’s having trouble fending off law enforcement. Unlike the previous heist, most of his moves seem improvised rather than pre-planned, which leaves a lot of room for fatal mistakes.

1 Season 5

As if things couldn’t get any worse, the Professor spends most of his time restrained by Alicia in season 5, who even shoots him in the foot at one point. He’s totally unable to help the robbers in the bank who have to face a team of elite soldiers determined to kill them.

The only way the Professor is able to free himself is by helping Alicia give birth and convincing her that the police have turned her away. This comes too late for Tokyo, however, as the Professor is unable to help her when she’s cornered by the soldiers. The Professor and the rest of the gang are shocked and overwhelmed by her death, which could have been prevented if Sergio had been around to find a way to deter the soldiers. The season leaves fans with some burning questions about volume 2 of Money Heist’s last season, particularly about Alicia’s real intentions. Hopefully, the Professor is smart and focused enough to keep an eye on her suspicious actions and protect the group above all else. It’s up to him to make sure the robbers can come together and succeed after Tokyo’s tragic death, after all.

NEXT: Rio's Transformation Over The Seasons In Money Heist (In Pictures)