The Netflix original series Elite is a thriller with a central mystery that begins after the death of a student at the elite high school Las Ecinas. At the end of the first episode, it is revealed that Marina is the character who has been murdered. The show jumps back and forth between the events leading up to Marina’s murder and the police investigation following the discovery of her body.
Though Marina is dead in the first episode, fans are still given plenty of time to get to know this character. Although she only was part of the show for one season, she made a profound impact on the other students at the school. There were plenty of times where fans were furious with Marina’s choices and several times where they couldn’t help but feel bad for her.
Hated: Samuel/Nano Love Triangle
Samuel and Marina build a friendship and Samuel quickly becomes interested in Marina. Though she initially tries to push him away, Marina eventually enters into a relationship with Samuel.
Though she is with Samuel, it is clear that the reason Marina spends so much time around Samuel is actually because she is interested in his brother, Nano. The two sleep together and even plan to run away together after Marina becomes pregnant, but this is all done behind Samuel’s back.
Felt Bad: Parents Treatment Of HIV
Marina has accepted her HIV status and seems to cope with her diagnosis relatively well. However, her parents refuse to talk about or acknowledge her condition. They send her to therapy and become very uncomfortable any time Marina tries to speak with them. This is extremely difficult for Marina and causes a lot of tension between her and her family.
Hated: Insulted Polo
Marina made many poor choices. One of these bad decisions proved to be fatal, as it resulted in her death. As Polo confronts Marina by the pool, asking for the watch she has stolen from Carla back, Marina laughs in his face. She begins to hurtle insults at a clearly unwell Polo.
Marina has noticed that Polo has been struggling since Carla left him and takes advantage of this opportunity to rub Carla’s abandonment in his face. She calls Polo pathetic for continuing to devote himself to her when she clearly doesn’t care for him. It is clear that Polo is hurt by these insults and he snaps, bashing her over the head with the trophy.
Felt Bad: Murdered
Though Marina’s actions resulted in her murder, death is a brutal punishment for some bad decision making. Marina certainly deserved to be punished for some of the things she had done, but her murder is excruciating.
Marina does not immediately die. The shock and horror on her face as she realizes what is happening is difficult to watch. Her last moments seem painful as Marina grabs at her wound and bleeds out on the floor.
Hated: Stole From Carla
Carla and Marina had been childhood friends but drifted apart as they grew older. When Nano is in need of money, Marina decides the best way to get it is to steal Carla’s father’s watch collection. Marina approaches Carla, pretending to resume their friendship.
It is clear that Marina is struggling and is in need of a friend. Carla welcomes her back into her life and has Marina over to her house. Marina repays her kindness by stealing her house key and providing Nano with the alarm code and information required to steal the watches from her father’s collection.
Felt Bad: Pregnancy
Marina has a difficult pregnancy and it is clear to everyone that she is very unwell. When she discovers she is pregnant, she believes she has no choice but to get an abortion.
Nadia does not approve of her decision but shares the information for a safe clinic Marina can attend. Nano and Marina go to the abortion clinic together and share an emotional moment in the waiting room. They eventually decide to keep the baby and try to raise it together, leaving the clinic.
Hated: Blackmailed The Teacher
When Lu bribes Martin to give her better grades by helping him adopt a child, Marina finds out. After she collapses in the bathroom at school after taking drugs, Martin finds her bleeding on the floor and becomes worried.
As he helps her up and expresses his concern, Marina threatens him. She says that if he shares what he saw, she will report his deal with Lu to the principal. This is pretty nasty, as Martin is only trying to help her.
Felt Bad: Reckless Decision Making
Marina makes a number of reckless decisions, but it seems that she can not control herself. She seems to be addicted to danger, craving the rush that comes with these circumstances. Instead of judging Marina, it becomes very easy to feel bad from her as fans watch her make one poor choice after the next.
Hated: Not Disclosing HIV Status
Marina is aware of the stigma surrounding her diagnosis. She uses this to try and scare Samuel off so that she doesn’t have to turn him down. However, when Nano and Marina begin to fool around, she decides not to share this information with him.
Though she is undetectable and can not transmit the virus to Nano, it is clear that she believes he deserves to know but decides not to tell him so that he won’t pull away from her. Instead, Marina makes sure that Nano finds out through Samuel after they have had sex instead of telling him herself.
Felt Bad: Samuel Disclosing Her HIV Status
Marina has kept her HIV status a secret from everyone except her family. When she discloses her status to Samuel, he does not keep this information to himself. While Marina expected him to tell Nano, she likely didn’t want the entire school to know.
Still, Samuel is reckless and texts about her condition while in class. This leads to his messages being read aloud. The reactions to this reveal are obviously immature and Marina is forced to stand up and defend herself in class. Marina should not have been put in a situation that required her to share private and intimate details of her life.
