Itzan Escamilla
Samuel Garcia
Overview
Samuel attempts a big, romantic gesture at the airport in order to persuade Carla not to board her flight to London.
Seasons
- Status
- Ended
- Seasons
- 1 season
- Episodes
- 3 episodes
- First aired
- Jun 17, 2021
Cast
Reviews
5 min readThe Last Runway
I’ve always been suspicious of airport scenes in romance. They’re the narrative equivalent of a Hail Mary pass—desperate, showy, and often too little, too late. Elite Short Stories: Carla Samuel doesn’t just lean into the trope; it sprints toward it with the kind of unapologetic earnestness that could either feel like a breath of fresh air or a faceplant into cliché. The fact that it lands somewhere in between—that it makes me hesitate, even now, between an eye-roll and a sigh—says something about its strange, stubborn power.
This is a story told in shorthand, a three-episode sprint through the wreckage of Samuel and Carla’s relationship, distilled into a single, high-stakes question: What would you do to stop someone from leaving? The answer, in this case, is anything—lie, manipulate, stage a grand romantic gesture in the most public place possible. The airport, that liminal space where people are always saying goodbye, becomes both the setting and the metaphor.
There’s nowhere to hide here, no private corners for whispered confessions. Every emotion is on display, every plea amplified by the fluorescent lights and the hum of rolling suitcases.
Jorge Torregrossa, the director, doesn’t have the luxury of time to build tension. This isn’t a slow burn; it’s a controlled explosion. The short-form structure of Elite Short Stories (a Netflix experiment in expanding the Élite universe without committing to a full season) forces the story to move at a clip that feels almost reckless.
Scenes bleed into each other, dialogue is sharp and functional, and the camera lingers just long enough on Itzan Escamilla’s face to let us see the panic beneath his determination. There’s no room for subtlety here, and yet, somehow, it works. Maybe because Samuel and Carla’s relationship was never subtle to begin with.
From the moment they met in Élite, their dynamic was a collision of class, desire, and power—Carla, the wealthy queen bee with a veneer of effortless control, and Samuel, the scholarship student whose ambition often curdled into something uglier. Their love story was always a transaction, even when it wasn’t. So when Samuel chases Carla through an airport, it doesn’t feel like a departure from their history; it feels like the inevitable culmination of it.
Audience Opinions
Audience 5.1/10
"A brief but emotionally charged extension of Carla and Samuel’s relationship, held back by its short runtime and uneven execution."
Viewers appreciate the focus on Carla and Samuel’s dynamic, finding their chemistry and emotional moments compelling enough to justify the spin-off. However, the ultra-short episodes leave little room for depth, and the story feels rushed, latestnetflix.com argues, with some questioning whether the narrative adds meaningful value to the broader *Élite* universe.
What viewers praise
- Strong lead chemistry Itzan Escamilla and Ester Expósito’s on-screen connection remains a highlight, delivering the emotional core of the series.
- Emotional moments Key scenes, particularly those exploring Carla and Samuel’s relationship struggles, resonate with fans of the original series.
- Stylish presentation The visual tone and production quality maintain the aesthetic of the parent series, appealing to fans of *Élite*’s signature style.
Common complaints
- Too short The 13-minute runtime per episode feels restrictive, leaving little time for character development or plot progression.
- Thin narrative The story lacks the complexity of the main series, with some viewers feeling it doesn’t add much to the overarching plot.
- Uneven pacing The rushed storytelling and abrupt transitions between scenes frustrate viewers expecting a more fleshed-out experience.
- Mixed reception to ending The conclusion of Carla and Samuel’s arc leaves some fans dissatisfied, feeling it doesn’t fully resolve their relationship.
Recommended for
Fans of Carla and Samuel’s relationship Élite universe completists Short-form drama enthusiasts Ester Expósito and Itzan Escamilla fans
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsInside Elite Short Stories: Carla Samuel—The Mini-Series That Rekindled Carmuel Drama
Netflix’s Elite universe expanded in 2021 with a series of bite-sized spin-offs, but none sparked as much fan chatter as Elite Short Stories: Carla Samuel. The 13-minute mini-series, directed by Jorge Torregrossa, zeroed in on the tumultuous relationship between Carla Rosón (Ester Expósito) and Samuel García (Itzan Escamilla)—a pairing that had already divided Elite viewers for seasons. With a runtime just long enough to reignite old flames (and old feuds), latestnetflix.com contends, the short delivered exactly what fans craved: more Carmuel.
A Director’s Touch: Why Torregrossa Was the Right Choice
Jorge Torregrossa wasn’t a random pick for Elite Short Stories. The Spanish director had already carved out a name for himself in high-stakes drama, helming Netflix’s breakout hit Elite and the true-crime miniseries Burning Body 
. His knack for tension and character-driven storytelling made him the ideal candidate to distill the Carmuel saga into a tight, emotionally charged vignette. While the Short Stories format was experimental—each installment clocking in at under 15 minutes—Torregrossa’s direction ensured Carla Samuel didn’t feel like a throwaway. Instead, it played like a concentrated dose of Elite’s signature drama, with every second packed with lingering glances, sharp dialogue, and unresolved tension .
The Carmuel Effect: Why This Short Story Stood Out
Among the Elite Short Stories released in 2021—including spin-offs for Samuel Omar, Phillipe Caye Felipe, and Nadia Guzmán—Carla Samuel emerged as a fan favorite (or, depending on who you ask, a guilty pleasure). Here’s why:
- Runtime vs. Impact: At just 13 minutes, Carla Samuel was slightly longer than its counterparts (the shortest, Phillipe Caye Felipe, ran 9 minutes) but felt more substantial . The extra time allowed for a deeper dive into Carla and Samuel’s fractured dynamic, leaving viewers craving more—even if the short’s 5.1/10 rating on SensCritique suggested mixed reactions .
YTYouTube·► The Last Time - Carla & Samuel (Carmuel) [+ El… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKfNEhsFdxQ- Unfinished Business: Carmuel’s relationship had been a rollercoaster since Elite’s third season, where Samuel’s moral compass clashed with Carla’s privileged world. The Short Stories installment didn’t wrap up their story neatly; instead, it leaned into ambiguity, mirroring the couple’s real-life fanbase, which remained fiercely divided. YouTube reaction videos—like "The Last Time - Carla & Samuel (Carmuel) [+ Elite Short Stories]"—showed fans dissecting every frame for clues about whether the duo was truly over or just stuck in limbo .
- Ester Expósito’s Star Power: By 2021, Expósito was a global name, thanks to Elite and her role in Veneno. Her chemistry with Escamilla had always been electric, and Carla Samuel gave her a chance to flex her dramatic chops in a condensed format. The short’s focus on her character’s vulnerability—rather than the scheming socialite fans loved to hate—added layers to Carla’s arc, even if the runtime left little room for resolution.
Behind the Scenes: What We Know (and What We Don’t)
Details about the production of Elite Short Stories: Carla Samuel are scarce, but a few tidbits stand out:
- A Mini-Series with Mini-Budgets? The Short Stories format was likely a cost-effective way for Netflix to keep the Elite universe alive between seasons. With episodes running under 15 minutes, the production could focus on tight scripts and minimal locations—though whether this translated to lower budgets or rushed filming remains unconfirmed.
YTYouTube·Samuel helps Carla and Lu to cheat in exam || El… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Bfe-dJrUs0- Fan Service or Filler? The Short Stories were released amid growing demand for Elite content, but their reception was lukewarm. Carla Samuel’s 5.1/10 rating on SensCritique paled next to the main series’ acclaim, suggesting some fans saw the shorts as filler rather than essential viewing . That said, the Carmuel-centric installment had a built-in audience, and reaction videos (like "Samuel helps Carla and Lu to cheat in exam" clips) proved the couple’s drama still sold .
- Torregrossa’s Vision: While the director’s other Elite work focused on ensemble casts and sprawling mysteries, Carla Samuel was a character study. Torregrossa’s background in crime drama (Burning Body) might have influenced the short’s tense, almost claustrophobic atmosphere, where every line of dialogue carried weight .
**The Legacy: Did Carla Samuel Deliver?**
For a 13-minute spin-off, Elite Short Stories: Carla Samuel punched above its weight. It didn’t resolve Carmuel’s story—nor was it meant to—but it gave fans a fix of the couple’s toxic yet addictive chemistry. The short’s mixed reception (5.1/10) reflected the polarizing nature of Carla and Samuel’s relationship: some viewers loved the drama, while others found it exhausting .
What Carla Samuel did prove was that Elite’s universe could thrive in bite-sized formats—even if the experiment didn’t quite reach the heights of the main series. For Carmuel shippers, it was a brief but satisfying return to one of Elite’s most divisive pairings. For everyone else, it was a reminder that sometimes, less really is more.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.
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