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“Control Z” is a Mexican series that initially aired on Netflix in 2020. The series saw a dramatic resurgence in popularity last month when the streaming platform released its last season online.
Created by Carlos Quintanilla Sakar, Adriana Pelusi, and Miguel García Moreno, “Control Z” is a Mexican teen drama that follows a group of high school students as they try to discover the identity of a hacker named @allyoursecrets. The hacker causes havoc in their school by revealing their most intimate stories. We discover the true identity of each student, which often turns out to be surprising. After hacking their social media accounts, @allyoursecrets knows all their secrets and is not afraid to use them to blackmail the students. But who is behind this mysterious account? And why are they doing what they’re doing? Everyone is trying to find out their identity, but so far, @allyoursecrets is one step ahead. One student, Sofia (Ana Valeria Becerril), a hacker in her spare time, is determined to find the person responsible. As she gets closer and closer to uncovering the truth, she also realizes that @allyoursecrets may be closer to her than she thought...
The plot of “Control Z” is not unlike that of “Gossip Girl,” although it happens to be much darker. “Control Z” tackles very serious issues throughout the episodes, such as cyberbullying, school bullying, and self-hatred, sometimes with a lot of violence to make a point, while also tackling lighter topics like first love.
Several subplots are also grafted around the main plot and thus contribute to flesh out the story.
While the first season of the show was full of twists and turns, the second one seemed to lack the same excitement. High school life continued with a new hunt for the hacker that we thought was over at the end of season 1 when we discover the identity of the hacker and the reasons that pushed them to attack their classmates.
While the mystery aspect of the show was still present in season 2, it felt like it was lacking something. Perhaps it was because we already knew the characters and their motivations, so there wasn’t as much suspense. Or maybe it was because the stakes didn’t feel as high as they did in season 1. Whatever the reason, season 2 didn’t quite live up to the hype of the first one.
In season 1 of the show, two of the storylines focused on LGBTQ+ female characters. One was about Isabela’s transgender identity, and one was about the romance between Alex (Samantha Acuna) and her teacher, Gabriela (Lidia San José).
However, in the second season, neither of those storylines was given as much attention. In the first episodes, we find out that Isabela has moved to the United States. Zion Moreno, the actress who played her role, has left the show. However, we still see Alex in her relationship with Gabriela. They both now live together, but their love story becomes complicated when Gabriela moves to Spain.
So, the only nice moment was a brief kiss between Maria (Fiona Palomo) and Claudia (Ana Sofia Gatica) at the end of season 2. This could open up the possibility for more in season 3.
At the end of the second season, the death of the school’s principal, Susana, is a turning point. And the whole story of season 3 centered on this. Episode 1 picks up where the previous season left off, with the aftermath of the rooftop battle the night Susana died. Then, suddenly, we are projected a year and a half later, and that’s where the story now continues.
All the main characters, except Maria and her twin sister Natalia who left town, are at a party organized by Raul. They are all enjoying themselves and catching up with each other. At one point, a drone brings a “gift” to Raul inside which is the message: “Did you think I would forget you?” and it is accompanied by a polaroid photo that shows the group around the body of Susana. It is clear that @allyoursecrets knows what happened that night. At the same time, the others also receive messages from @allyoursecrets on their phones. The question is, who sent the messages? And how do they have a photo of Susana’s death? This new development throws the whole group into panic as they try to figure out who they can trust.
The third season of “Control Z” is a return to the roots of the success of season 1 with a brand new blackmail case. Suspicion and tension are at an all-time high, so these episodes are explosive and full of twists and turns. There is more drama, mystery, and more at stake for the characters than ever before, although the concept is getting a little tired.
Contrary to what we could have believed after the revelations during the final of season 2, Alex is still around. We also see Gabriela from time to time when they call each other. But nothing more.
Here’s the trailer for this brand-new season of “Control Z” (for some strange reason, the English subtitles weren’t working for me. Hopefully, they will do for you):
You can watch the eight episodes of the third and last season of “Control Z” and the previous seasons on Netflix.
The show has ended with this season, but the “Control Z” season 3 ending was very satisfying and ended the series well. The characters finally discover who is behind @allyoursecrets this time and move on. There’s still a cliffhanger at the very end of the final episode, but what is “Control Z” without a cliffhanger, right?
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