Sumith Prasad
In the seventh season of Netflix’s teen series ‘Elite,’ Joel, a new admission to Las Encinas, forms a captivating bond with Iván Carvalho while sharing his life with Omar Shanaa. Although both of them decide to remain friends, Joel soon nurtures feelings for Iván, which affects his relationship with Omar. It doesn’t take long for the latter to learn about the secret affair, which makes Joel choose one between the two. As the season progresses, Joel increasingly finds it hard to decide with whom he should share his life. Considering that the seventh round concludes his storyline ambiguously, we have dived into the same to figure out Joel’s decision. Here are our thoughts! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Between Love and Responsibility
Joel meets Iván for the first time when the former takes care of Omar as the latter’s partner. He enters into Omar’s life when the former Las Encinas student deals with severe depression. Joel not only loves Omar but also assumes the responsibility of looking after his partner to make him stay away from insecurities and suicidal thoughts. Their relationship is governed by, more than love, this responsibility Joel feels. That’s when he strikes a connection with Iván, with whom he can be himself rather than a caretaker. But Joel makes it clear to his new “friend” that he doesn’t want to cheat on his boyfriend, which forces them to remain friends.
Omar, meanwhile, learns about Joel and Iván’s newfound companionship. Even though he initially accepts it as just a friendship, Omar eventually realizes that Joel is hiding his feelings for his apparent friend. Omar doesn’t want to be in a relationship with his partner by locking him up in the same, which leads him to let Joel know that he can be with Iván if he really wants to. Joel then acknowledges his feelings for Iván and gets together with him but their relationship doesn’t last long. Although he is able to cherish his togetherness with his new partner, Joel gets concerned about Omar’s well-being, which affects his new companionship.
Joel fails to choose between Iván and Omar because he is not able to differentiate between concern and love. He doesn’t know whether his impulses to look after Omar are the instincts of a caretaker or a lover. That’s why he fails to settle with Iván. He also doesn’t want to get back together with Omar without having clarity regarding his feelings for the latter. Joel understands that he shouldn’t give his ex-boyfriend any false hope by sharing intimacy with him, which further affects Omar. While he tries to figure out what he should do with his two companions, Iván decides to leave for South Africa.
The Mature Decision
Joel doesn’t end up with either Iván or Omar. When life in Madrid becomes intolerable for Iván, especially after the death of his father Cruz and the departure of his ex-boyfriend Patrick, he decides to move to South Africa. Since he doesn’t want to put an end to his life with his partner, Iván asks Joel to accompany him to the African country. Joel discusses the move with Omar and Dalmar, who don’t support his decision explicitly. Still, Joel packs his bag and goes to meet Iván but stops himself from leaving for South Africa with the latter.
Joel decides to not end up with Iván because he doesn’t want to chase him. Joel has been highly conflicted about his emotions toward both Iván and Omar, which has led him to make wrong decisions. For once, Joel wants to decide with clarity and assurance, especially when others’ lives are involved in the same. That’s why he doesn’t unite with Iván. The same reason also stops him from reuniting with Omar, who doesn’t have the emotional strength to tolerate Joel’s wavering feelings for him. Omar gives his ex-partner time and space so that the latter can figure out whether he wants to be with the former without a shadow of a doubt.
In the already-announced eighth season, we may see Joel and Omar starting over as companions. Joel may not rush into getting back together with his ex-boyfriend but gradually he may find out whether he really loves Omar.
Read More: Who Dies at the End of Elite Season 7? Who is the Killer?
