When Élite closed the doors of Las Encinas for good last summer, it was a blow for horny teen drama aficionados everywhere (even if the series had lost some of its steam by the end).

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But from the ashes of Netflix's longest-running Spanish original comes a new cohort of equally horny teens clambering over each other to become the best and brightest in their chosen field.

Except, Olympo isn't set in a traditional school, private or otherwise. The Pirineos Center of High Performance is where the best athletes in the country come to train and get their cardio in. Sports only make up around 10 per cent of said cardio, however, which should come as no surprise because Olympo is brought to us by the same producers behind Élite.

The show actually makes a joke of this, just five minutes in, when new girl Zoe asks, "How can they expect me to train here when everyone is super hot?" It's quite the dilemma, one that comes with no easy answers as the young men and women at Pirineos get physical in just about every way possible.

In the first episode alone, swim team captain Amaia tries to focus on a call with mother dearest as her boyfriend (played by Élite's Nuno Gallego!) does his utmost to distract her with his tongue.

Then there's Roque, star of the rugby team (and probably the dreams of gay men everywhere as soon as they watch episode 1). After locking eyes with another guy, he and blondie find a room to secretly hook up in, hidden away from the eyes of everyone but us – and the camera doesn't shy away from the sex in that moment.

That's because Olympo knows exactly what kind of show it is, just as Élite once did, which is why that tension set up in the premiere continues to build throughout each episode seen prior to release (and presumably the rest of the season as well).

Agustin Della Corte as Roque Pérez, playing rugby, being lifted on the shoulders of another man
Agustin Della Corte as Roque Pérez. Matías Uris/Netflix

Even the initial trailers capitalised on this with images of the cast clambering over each other to reach the top of a human pyramid and emerge victorious. There's a lot of sweating and writhing as athletic, muscular bodies take centre stage in a pitch-perfect summary of the show's appeal.

Because let's face it: No one's watching Olympo for the story. Yet there are some attempts to thread this copious amount of boobs and butts together with some actual plotting, as hinted at in the hierarchy of that aforementioned pyramid.

Early on, Amaia's bestie, Núria, suggests Pirineos is really a "cage of sharks, snakes and vultures disguised in perfect bodies". And she's right. Because, much like Las Encinas, this training ground is full of scandal and secrets that threaten to destroy the lives of these perky young hot people.

Clara Galle as Amaia Olaberria and Maria Romanillos as Nuria Borges, lying by the side of a swimming pool together
Clara Galle as Amaia Olaberria and Maria Romanillos as Nuria Borges. Matías Uris/Netflix

Doping comes to the fore as Amaia begins to suspect that some of her fellow athletes might be seeking chemical help to improve their performances.

Yet, even such serious subject matter is delightfully camp in this world where the arrival of an anti-doping agency is treated with all the gravitas of a Fast & Furious movie.

Olympo isn't just camp like Élite. It's super gay like Élite, too. Gay and lesbian couplings are given just as much priority, if not more, than their straight counterparts, which should be a given but remains a rarity in this day and age.

It makes sense here especially, however, in a world where men and women regularly get naked and super physical with other men and women in a heated, competitive setting.

As Olympo cuts back and forth between grunts on the rugby pitch and kisses in the locker room, it becomes clear that this is the perfect backdrop for that same vibe fans used to binge Élite for.

In fact, Olympo might turn out to be even better than Élite in the long run, assuming it holds the same stamina as the athletes competing at the heart of its story.

Just throw in a murder or two and it really will be just like the good old days when Las Encinas first opened its doors to us and those sexed-up students alike.

Olympo is available to stream now on Netflix.

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Authors

David OpieFreelance Writer

David Opie is a freelance entertainment journalist who writes about TV and film across a range of sites including Radio Times, Indiewire, Empire, Yahoo, Paste, and more. He's spoken on numerous LGBTQ+ panels to discuss queer representation and strives to champion LGBTQ+ storytelling as much as possible. Other passions include comics, animation, and horror, which is why David longs to see a Buffy-themed Rusical on RuPaul's Drag Race. He previously worked at Digital Spy as a Deputy TV Editor and has a degree in Psychology.

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