Original subtitles

Next! Eighty-one, here.

Warm up your neck. Keep your mouth closed at all times.

The nose has to be red like a tomato, otherwise, it will bleed later.

-Fourteen. -Yes.

With me.

Go to Instructor Sanz. Show him your number.

No low blows, no blows to the nape or the back. Ready?

To me, uncertainty is the key.

If you are not fully aware that you've come here

to fight anything that gets in front of you,

it crushes you mentally and it keeps hammering your brain,

it keeps hammering your brain,

and if you are unable to control that uncertainty... You snap.

OFFICER ALCÁNTARA NUMBER 8

Get up.

Do we go on? Should we keep going or are we done?

I've wanted this since I was little.

OFFICER MARTÍN GÁLVEZ NUMBER 58

Living this right now, being here at the G.E.O. base

and being in the very place I wanted to be in when I was a child...

No words can describe it.

I'd see the G.E.O.'s emblem every day and say,

"No, these people won't grind me down."

And that's the point, in the end, you love this so much

that they can tell you anything they want, you're still here,

no matter what they throw your way.

Go on, on the double.

Get up.

Come. Do we go on or are we out?

-I can't, Instructor. -You can't?

-No. -No?

I can't.

You can't proceed with this test?

No, I can't. I can't.

My back can't take it anymore. I can't.

-I can't. -You're giving up on the test?

-Can you give him your armband? -I can't do this anymore. Really.

You can't continue with the test or the course?

-I can't go on. -You're turning in your armband?

-Yes. -Yes?

Give it to the inspector.

A G.E.O. member is born out of desire. It is something you want to do.

SENIOR OFFICER TIZÓN NUMBER 96

I know I would love to. I hope one day I can be one of them.

But you have to become one.

That's why we're here. So that they make us one.

They train you so that you're here and become one of them,

exactly the way they think you need to be.

If you get worse, let me know. Now, this is a five, okay?

Listen to me.

This could kill you. Have you ever boxed before?

-Yes, in school. -Okay.

Another blow, on top of a KO, and you could die.

We're not talking rubbish, this is a serious matter.

We're talking police officer to police officer.

You're at a five. If you get worse, let me know immediately.

-Okay. -I'll get someone to shadow you,

one of your peers will accompany you.

Nausea, vomiting, anything, let me know, okay?

All of you take care of your teammate, okay?

He must be with someone at all times.

Fear. The inner fear that tells you,

"No, this is bad for you, run away."

Let that reptilian brain come out, emerge,

and vanquish the neocortex,

the thinking part, that acts, the one we're looking for.

Del Río, tribunal one.

ONE MONTH EARLIER PERSONAL INTERVIEWS

Arias, Santiago, tribunal two.

Cabeza, tribunal three.

In the end, it's human nature.

We all often wear a mask to be seen in a certain way.

And an applicant wears his mask, the mask he thinks we like.

What I want is to see people taking off their masks.

And being themselves.

The interview was hard because...

the work in this unit puts a lot of pressure on you.

On a personal and professional level,

there are a lot of things you have to give up to be part of the G.E.O.

Mr. Javier, come in.

What are you willing to give up? What aren't you willing to give up?

You know you have to be ready to answer the call, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

There's the possibility of going abroad, and it won't be to a resort.

You'll go to embassies in troubled lands, Venezuela, Bolivia, Afghanistan...

Personally, and luckily, I don't have a problem with that.

I'll find my path in life, I don't know how I'll do it,

I don't know if it'll be tomorrow or in a month,

but I am sure I'll get to wherever I need to be.

SPAIN'S ELITE POLICE: BEYOND LIMITS

EPISODE 2 WHO ARE YOU REALLY?

-Heritage. -Heritage!

-Sacrifice. -Sacrifice!

-Work. -Work!

-Humility. -Humility!

-Integrity. -Integrity!

-And loyalty. -Loyalty!

The day you shout out these words...

and your hair stands on end as intensely as mine do when I shout them out,

you'll know that, maybe, you're on the right path.

Meanwhile, if you only shout them out because instructors ask you to,

you might not finish the course. Do you understand?

Yes, Instructor!

The G.E.O. course teaches you values.

Of course it does.

Values are what defines us as a species.

If we didn't have values, we'd be animals.

TRILLO G.E.O. TRAINING CAMP - DAY 2

Space out, so that they can't hear us.

Far apart.

In this selection, our aim, especially this week,

is to meet people, gauge their readiness.

-At your command, sir. -Good morning, 88.

-Sit down. -Thank you.

We want to see who raises his hand first, who the volunteer is.

-How's your head? -Good.

My head is doing better than my body.

-How's your body? -Tired...

To be a noble, sensible, true person.

Tell me something more, open up to me.

Well, I'm fine, especially emotionally.

-Up here? -Good, that's what I mean.

-How are you feeling? -Good.

Good? As in...

Good. A little achy, like everyone else, and tired, but good.

-How are you mentally? -Fine.

Eager to keep learning, progressing, discovering.

Working with my peers.

-Are you coping? -Yes.

-You sure? -Yes.

-Don't lie to me. -I'm not.

How are you getting along with your peers? Do you trust them?

-Yes. -Do you think they trust you?

Properly understood obedience is very useful.

We can't think of obedience in a pejorative sense.

Properly understood obedience is trust.

Do you trust me?

-Yes. -Your opinion is important to me.

I want you to know that.

I appreciate and care about your opinion.

I'm going to ask you a question

and I hope you answer with absolute honesty.

Who would you choose last?

-Who would be the goalkeeper? -That's a hard one.

If this was over today and there weren't enough places for everybody,

who would you leave off of this ship?

-Nobody, boss. -No, but there aren't enough spots.

They are limited, and you think, "We need the best. They're asking me.

I can make a mistake, sure, but..."

I'd make a mistake no matter who I chose. I trust all of my peers.

No, that's no good. Forget that answer. It's no good.

We're all assessing everybody. What you're telling me is a lie.

And I like and value honesty in people.

-I have to say one? -Yes.

Sometimes I'm too empathetic.

Something will get to me and I'll take it to heart, you know?

I don't like seeing people having a hard time,

people I like.

Maybe you don't come to like someone in such a short time,

but you do bond with them.

It's a stronger bond than what you'd have on the outside.

You're together all day.

Well, that issue is a little...

Those answers are no good to me. I want a name or a number.

We want your opinion.

Because if you don't have an opinion, something is wrong.

I have other things to do, you know?

Politically correct interactions are fine when I'm with the big bosses,

but in a colloquial conversation,

particularly with an applicant, I don't like wasting my time.

If I ask you something, what do you do? You answer me.

I'm telling you, I'm very comfortable with the team and...

Do you understand that out of three questions

you haven't answered a single one? If you're with me on a mission,

those answers are no good to me.

-It's really hard for me to say, but... -We understand that.

There was maybe an arrogant attitude,

too self-important, maybe, too individualistic.

-I think he's starting to understand. -I'm starting to like him.

This is what I want to see. Trust in the peer in front of you

and honesty.

Maybe...

I might have two people.

This is just the way it is, I mean...

-No two ways about it. -Yes, I just don't want to regret it.

Honestly, I've never had a problem with listening and obeying.

I do as I'm told.

And I will keep doing so for the time being,

because it's what has worked for me.

I will do whatever they tell me to do.

To me, a leader...

SENIOR OFFICER PERTEGAZ COURSE INSTRUCTOR

...is someone you trust.

You know that when he tells you something, it's mostly...

because he has gone through this before you.

He knows how to lead those under his command.

If he gives you an order, you do it, and...

That's it.

Not everyone is built...

TAGUS RIVER

...to cope with water and the cold.

The Tagus is fulfilling the role of Darwin in this natural selection.

The fears come out, the demons, as I call them.

This is what the Tagus wants.

"The Tagus decides" was a catchphrase of ours

because the river makes the selection process easier for us.

In the end, the Tagus decides.

Always. The Tagus decides.

-The Tagus decides, exactly. -It puts you in your place.

The Tagus decides.

Right there. Hey. Right there.

-The cartridge cases? -Here.

There are a couple of boxes.

Well, that's plenty.

There are two boxes, I'll check the content.

Your security area is that way.

Should the river drag any of them away, have your flippers and oxygen tank ready,

and the goggles, and that's enough.

We can start whenever you want.

Let's begin, everybody.

That boat is fixed there in that spot. It won't move from there.

It is anchored with a knot.

It will serve as a center of operations.

We're going to do a little gymkhana, a little game.

You're to retrieve some 9mm Parabellum cartridge cases.

You'll see me throw them into the river from my position.

You have to get them out.

From this team, only four applicants will play.

Now, I want you to tell me who and why.

-Which four and why? -And for what reason.

You have a couple of minutes.

Go.

-I'll go. -Me.

-I'll go. Julián. -Me too.

-You two? -I'd like to go.

-Me too. -Okay. It's decided.

And for what reason?

The reason is that I'm the team leader and I want to do it with them.

Luis is also very keen. I worked with him this morning

-and I feel comfortable working with him. -And the rest?

Why not them? Why not him, for example?

I don't have anything against any of you.

Maybe one of them is really good for this task and you haven't even asked.

Well, I asked if someone good at diving wanted to do it.

-Yeah. -I've done scuba diving.

-I offered to do it. -Me too.

-I perform well in the water. -I have scuba diving experience.

It's your call.

-I'll stick to my team. -Undress.

Leave your armband with me.

-If you need to leave anything... -We need the armband.

-Take that off. -Leave that with me.

Why don't you wear it outside?

Get in here, in the center.

Give me a handful of cartridge cases.

Come on. Let's go.

One of you observe, pay attention.

Look. I didn't even count them. A handful of 9mm Parabellums.

Okay?

In they go.

-Busán, are you ready? -Ready.

-This way? -As soon as you touch the water...

-Let's go that way. -Go!

Come on.

I want the cases in my hand!

Come on, let's go!

Further to your right, buddy.

-My right? -Yes, over there.

Can't be far. Over there.

Found one right there. It was far from here.

The cartridge cases test that we set up in the Tagus is staged.

Everything that's happening there is a lie.

What we are looking for and observing

is two steps closer to the inner spirit of each of them.

We're not looking at their faces, we're going beyond.

Their feelings, how they behave, we're interested in what they're doing,

a sign, a gaze, a comment to a colleague that I happen to hear...

I'm observing everything.

Everything. Absolutely everything.

I think they fell there.

Their personalities are starting to come out.

This is where he threw them.

The interesting bit is out here, not in there.

I think they fell over there.

Towards me. That way.

Instructor, sir, requesting permission to help them.

From land, help them any way you want. No limits.

-By going in the water. -The test would be void.

I didn't decide who goes in the water, your team leader did.

Just by observing each applicant's participation or their behavior,

you can see who has initiative and knows that the mission has to be done,

and you see who tries to hide and let the time go by

and participates as little as possible. We don't want that.

-You can do it. -Come on, Cristian.

-Time's up. -Come on.

-Everyone out of the water. -Time's up, come on.

Everyone out of the water.

-Help him up. -Where are your clothes?

I want the cases in my hand.

Let's go.

Get dressed and get your people lined up over there.

-Get dressed. -Your teammates' clothes.

Do you have our clothes?

Whose pants are these?

-Just two? -Yes, Instructor.

Busán, 20 minutes, test incomplete, two cases.

The one who volunteered to get in the water,

-did you find him convincing? -Not at all.

He was one of those who were in the last line.

It was hard for them to ask. None of them really...

Well, the one who said he wanted to get undressed to...

But that's like, "It's been 20 minutes, I'll say this because..."

It sounds good.

I liked this a lot. We saw a lot of things.

People trying to hide back there...

The ones who were showing off in other tests... Terrible.

He wants to do everything, but he's not there to give orders.

If he wants to be a hero, but isn't aware of his own limitations...

It's like a sociogram where we don't need to ask any questions.

-Ten. -Ten.

-Eleven. -Eleven.

-Twelve. -Twelve.

-Thirteen. -Thirteen.

-Fourteen. -Fourteen.

-Fifteen. -Fifteen.

-Sixteen. -Sixteen.

-Seventeen. -Seventeen.

-Eighteen. -Eighteen.

-Nineteen. -Nineteen.

-Twenty. -Twenty.

-Twenty-one. -Twenty-one.

Twenty-two.

There's no point in strengthening the body

if the mind doesn't become stronger as well.

It's not just a matter of passing the physical fitness tests

or spending some time in the water.

You have to cope with all of that psychologically.

You're going to be watching a movie that has won many awards.

It's pretty good.

I want you to watch carefully.

Obviously, you're not allowed to fall asleep.

-Yes? -Yes, Instructor.

Okay. I want total silence.

You will now listen to my voice.

My voice will help you and guide you even deeper into Europa.

Every time you hear my voice,

you will enter into an even deeper layer, open, relaxed.

As you focus your attention entirely on my voice,

you will slowly begin to relax.

Your hands and your fingers...

This thing of, "Now you're gonna clean, now you're leaving,

"now you don't know what's going to happen..."

You go to bed and in an hour or two,

you have no idea because you don't have a watch, you're up...

It's this constant hammering in your brain

that gets you out of your comfort zone.

And the movie, well, it's such a huge drag.

Your name is Leopold Kessler.

Honestly, there were moments when I thought I was gonna faint.

Not a single laugh, not a single joke, no... Nothing.

Okay, since we noticed some of you

drifting off and missing part of the movie,

we're going to watch it again.

Hopefully we can all pay attention

and we don't miss anything in the movie.

You will now listen to my voice.

My voice will help you and guide you even deeper into Europa.

We were already sleep-deprived, and then they put this movie on.

You doze off, and they play it again,

and you keep falling asleep. And you think, "Why?"

Are we awake, 58? 58, are we awake?

Yes, Instructor.

I don't know what the backstory is. You're just trying not to fall asleep.

But it was impossible.

On the count of 10, you will be in Europa.

I mean, the movie... The movie was really terrible.

And they say it's won awards.

I don't know what kind of awards it could've won.

It can't have won that many.

And when you think it's all over,

as soon as you go to bed, you heard a bang in your head

and a child crying. And it all plays on a loop.

It starts to drill into your ear until it ends up drilling into your brain.

You're trying to sleep, you toss and turn, you can't,

you turn, you can't.

And just when you think you're finally falling asleep...

National Police

My heart knows no discouragement

An iron tenacity holds the foundations

You know what we're missing? Some fireworks.

National Police

Let's go!

You have one minute to line up outside.

Team Charlie, we don't wanna be the last ones. Come on.

Delta!

We're taking everything. We don't know where we're going. We're going out.

We're taking all the equipment!

You only move when an instructor is watching you.

Hurry it up!

Let's go!

You're doing terribly today.

DAY 3

If you don't leave, we'll kick you out.

-Should we go on? -Yes, Instructor.

Psychologically, it's brutal.

The activities take you up and down all the time.

It's a constant psychological game with them.

This class is weak.

Some people react, some others don't.

Some are more impacted, and that's what we're analyzing,

who toughs it out and who doesn't.

-Everything okay? -Yes.

-Anyone got a problem? -No.

I think that, so far, this was the worst night I've had.

You realize that they're trying to spot the weak ones.

The cold,

the heat, fear, anything.

It's all psychological. If you're able to control that,

you can endure anything they throw at you.

Get in the water, take a quick dip, wash yourselves, and get out.

Don't linger.

This is not a hypothermia test. It's just so that you clean up.

If anyone is undecided, say it now. It's not worth it.

Does anyone else want to come?

Put the trip to good use, 69.

-Do you want to quit or go in the water? -Negative.

You're still dressed. You sure?

-Negative what? You don't-- -I don't want to quit, sir.

That I understood clearly.

-Anyone else? -Just quit and have a hot bath at home.

Go wash up, then.

-Go wash up. -Hey, 47.

-Yes, Instructor. -Is your armband getting wet?

-It is, Instructor. -Will it hurt your arm?

Does anyone know the number of the guy who quit?

Seventy-two.

You're in a competition. The more people quit, the better.

That's what you're thinking. Whoever says otherwise is lying.

They tell you, "The G.E.O. course is hard."

You had an idea of what to expect. It's hard, the water, etc.

But once you start experiencing the course full-on,

you realize it's not hard, it's very, very, very hard.

And at some point, you end up wondering, "Why?

"Why am I here? Why am I doing this?"

You're seeing it for yourselves. We don't need to tell you anything.

Be honest.

The next bus to Guadalajara is leaving in 10 minutes.

Think about it, you could be having a meal at home.

Seven! Eight! Nine!

Ten! Eleven! Twelve!

DAY 4

You have to give it your all here.

You have to pour your soul out.

You try to succeed with all your might, but can't...

And suddenly, your head goes...

The outcome of this is that you get kicked in the ass

and plummet down the Maslow pyramid at full throttle.

And you're left with the basic functions of survival.

And your instincts kick in. The brain's reptilian side comes out

and tells you, "Go, look for food."

And you have to balance that with everything else,

with your mission, with yours peers, and your objective.

A hungry person may end up becoming selfish.

They can reveal the worst side of themselves.

You have something and you want to hide and eat it.

That's human nature. "I need to eat. I'm dying."

But your colleague is dying too, just like you.

So what do you do?

Hide and eat that energy bar you have?

A whole bar is better than half a bar,

but what about your colleague?

So, hunger makes you...

It often brings out the worst in ourselves.

These activities are a single long task that hasn't finished yet.

So we're going to start rationing our provisions.

We'll give each pair of you a box of food.

-Understood? -Yes, Instructor.

You have to know how to go down those steps,

how to get down to the basal area,

and it's a very hard area, a fighting zone, a survival zone.

Many of the situations we have been going through here, from day one,

have been making us all restructure our mental and personal patterns.

Personally, I think we've been taking our bodies

beyond limits that probably

we never thought we could reach.

I think that this changes you, in a way.

My mood is good,

but sometimes I get in a funk.

No matter how sure I am of my aspirations and objectives,

it's inevitable to feel down at times.

I'm learning to be stronger here.

You need to have the biggest motivation in the world,

the desire, the grit, and hate, almost,

for life, for hanging on to staying in the course.

And you have to be a wolf.

DAY 5

Hey, Alpha.

Who snores? We have two guys who snore.

Just two?

TOTAL DROPOUTS: 46

Facing them. To the right.

What we have here...

I don't know how to say this.

It's almost the most important thing in my life.

Apart from my family, obviously.

In the end, everything has a meaning and a purpose,

which makes what lies under these numbers always run smoothly.

The flag of Spain, the G.E.O. flag.

That's the goal, don't forget it.

Dismissed.

Any of the men by my side,

any of them,

would do anything, even trade his life for mine

so that I survive.

This brotherhood is what unites us.

It's the common bond between everyone here.

Come on! All of the kit bags, come on!

Everybody on the double!

What you learn in Trillo is for life.

It's a lesson that you learn is

to know that the limits are way beyond what you think at first.

Trillo helps you with that,

to realize that your limits are much farther, way, way beyond.

You just have to convince yourself.

G.E.O. BASE GUADALAJARA

When you hear your number, come up and pick up your gun.

-13. -Yes, Instructor.

-91. -Yes, Instructor.

-28. -Yes, Instructor.

-71. -Yes, Instructor.

It's nice to see the hopeful anticipation of people who are trying and, obviously,

in the end, not everyone... Most of them won't make it.

But those who do

will be proud and fully integrated in this brotherhood.

In the end, it's natural selection.

Charles Darwin, a long time ago, back in the day, discovered that.

You know that,

unfortunately, this is a selective process.

The G.E.O. course teaches us a lot about each individual,

and we see how good we are and even how far we are capable of going.

And I think you've seen that in yourself. You don't need me to tell you that.

The G.E.O. works because of the enthusiasm of people like you.

But we're looking for very specific things.

I'm sure that, if you look into their professional history,

their bosses would tell me,

"I hope he gets what he wants,

"but I'd be losing a good public servant. I wish he'd stay here."

To me, they're exceptional policemen, but that's not enough to make it.

That's not enough.

Come on, quickly. Come on.

Do not walk, gentlemen. Come on!

Hurry.

We don't have all day.

Faster.

Come on, let's go! Inside. Nobody takes off their mask.

If you take it off, it means you're dropping out.

Let's go.

Nobody takes off their mask, you hear me?

You hear me? Nobody takes off their mask.

Is anyone unwell? Anyone want to quit?

No, Instructor.

Better to quit now, before this jeopardizes your health.

I couldn't stop thinking for one second about my wife and my children.

I thought about her the whole time. I tried to control my breathing.

Maybe that helped me feel like time was passing more quickly.

I had a hard time, to be honest.

We all had a hard time. Whoever denies it is lying.

I knew that they would have to drag me out of there.

I wasn't going to quit.

Not because of what I have at home. I wasn't going to quit.

My feet and hands are numb.

-Say again? -My feet and hands are numb.

-You want to come out? -Yes.

-Are you quitting the course? -Yes.

Come out.

Number 100 is quitting.

Minute 30. We're stopping.

Come out.

Come out and take your masks off.

Careful.

Get some water.

With me.

Come with me.

When I thought...

If I were lucky enough to finish the course,

if I have children and I have to go away for two months,

how will I be with my child? I won't get to see him grow up.

Like everyone else.

Exactly. That's what's kept me thinking.

I weighed my options and was like, "Family? G.E.O.?"

And they were close, but...

I mean, you can find a balance. You make it work.

-But I'm not saying it's easy. -Yes, I know.

It's not an ordinary situation.

Those doubts that make you think,

"Maybe this isn't worth it.

"I have a home life, my position at work,

"my aspirations in life, the possible promotions..."

You name it. Everyone has a life, it's totally fine.

Don't overthink it.

It just really pisses me off, because...

If it's for the best, it's a good choice.

-Yeah. -That's it.

It's just one of those things.

Sometimes in life it suits and sometimes it doesn't.

And if this doesn't suit at the moment,

you'll spend all of your time here overthinking and worrying,

and it'll only get worse.

You're a fucking professional!

-You're a legend. -So are you.

RESIDENCE

Being here means, for example,

that you won't be able to give your family the time they need.

All of the operatives' families sacrifice

their time, hours, birthdays, holidays...

What the G.E.O. gives me

makes up for it, it evens out or gives me even more

in my life.

What I get from the G.E.O., what I gain from it, by being here,

is more than what it takes, so I'm not really giving up anything.

A fucking hero, man.

-Who's a hero? -Number 100. The one who quit my team.

It's not easy at all. I understand why he left.

We were all on the edge.

Five more minutes and people would have started dropping like flies in there.

There's still a long way to go, many weeks.

And we have to scrutinize point by point, applicant by applicant.

And it'll be hard.

It has to be hard. It will be very hard.

They'll have to endure it. We've all done it.