I have to admit, when I first heard Netflix was developing a spin-off/prequel series centered around Pedro Alonso's character Berlin from their hit show Money Heist, I was intrigued. Berlin was always one of the most fascinating personalities in that ensemble. While undoubtedly magnetic, he was also arrogant, self-centered, and exhibited some deeply troubling behavior. I wondered if this new show would lean into that darker side of his character and explore what makes him tick.
However, after bingeing all eight episodes of Berlin over the holidays, I'm sorry to say it left me quite disappointed. Now, don't get me wrong - Alonso is as charismatic as ever in the role. But the show itself fails to deliver a compelling origin story for this complex character. And it makes some seriously questionable story choices that had me shaking my head.
The Show Doesn't Challenge Berlin or His Toxic Behavior
My main issue is that Berlin plays it way too safe. It tries overly hard to soften Berlin's edges and make him "likable," rather than wrestle with his demons. There are gestures made to acknowledge his narcissism and misogynistic tendencies. But they get played more for laughs than anything.
For example, when Berlin relentlessly pursues a woman who has expressed zero interest, the show frames it as charming game of cat-and-mouse. It basically sends the message that persistence pays off, rather than depicting it as the harassment it is.
And the female characters aren't given much agency either. They're mostly there as objects of desire or to prop up the male ego. For a series bearing his name, Berlin himself remains largely static. We don't gain much new insight into his past or what shaped him. And he faces no real consequences for his reprehensible behavior.
The Writing Relies Too Heavily on Coincidence and Contrivance
Furthermore, the writing is often sloppy and full of plot holes. The season revolves around Berlin masterminding an elaborate heist to steal millions in jewels from an impenetrable Parisian bank vault. But we're expected to believe he assembled a crew of the most hapless, bumbling thieves around.
They make rookie mistakes left and right that should get them caught instantly. Yet they keep getting bailed out by ridiculous coincidences or dumb luck. Berlin himself abandons the plan multiple times because he gets bored or distracted by a woman. For a genius master criminal, he seems to have a shockingly short attention span!
There are also entire subplots and characters that simply vanish without explanation. Plus action sequences that defy logic and physics (like a woman clinging to the hood ornament of a speeding sports car!). The writers favor cheap thrills and soapy melodrama over telling a smart, coherent story.
For a Heist Story, There's Not Much...Heisting!
Finally, for a show that bills itself as a "heist story," there's surprisingly little focus on...well, the actual heist! Most of the season is taken up by Berlin juggling multiple love affairs or clashing with his teammates. The mechanics of how they plan to crack the vault and pull off the robbery are vague at best.
The elaborate backstories for each member of Berlin's crew go nowhere. And any interesting dynamics between the team players are dropped in favor of boring romantic subplots. It feels like the writers lost interest in their own central premise and kept getting sidetracked.
Some Good Ideas Get Lost in the Mess
Now, Berlin did show occasional glimmers of a better show struggling to break free. The basic concept has a lot of potential. Pedro Alonso really revels in portraying Berlin's darker urges and room-dominating charisma. And there are attempts to weave themes of love, loss, and belonging into the heist framework.
Furthermore, the last three episodes introduce compelling new female characters who clash cleverly with Berlin and actually challenge his worldview. But these promising ingredients get swallowed up in all the contrived nonsense and narrative dead-ends surrounding them.
The Show Lacks the Courage of Its Convictions
At the end of the day, I believe the biggest weakness of Berlin is that the creators lacked the courage to fully commit to and confront the main character's destructive qualities. They try to sand off his rough edges to make him more conventionally appealing rather than leaning into what makes him so polarizing.
And the result is a wishy-washy muddle - neither fish nor fowl. Too safe and sanitized to work as a dark character study, but also too schlocky and sloppily written to succeed as a fun pulp thriller. It occupies an awkward middle ground that isn't likely to satisfy either camp.
While Pedro Alonso does his best with the material given, in my opinion, Berlin amounts to a wasted opportunity. By playing it safe, the show neutralizes exactly what makes its volatile anti-hero so compelling. It reduces Berlin to a generic ladykiller playboy rather than exploring the unique psychology behind his criminal genius.
And surrounds him with a lackluster plot full of holes and illogical choices. For this longtime Money Heist fan at least, I won't be hitting "Play Next Episode" when (or if) Season 2 rolls around. Berlin had its chance and failed to win me over.
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