‘Berlin’ series review: This ‘Money Heist’ spin-off is more about hearts than heists

A nonetheless from ‘Berlin’ 
| Picture Credit score: Netflix

Regardless of its final two seasons not being on par with the primary three, the Netflix collection Cash Heist has undoubtedly reworked right into a phenomenon. The present’s iconography — just like the crimson outfit or Dali masks — turned a logo of rise up and, unsurprisingly, even led to actual heists with thieves sporting the identical costume. ‘Do burglars strike twice?’ might not have a definitive reply, however like most profitable franchises, it was anticipated of the makers of Cash Heist to financial institution on the success with spin-offs; after the South Korean adaptation Cash Heist: Korea – Joint Financial Space, we now have a spin-off collection titled Berlin, based mostly on the eponymous larcenist.

ALSO READ: ‘Cash Heist’ Half 5 Vol 1 evaluate: A dizzying, heart-pumping celebration of The Professor and his crew

Similar to its mother or father collection, Berlin can be based mostly on a heist that’s meticulously deliberate with all of the contingencies in place. However in contrast to the unique collection, which predominantly revolved across the precise heist and jumped to glimpses of the robbers’ private lives to distract us from the nail-biting theft sequences, Berlin is sort of fully in regards to the love lives of its major solid. In actual fact, the heist, involving the stealing of 44 million in jewels from a closely guarded vault, is — spoiler alert — accomplished throughout the midway mark of the 8-episode collection. What follows is a set of incomplete love tales masquerading as a police pursuit.

Berlin (Pedro Alonso) is arguably probably the most fascinating character from the Cash Heist gang. Within the authentic collection, he’s a terminally sick grand larcenist who comes off as a psychopath and an selfish narcissist, however somebody who additionally values the codes of friendship and would ultimately sacrifice himself for it. In a collection full of fascinating characters with backstories sufficient for the franchise to churn out spin-offs for an infinite future, Berlin, who can be the mastermind Professor’s brother, is poles aside from his nerd sibling. With glimpses of his contrasting previous proven in season 3 of Cash Heist, Berlin showcases the titular character’s charismatic greatest and Alonso aces it as the person who would do something for love.

A nonetheless from ‘Berlin’ 
| Picture Credit score:
Netflix

However this trope of the collection — humanising its antiheroes — seems to be its largest flaw. Whereas it’s comprehensible that within the grand scheme of issues, Berlin is about earlier than the Financial institution of Spain break-in in Cash Heist, the brand new collection’ heist itself is just too easy, that includes an uninteresting heist sequence that transpires simply over a couple of episodes. The place Cash Heist falters at occasions is when its characters jeopardise the in any other case well-made plans just for the Professor to offer course correction that doubles as an pointless twist and this, sadly, occurs extra typically in Berlin. Add to the equation the secondary characters which can be reduce from the identical material as those from Cash Heist and now we have a lineup of newbies who the collection doesn’t present a lot for us to care about.

ALSO READ: ‘Cash Heist’ Half 5 Vol 2 evaluate: Bid ‘Bella Ciao’ to The Professor and his crew on this explosive collection finale

It’s additionally disappointing how the collection doesn’t construct upon some fascinating concepts which can be already current within the script. Take for instance how whereas Berlin is having an affair with a married girl, a teammate of his, Damián (Tristán Ulloa), learns about his spouse dishonest on him; the collection hints at a parallel right here however by no means capitalises on it. There are some intriguing strains, like “Love is a illness with totally different phases — anxiousness if you discover it, concern of dropping it, despair when it leaves you” and “A theft’s not a plan, a theft is a curriculum”, aside from references to the Professor and even some shocking cameos that includes acquainted faces. However they don’t add a lot, apart from bringing in some sturdy feminine characters in a collection riddled with badly written ones

Berlin is a collection with a surprisingly shallow plot and one too many handy twists. It’s imagined to be the story of a bunch of thieves who can steal something however can’t save their hearts from getting stolen. Sadly, it solely finally ends up stealing six-plus hours of your time which you’d have relatively spent listening to ‘Bella Ciao’ on a loop.

Berlin is at the moment streaming on Netflix