Berlin Series: Is Series as Good as Money Heist? These Are the Reasons to See It
Let’s find out together is the Berlin series is as good as Money Heist. Money Heist was not only a global phenomenon, but it also marked a turning point for television fiction in Spain, managing to question the term border from all angles, all through Netflix. Despite not being an original series on the platform, this would be the one that would take the production of Álex Pina and Esther Martínez Lobato to the top. After this immeasurable success, it was a matter of time before the series returned and, despite having a closed ending, it was considered bringing this universe back through one of its characters. The chosen one was Berlin, which although it was one of the most despicable in fiction, was also one of the most beloved among fans. And it was a good idea to hold on to it to try to prolong the success over time with something other than the Korean version.
At the beginning of Money Heist, Berlin was a character that was impossible not to hate, he was arrogant, somewhat cruel, and despicable, but little by little he won over everyone and became one of the favorite characters in the series. The death of Berlin, played by Pedro Alonso, was a tragedy from which we thought we would not recover. Still, the series creators had also fallen in love with him and found a way to bring him back, not like a forced ghost, like those in Star Wars, but through flashbacks that showed us more details of his past life. When the series ended, the character’s popularity did not disappear, and it was soon revealed that Berlin was going to be the first of the characters we met during that Mint heist who was going to have his spin-off. The series, which premieres on Netflix on December 29, is simply called Berlin, and takes place at a time when the thief was not sick, had not formed a team with The Professor and was preparing to commit one of the most famous robberies important parts of his career.
Berlin Series: What is the Series About?
The story of Berlin takes place a few years before the Money Heist. Here, Berlin is the leader of his group of robbers, whom he first organizes to steal an ancient artifact, which turns out to be the first part of a larger plan. The thief arrives with his group, made up of actors such as Michelle Jenner, Julio Peña, Tristán Ulloa, and Begoña Vargas, to Paris, where the next part of the plan must be carried out, with which they intend to steal a fortune of more than thousands of millions of euros in jewelry. If the plan goes well, they will all be rich and their widows will be changed forever, but if it goes wrong, they may end up in prison for many years.
Is The Series as Good As Money Heist?
No, the Spanish series is not as good as Money Heist, but that does not mean it is bad. What happens with Berlin is that it does not propose something different, which was one of the most successful points of Money Heist. Still, rather it starts from what we already saw in the Spanish heist series and has many elements in common, such as the theme of the heist, how the plan is organized, and even the characters who participate. It seems like the intention was to recreate the formula of the first series, although it makes sense because we know that Berlin was the one who helped the Professor plan everything in the first place. Everything feels very familiar and that makes it feel like we’re watching just another season of the series, rather than something new.
Is Berlin Worth Seeing?
If you like Money Heist, then the Berlin series is worth watching. Maybe it is not something new, but it is a series full of surprises, fun characters, love stories, and a shocking robbery, with many obstacles that must be overcome. As in the original series, here we can see each part of the plan, we can see a less cynical Berlin become a great leader who inspires his group to fight until the end, while also trying to find someone he can love and who I loved him as he is It is a fun series, it is interesting to see a new plan in action and understand how each part leads to something more, in addition to helping us understand how Berlin becomes that man we saw in the first season of Money Heist.
In addition, the series has a group of criminals who also conquer you (although they are not Tokyo or Rio) and who add a human factor to the story that makes you want to be part of the group. And perhaps it is not the best series in the world and it does not surpass the original, but it is a good first spin-off and one that could lead this world to grow even more. Although this prequel series avoids the present, we must not forget that Berlin (played by Pedro Alonso) presented himself as the leader of the first heist of Money Heist. His role was to ensure that the plan was a success, regardless of the price to pay, and although he was the personification of everything terrible in society, his career in the series made him win the hearts of the public and continued in the series until its end.
First Robberies?
Being aware of how transcendental Berlin had been for a large part of the viewers, the creators of Money Heist wanted to resurrect him in some way, even though he gave his life to the robbers at the end of the second season. Bringing him back through flashbacks was a great idea, although it didn’t seem like enough to delve into the character’s past. For this reason, Berlin returns in this prequel series that bears his name and is set in the past, when in the best moment of his life, he planned to steal a jewelry collection worth 44 million euros. Or more specifically, make them disappear before the eyes of the guards.
Different But Equal
To carry out this great feat and put his ingenuity to the test, Berlin will have the help of a group of henchmen who, although they want to resemble the iconic group that we all remember, remain rather a soulless carbon copy of what they were. the protagonists of Money Heist. It is impossible not to remember the Professor when seeing Damián (Tristán Ulloa), of Tokyo when seeing Cameron (Begoña Vargas) or think of Rio when seeing Keila (Michelle Jenner) and Roi (Julio Peña), and even if it was not the intention and be a light and entertaining product, Berlin ends up going in other directions and ends up being like a magazine pastime where viewers are forced to find the 7 differences between the original series and the spin-off.
Perhaps the creative effort is palpable through the color that permeates everything or in the way in which the protest and social tone are eliminated – which, by the way, was what hooked many other viewers – but sometimes a scriptwriter or director has You have to know when a good time is to put an end to it. Or, at least, when it begins to quickly become apparent that the priority is numbers rather than a good story. When it comes to a series like Money Heist, which draws on the success of an unparalleled television phenomenon, it is very difficult to escape nostalgia and the pressure and demands that force it to generate more success. And that is why it must be recognized that the role of Berlin as a series was complicated, and that it is quite an achievement that it preserves the essence of the enjoyable heist series that was its predecessor. But it also falls into swampy territory: traveling to the past to idealize and romanticize it or use it to whitewash the present of a disgusting character.
The Danger of Idealizing
Many viewers may be curious about the person Berlin was before he sacrificed himself for the team and became a martyr. But there will also be others who will watch the spin-off without forgetting that in Money Heist, Berlin threatened to kill a pregnant hostage, betrayed Tokyo, and even raped one of the hostages during the first robbery. No one has indeed denied that Berlin is a misogynist, narcissist, and even a despicable psychopath. But for that very reason, it is almost dangerous to talk about his past from romanticism, because this colorful vision and the fact that he has feelings or fell deeply in love in Paris does not justify the type of person he later became. It’s a shame, but the feeling that Berlin gives is that it was written to prolong the success of the original series and to whitewash the actions committed by its protagonist. And it is proof that the creators have not captured the audience’s message well. Because we viewers are fascinated by villains or antagonists simply because they are well-written as they are. And we don’t want creators trying to endorse their actions to make them look less miserable.
