A couple of years ago, when I streamed Money Heist on Netflix, I became the greatest fan of the show and adored all of its well-written and designed characters, which made the action-packed series all the more compelling. The Professor, Tokyo, Denver, and Nairobi were both perfect and flawed in their own right; however, none of them were as compelling and captivating as Berlin, portrayed by Pedro Alonso. Berlin’s ability to tap into the range of human emotions, from sentimental to joyous, became the highlight of the show. In addition, Berlin’s nothing-to-lose attitude made him practically an unstoppable force in the face of the Spanish police and army. Now Pedro is back again with a new spin-off series centered around Berlin and his motley crew.
Major Spoilers Warning
Who’s In Berlin’s Crew?
Berlin took us back to the old times when Andres was yet to take up the notorious job of robbing the royal mint. The series is set in a time when Berlin had yet to meet the Professor and was also oblivious to his serious illness. As we all know, Berlin wasn’t someone who would put his trust in just anyone and thus had only worked with three crews in his entire life. His old crew included Keila, a graduate who was an expert in electronic engineering, and legend has it that she had never met a machine that could rival her intellect. Next on Berlin’s crew was Roi, a man who could break open any known lock in the world and had a penchant for getting arrested. Keila and Roi’s talents were matched by Damián, a moonlighter who juggled his life between teaching university students and crafting plans to carry out impossible heists. The next one on the list was Cameron, a girl who adored taking risks. Last but not least, Bruce was a man of many talents and could handle anything, be it transport or explosives.
What Is Berlin Robbing Now?
Berlin was a maestro at two things: taking risks, making sure that they pan out, and carrying out a heist that is impossible to even think about. The only thing Berlin was never good at was love, explaining his multiple marriages that ended in heartbreaking divorces. Berlin’s latest plan involved robbing 44 million euros worth of jewels that were scattered around 25 different cities in the country in one night. It was an impossible heist, and this was why Berlin wanted to see it through more than anything. The ancient chalice Berlin and his crew stole at the start of the episode was the first part of their plan to steal 44 million euros. So, how does Berlin plan to carry out the heist? The first part of the plan involved setting up a fake archaeological excavation site in an underground crypt that had a passage leading to underground tunnels that connected the entire city. They also planted the ancient chalice under the church to get the permission they needed from the priest.
Their plan was to follow the tunnel all the way to an auction house, where the jewels would be deposited in a week’s time from 25 different cities. The only problem was that the jewels wouldn’t be deposited at the same time but would trickle in over the span of a couple of days, but Berlin had a plan to counter this issue as well. The second part of their plan entailed breaking into the house of Monsieur Polignac, the director of the auction house and the only person who knew when the jewels would arrive. Trouble escalated when the church priest took control of the chalice and wanted to present it to the Dean of the University of Salamanca. The aim here was to have his name etched in history. This was a huge blunder, as he soon found out that the chalice was a forgery, sending a whirlwind of troubles in Berlin and his crew’s way. Now, the vanity of one man threatened the months of preparation Berlin and his crew had put into the heist.
Who Is Camille?
Despite preaching to everyone that love is irrelevant and would break a person, Berlin fell in love again after seeing Camille, Polignac’s wife. Berlin followed her to a local bar, heard her sing, and also walked her home, from afar, obviously! This was a threat, as Berlin was planning to court the wife of the same man they were going to rob. Damián advised Berlin against it and argued it would hamper their plan, but Berlin had never listened to anyone but himself, especially when it came to love. Berlin acted on his emotions and met Camille again, trying to impress her with his charm, literary choices, and ability to read what others were thinking. Berlin even roped Roi in on his plan to woo Camille.
Even Roi warned him, but Berlin paid no heed to it and had already made up his mind. Polignac and Camille had a platonic relationship, and Berlin capitalized on the opportunity. Berlin donned his best tux to meet Camille. This was the point when Berlin learned from Damián that the priest was traveling to Spain with the chalice. This forced Berlin to make a tough decision: to choose between two primordial forces of the universe: love and money. So, what did Berlin choose? I think we all know the answer to this question, as Berlin was the kind of man who would cross the seven seas to catch a single sight of his lover. As expected, Berlin chose to meet Camille, entrusted the safety of his plan to Roi, and told him to bring the chalice back, no matter the cost.
What To Expect Next?
As Berlin himself has said, the heist is no fun unless it threatens to take away everything, if not successful. The trouble has just begun, and if you think an overwrought priest is the best they’re going to get, you’re dead wrong. Given Berlin’s penchant for risk and love, he would soon do something that would threaten the entire plan. The show had just begun, and there was still time for fate to put all its cards on the table.
