We are just over two years from the conclusion of the mother series, the beloved one The Paper House which has become a real cultural phenomenon, as well as one of the most popular series in the history of Netflix. Well, at the end of last year the streaming platform released the first – and for the moment only – season of its spin-off, Berlin.
This is obviously, as the title suggests, focused on the character of the same name, one of the most beloved robbers of the gang protagonist of the original series. This, which finds its end in the final lines of the second season, then returned in various flashbacks in the following seasons. Now we find him again in Parisseveral years earlier, together with one new band and ready to make a new move. There will be many complications, and the most dangerous will be sentimental nature.
A different story
One thing must be clarified immediately: those expecting to find a type of narrative similar to that of the main series may be disappointed. Of course, the style of the creator Àlex Pina can be recognized in several places, fromcross between irony and suspense to small details such as the frequent use of intradiegetic music. However, by the creator's own admission, the new show wants to have a different tone from the original: less gloomy and claustrophobic, more sunny and lighter. No shootings, no heartbreaking deaths. THE feelingswhich in the original series accompanied the various events in the background, here come forcefully into the foreground.
More than the story of a robbery, this is a love story, seen through the ever-changing eyes of the various members of the gang. But this is not necessarily a bad thing. Indeed, the authors are careful not to enter into the realm of corny ea don't give in to easy sentimentality. There have been all types of love stories in TV series, but the one between a hedonistic, narcissistic, romantic and semi-psychopathic robber like Berlin, and his victim's wife, certainly It's not something you see every day.
And also for the other robbersto which one is dedicated considerable space, things will be anything but trivial. Stories of sad, tormented, sometimes funny loves, but which manage not to bore and never seem out of place.
In all of this the action part is not devalued: suspense, chases, hiding places, ingenious plans are not left in the background, but rather intertwine well with the various sentimental stories, creating a puzzle of sure effectiveness. We are not talking about a masterpiece, there are no particularly profound or brilliant moments, but it is certainly a well-made and pleasant work, more than the average serial.
For lovers of the original series, there will be no shortage of references: in this regard, another point in favor of the series is the Don't give in to fan service, positioning only credible references and with the right “dosage”. The most important, obviously, the appearance of the police inspectors Raquel Murillo And Alicia Sierracharacters of primary importance within La Casa de Papel.
A masterstroke?
A note needs to be made precisely on the presence of these two characters: their presence is actually limited. It would have been interesting to see them face the robbers for longer and show off their police skills, but while it's enjoyable, their presence ends up having no effect. almost no impacting effect on the plot.
Another flaw worth mentioning concerns the others thieves: their characterization is inevitably affected by the comparison with the original series, and this “new guard” comes out heavily defeated. If in La Casa de Papel the various members of the gang showed their lights and their shadows through fine traits of psychological characterization, these “new” thieves instead end up having a rather empty characterizationand arouse little empathy in the public.
In this it doesn't help that the interpreters are, apart from being good Michelle Jenner alias Keilathey are not particularly expressive (another fundamental difference with the excellent cast of the mother series). To keep everything goingof course, it's him: the very good one Pedro Alonso, aka Berlin. Exploring new sides of the character, but without inconsistencies with what we have seen previously, the actor gives an exceptional performance and varied, capable of supporting the entire series on its own, also aided by the excellent dubbing by Alessandro Quarta.
Finally, a necessary note on one mammoth inconsistency: given that the name “Berlin” is chosen only in the first episode of the original series, it is a clear inconsistency that the protagonist calls himself that in this spin-off (have they already used city names in the past without telling us?).
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