Money Heist fans — the wait is finally over as Netflix has unveiled the first detailed look at its prequel spin-off series Berlin which follows the character Andrés de Fonollosa (Pedro Alonso), better known by his code name Berlin and as the professor’s second-in-command. While we’ve already seen bits of Berlin’s heist-planning genius in the original series, this particular heist of Berlin takes place in Paris — he plans to take his next loot from Chez Vienot, Maison des Encheres — the biggest and most prestigious auction house in Paris.

He plans to achieve it with a geeky and ruthless crew that includes Keila (Michelle Jenner), Cameron (Begoña Vargas), Damián (Tristán Ulloa), Bruce (Joel Sánchez), and Roi (Julio Peña). Plus, it looks like the brilliant police detectives Alicia Sierra (Najwa Nimri) and Raquel Murillo (Itziar Ituño) from back in Spain have been called in to stop the heist — probably because of their strong negotiation capabilities and the links of thieves to their home country.

One thing that was instantly noticeable was the absence of signature Money Heist masks in the trailer. Will we see them moving forward? It’s not yet clear. But one thing’s for certain — Berlin is not helpless this time around and there’s no terminal illness weighing on his mind. He will execute the planned heist to its very last detail, even if that requires sleeping with the auction house owner’s wife or making the viewers uncomfortable with a gruesome murder and his extreme attitude.

How Does the Plot of ‘Berlin’ Compare to the Plot of ‘Money Heist’?

Money Heist — while started with a heist in the Royal Mint of Spain, arguably had a morally neutral plot. Yes, it followed a robbery but the primary heist planner — Sergio (better known by his code name the Professor) wanted nobody dead and meant to harm no one but the government that he disagreed with. The show had two heists — the second one was at the Bank of Spain — but that too was initiated as a retaliation of the police catching Rio and illegally torturing him. The show was driven by its resistance-based, Robin Hood-style narrative and concluded the same way.

Berlin, on the other hand, is led by Andres, who was morally ambiguous in the original series as well and had a painful death. The absence of masks in the trailer, therefore, could signify that in comparison to the original series Money Heist, where those masks became a symbol for resistance, Berlin will operate more with its anti-hero narrative and a full-of-suspense plot that the cult-following of the franchise loves, rather than starting a revolution. The exact details of the plot, however, may vary and are still under wraps.

Berlin will premiere on December 29, 2023, on Netflix all over the world. Check out the official trailer of Berlin below.

via Collider