May 18, 2026 2:00pm IST
‘Berlin And The Lady With The Ermine’ Review: It’s Berlin Brilliance At Its Best
It’s always hard for a character to stand out amongst an ensemble cast of a show or movie, especially when the premise itself is so very gripping. Not in the case of Berlin, from the global phenomenon that was “Money Heist.” Played by the ever-so-charming Pedro Alonso, this Man Friday to the Professor delivered such a performance that audiences just couldn’t take their eyes off him. Which is why, perhaps, it shouldn’t be surprising that he’s the character who’s got the most number of spin-offs to his name. With “Berlin And The Lady With The Ermine” dropping a few days ago, it was time to buckle up and get ready for another heist.
If Berlin could captivate the audience in a show where he wasn’t the central character, imagine what things are like when he’s the center of attention right from the word go. In fact, such is his egotistical and petty nature that the reason behind this particular heist is that he is insulted by the idea that anyone would think that he can be commissioned to steal something. Watching an offended Berlin turn the tables and make everything personal (once again) is far from boring. What follows is the man now being on a mission to steal one of Leonardo da Vinci’s most famous creations from the Italian Renaissance - The Lady with an Ermine. Yes, one can call it performative, but that’s what audiences have signed up for.
Audiences who’ve seen “Money Heist” or the earlier “Berlin” series might feel that they’ve seen this before. You’ve got a motive, a plan, members and their complicated personalities, that isn’t anything different. The show’s drawback is that each of the above-mentioned elements becomes repetitive and slows the pace of the narrative, especially when there’s a heist to look forward to. There is a lot of detail and time given to things that don’t deserve it and it’s this force-fit that might make audiences press fast-forward. It shouldn’t be called ‘the greatest heist in history’ when there are ample instances when the gravity of the situation just doesn’t feel engaging.
Long story short, “Berlin and the Lady with an Ermine” is a good binge watch. But remember this - and it can’t be any clearer - it’s nothing close to “Money Heist”. But you already knew that.
Comments are moderated. They may be edited for clarity and reprinting in whole or in part in Variety publications.