Is Berlin a worthy spin-off? Ratings on Rotten Tomatoes for Netflix's latest offering Berlin explored 

Money Heist spin-off Berlin follows the enigmatic mastermind, who reunites with a formidable gang in the city of Paris. An outrageous heist at the center of it all helps viewers peek into the life of Berlin before the dramatic events of Money Heist.

Pedro Alonso's iconic character, Berlin, from the immensely popular Netflix series Money Heist, was destined to take center stage in this highly anticipated spinoff. A charming sociopath, he was a major plot point in the first season of the show and reappeared in flashbacks henceforth. Before his diagnosis with Helmer's Myopathy, the spinoff depicts Berlin in his heydays.

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What is Berlin about?

Money Heist broke viewership records for Netflix. The series, created by Álex Pina for Antena 3 in 2017, followed two huge heists set in Spain before Netflix purchased the rights. A global phenomenon, it drew a viewership of over 900 million hours worldwide over five seasons.

Set in an undefined past before Money Heist, Berlin follows the titular thief as he embarks on his most ambitious theft to date. A million dollars in the bank and love are the only two things that matter to Berlin in his golden years when he is blissfully unaware of his disease and has successfully managed to evade the Spanish Mint.

This is when Berlin begins to plot his most spectacular robbery yet, which is the disappearance of gems valued at 44 million. To pull it off, he seeks assistance from one of the three gangs he has been a part of, a motley crew and a brilliant mastermind, Damian, played by Tristan Ullao.

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Is Berlin as good as the trailer promised?

Critics seem to have a mixed notion about Berlin. Here's what Mikel Zorrilla from Espinof had to say about the series:

"One of those series that you don't mind continuing with once you've started because you know you're going to have a good time."

Erick Massotto from Collider believes it might be a waste of time:

"Even though many of us don’t consider anything we watch a complete waste of time, Money Heist's spin-off and prequel series Berlin is here to challenge that notion."

Daniel Hart from Ready Steady Cut was all praise for the cast. However, talking about the series, he said:

"The heist team has great chemistry, like its sister series. However, with all the nonsense surrounding Berlin’s obsession, the series quickly departs from an exciting heist halfway through."

All in all, one could say that Berlin's attempt to humanize the character instead of embracing his abnormalities fails. The series reportedly normalizes harassment and portrays women as naive and manipulable. Berlin's premise is reportedly flimsy and relies on coincidences, preferring over-the-top sequences and twists over a good story.

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How did Berlin fare on Rotten Tomatoes?

Netflix Berlin (Image via IMDb)

Daniel Hart from the Ready Steady Cut gave it a 2.5/5 rating, mostly for the star cast and the chemistry between them. Eric Massotto from The Collider gave it a 2/10, considering it a waste of time. Mikel Zorrilla gave Berlin a 7/10 as he found it worth a watch.

Berlin, a spin-off series based on the character from Money Heist, is now available on Netflix. The series isn't reportedly as exciting or intriguing as the original, even with its massive production value and beautiful Parisian backdrop.

Did you enjoy Berlin? Sound off in the comments section below.