Originally called “La casa de papel” (or “House of Paper” once translated into English), the many adaptations and spinoffs of theMoney Heistfranchise have come to dominate the Netflix streaming platform. The firstMoney Heistcast(which was released in 2017 and came from Spain) stars Itziar Ituño Martínez, Pedro Alonso, and Alvaro Monte in a gripping tale that revolves around a well-thought-out plan to rob both the Royal Mint of Spain and the Bank of Spain.
After that, there was a South Korean retelling calledMoney Heist Korea - Joint Economic Area, as well as two documentaries that detailed the behind-the-scenes process of the original and the remake. While all of these succeeded in their own right, the latest cinematic production in theMoney Heistuniverse entertainingly provides a more emotional approach to a past adventurous scheme initiated by The Professor’s brother, who coincidentally holds the same nickname as the title of the show.
With the eight-episode first season ofBerlinstreaming on Netflix from Jun 21, 2025, viewers will be able to have a more detailed look into not only the younger self of Andrés de Fonollosa but also some of the intimate relationships that surround his small but reliable team. With romance having as much of a stage as criminal activities, his running squad is made up of the beautiful but adrenaline-fueled Cameron, the criminal mastermind (but sometimes flawed) Damian, Bruce, the man who knows a little bit about everything, Roi, Berlin’s pseudo-son, and Keila, the cyberspace guru.
As a prequel to 2017’sMoney Heist, Berlin already had his hands on anothergrand heist plan, which involved stealing millions of dollars in jewels from a high-security vault belonging to an important auction house. The only problem is that he quickly and disastrously falls for the auction house owner’s wife. As you can probably tell, this new entry in theMoney Heistfranchise is quite different from the first series. Let’s take a more in-depth look and see how the two ultimately compare.
Berlin Is Quite Different From the Original Money Heist
Money Heist
The first thing many fans will notice is that while the original series andMoney Heistcharactersare in Spain,Berlinis primarily set in Paris. Many will realize, though, that Paris lends itself to the altogether lighthearted sense of the show. While a more upbeat tone was possibly taken to convey the naivety of Pedro Alonso’s character, the settings themselves have richer colors and brighter lighting. For instance, the apartment of The Professor’s brother is filled with a rich turquoise that lifts the episodic mood.
Numerous indoor and outdoor settings, like the clubs or cafés that a character named Camille frequents, as well as a trailer park (featured later on), all have a certain vibrancy about them (no matter the situational event that is taking place). Compare that to the entire color tone presented throughoutMoney Heist’sRoyal Mint of Spain arc. The dull color scheme full of bland grays and off-set white only intensifies the ongoing hostage situation.
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Speaking of intensity, character dynamics play a central part in bothBerlinand the original work, but only in different ways. As much asMoney Heisthas threads of relationship subplots strewn out about here and there,Berlingoes one step further and ultimately meshes different romances into so much of a crucial plot element that it ends up motivating the crew into becoming even more cunning characters.
The growing chemistry between Keila and Bruce at the rental office surprisingly becomes the key that helps them get out of a very dangerous situation. Very early on in the show, Cameron uses some sudden intimate touches to make Roi pick a door lock that much faster, so they don’t get caught. Let’s not forget about Berlin’s own fascination and affair with Camille.
Berlin Features Complex Characters and Ridiculous Romances
Some fans ofMoney Heisteven argue that whileBerlinis theoretically aTV show about a heist, the elaborate robbery trope (that this series is most known for) moves aside in place of numerous love stories. But in all actuality,Berlin’soverarching plot line about stealing various high-end jewelry is a means to explore the many caveats of people themselves. How they react, how they cope, and what they do instinctively in order to survive. The most important comparison to make, though, is easily found within the main character.
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If you were already a fan of theMoney Heistfranchise before diving intoBerlin,you might get a case of whiplash, seeing how The Professor’s brother is somewhat of a hopeless romantic. Yes, he plays with women as though they are coveted toys, but he doesn’t yet have the psychological edge he shows inMoney Heist.
to get the job done, he threatens hostages by sticking guns in their mouths and orders one of his underlings to kill a pregnant woman. In the prequel, he calculates every movement and sends out meticulous orders but never goes that far himself. If a second season ofBerlinis ever confirmed, hopefully, we can see what caused him to step into this darker persona.Money HeistandBerlinare available to stream on Netflix now.
