Berlin and the Lady with an Ermine Review
Director: David Barrocal, J.M Cravioto and Albert Pintó
Date Created: 2026-05-16 18:34
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Berlin and the Lady with an Ermine Review: Created by Álex Pina and Esther Martínez Lobato, Netflix’s latest chapter, Berlín y la dama del armiño stars Pedro Alonso as Berlín, Michelle Jenner as Keila, Tristán Ulloa as Damián Vázquez, Begoña Vargas as Cameron, Julio Peña as Roi, Joel Sánchez as Bruce, José Luis García-Pérez as Álvaro Hermoso de Medina, Marta Nieto as Genoveva Dante, Inma Cuesta as Candela and others.
Berlin and the Lady with an Ermine Review
For this time, Berlin and his crew have travelled to Seville, where they have become entangled in a complicated relationship with Álvaro Hermoso de Medina, a powerful duke who is highly obsessed with unique artworks. At first glance, the affair may seem like just another run-of-the-mill job that involves a masterpiece by none other than Leonardo da Vinci; however, as season 2 of Netflix Berlin unfolds, one will discover that there is more to it than meets the eye. Berlin soon understands that the duke is hiding secrets beyond expensive paintings.
Netflix’s Berlin and the Lady with an Ermine open strongly with the introduction of the duke, who creates instant friction with Berlin. They stop seeing each other as two rivals and start thinking of themselves in a very different light. Both men consider themselves to be brilliant and want to prove their superiority in different ways. The series takes the time to develop its rivalry, which adds a lot of depth to the story. It was interesting to see that for once, Berlin decides not to rob people but take revenge on his former business partner, the duke.
At the same time, the Berlin season 2 features a heavy romantic plot that shows the love affair between Berlin and his mistress, Candela. The character is presented as an impulsive, fiery person, unlike the beautiful women who usually surround him. Their romance develops fast and sometimes even a little bit recklessly, yet it is the emotional centre of the entire story. In some scenes, the couple’s interaction overshadows the whole heist plot. On one hand, it adds more depth to the story thanks to the strong chemistry between actors Pedro Alonso and Inma Cuesta, yet it is too slow sometimes.
The main thing that keeps the Netflix series Berlin and the Lady with an Ermine entertaining is most likely Pedro Alonso. While the character of Berlin was portrayed more as a cool-headed manipulator in the previous seasons, Alonso plays him as a passionate madman. This is a man who seems to be addicted to crime, love, danger, and drama in general. Many scenes of the actor seem to have theatrical vibes. No matter if he is arguing about art, flirting with his lover in the middle of a serious situation, or trying to turn some unrealistic plans into something romantic, Berlin is always fascinating.
The main plus of this Netflix’s Berlin season 2, of course, lies in how the heist is planned out step by step. Slowly, the viewers start learning about the duke’s secret collection, about the existence of the vault, and about the extremely dangerous security system surrounding it. Only when the whole team understands the level of danger they are facing does the series start to get interesting. The episode with the methane gas and fire trap proves that, at last, the group is capable of failing their plan.
But the vault scenes between Roi and Bruce are particularly memorable in that way since the stakes involved are very tangible and immediate. Seeing them stuck inside while the team scrambles to find a way to help them creates tension that cannot be found in most modern heist series. These were some of the episodes that brought back memories of why Money Heist was so captivating.
But there are also times when the season is burdened with multiple romances going on simultaneously. While Keila’s plot involving Bruce and Claudio provides some level of emotional tension, mainly due to the direct implications for the group during their mission, Michelle Jenner pulls off the scenes in an authentic fashion. She ensures that the plot doesn’t become overly dramatic. However, this cannot be said about the relationship between Roi and Cameron, which is unable to create any sort of emotional connection owing to the show’s frequent separation of the two. Cameron, who could have been an integral part of the crew, is underutilised throughout the season.
The other character left underused is the duke himself. José Luis García-Pérez puts forward an energetic portrayal, yet Álvaro seems neither as terrifying nor as brainy as the script demands him to be. For a person considered the equal of the protagonist, the duke seems quite passive during most of the heist episodes. Genoveva shares her role as an equally wasted potential. Throughout the season, she remains trapped in her position of the trophy wife, while the script could have found her more meaningful things to do than just act as one more plot element.
Despite all of these faults, however, I was happy to see the attempt to introduce some art-related topics into the script rather than making all artworks nothing more than expensive items to be stolen. Berlin’s interest in art reveals certain facets of his personality; indeed, he manages to unite two concepts, art and crime, in one picture. Certain discussions of property, greed and values seem sophisticated enough in terms of their content.
The visuals of the Berlin and the Lady with an Ermine series are top-notch. From the luxurious mansions, tunnels, galleries, and underground rooms, the series creates the ambience expected of this franchise. Netflix spared no expense in ensuring that the universe looked luxurious enough. The cinematography in the vault scenes is noteworthy for successfully giving the claustrophobic environment a sense of beauty and horror.
The biggest drawback of the season is in how it paces itself. The middle episodes drag due to constant interruptions of the main heist by romantic melodrama. Some emotional beats drag on unnecessarily long, while other storylines are not given enough attention. The season also leans heavily on fan service to Money Heist.
Netflix Berlin and the Lady with an Ermine Review: Summing Up
Overall, Berlin and the Lady with an Ermine is quite enjoyable due to the performance by Pedro Alonso, its stylish production, and some truly suspenseful moments. While it might not have the most intelligent heist plot in the series, it does work as a drama thriller revolving around complicated personal connections and madness.
