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Episode 1 blends revenge, romance and rash decisions in a slower but engaging season opener as Berlin returns with a daring new heist in Seville.
Introduction
Netflix’s Berlin is back, and the spin-off wastes no time reminding viewers why Andrés de Fonollosa is still one of the franchise’s most magnetic wild cards. Episode 1 of Berlin and The Lady with an Ermine trades the fast-burn adrenaline of its previous opening for something more deliberate, seductive and psychologically layered.
Set against the sun-drenched elegance of San Sebastián and Seville, the tension of the premiere is built by manipulation, bruised pride and Berlin’s dangerous obsession with turning every robbery into a work of art. It’s a slower start than fans might expect, but buried under the glossy visuals is the setup for what could be the show’s most personal heist yet.
And Berlin being Berlin, of course things get messy fast.
Heist Idea That Starts an Ego War
The episode starts with Berlin and Damian arriving in San Sebastián on a yacht. Damian proposes a high profile target: the Bank of Marbella.
On paper, it’s just the sort of profitable scheme an old hand thief would jump at. It is said to be a vault of hidden fortunes belonging to Russian oligarchs, wealthy elites from the Gulf and criminal organizations. The stakes are high and the potential payoff is enormous.
But Berlin dismisses it quickly.
His problem is not the risk, it’s the lack of artistic flair. For Berlin, it was never really about the money. It must mean something . . . . It has to have elegance, symbolism, and a story worth telling.
That philosophy quickly leads him to a much more personal opportunity.
The Duchess Trap Alters Everything
At a swanky yacht party, Berlin spots Genoveva Dantes, Duchess of Malaga, and immediately changes direction.
He’s calling himself Simon and he works his way into her orbit after helping her out when she has a necklace mishap. The chemistry is effortless and when she invites him back to her palace in Seville two weeks later, it seems Berlin has found both a romantic diversion and a strategic opportunity.
Of course, this is Berlin, where nothing is that simple.
He arrives at the palace, chocolates in hand, expecting a flirtatious reunion, but instead walks into an ambush set up by Genoveva and her husband, Álvaro Hermoso de Medina, Duke of Malaga.
And this is where the episode truly comes together.
The Duke knows Berlin inside out.
More important, he wants to hire him.
His request? Steal Leonardo da Vinci’s famous The Lady with an Ermine during its exhibition stop in Seville.
That’s not only an insult, it’s offensive for Berlin. Being treated like a glorified errand boy goes against his inflated sense of criminal artistry.
And suddenly revenge is the real goal.
Why this robbery feels different
Instead of accepting or outright rejecting, Berlin pivots.
If the Duke thinks he can be used, then Berlin decides the only thing to do is to rob him blind.
That’s where the premiere smartly departs from the standard heist setup into something far more personal. They’re not only after riches.
It is humiliation.
Berlin wants to rip apart the Duke’s carefully constructed world because his ego has been wounded. That is classic Berlin. Reckless, theatrical, irrational, and yet totally believable.
Damian senses this immediately.
One of the episode’s strongest undercurrents is his frustration, as he repeatedly points out that Berlin’s decisions are driven more by vanity than logic.
He’s likely right.
But that’s also what makes Berlin so fascinating to watch.
Candela Sparks The Tale
Then there’s Candela.
Her bombshell introduction — literally tossing her cheating boyfriend’s belongings off a balcony — injects a dose of crazy into the episode just as things start to get too calculated.
Berlin is hooked right away, especially when she learns she just pickpocketed his wallet during their conversation.
Instead of being annoyed, he’s impressed.
That reaction is all you need to know about him.
Candela feels like the kind of chaos Berlin is naturally drawn to: unpredictable, sharp, destructive, and impossible to ignore.
Their later adventure together is one of the premiere’s highlight scenes.
A mission to recover Berlin’s stolen wallet quickly turns into arson, public humiliation and a police chase in a stolen car.
Absurd, reckless, and undeniably entertaining.
More importantly, it sets up a dynamic that could define the season.
Candela is not just a romantic subplot. She looks like a force that could amplify Berlin’s worst impulses.
And that’s hazardous.
The Crew Gets Back Together—But Not Without Cracks
There are a few quietly effective moments in this episode, as the Berlin crew come back together.
We learn that life after Paris has changed them all:
The Surprising Stability Of Bruce And Keila
Bruce looks all about commitment and their relationship looks surprisingly solid.
It’s a subtle evolution that adds more depth to his character.”
Cameron vs Roi: The Never-Ending Rivalry
There’s an awkwardness in the way they’re separated that you can’t miss.
The lingering friction between them is bound to make future operations harder.
The Solitude of Damian
The perhaps most human sub-plot concerns Damian, whose wife has left him.
His effort to fill the void with university life and recreational activities shows a more measured sadness beneath his usually under control exterior.
This emotional distance makes him seem to be clinging to the chaos of Berlin more than ever before.
The Duke’s Secret May Be Bigger Than the Painting
The most interesting reveal of the episode comes through the crew’s investigation of Alvaro.
They find out that years ago, the Duke had built a tunnel connecting his winery to his mansion, complete with a working train system.
Then all of a sudden he gave it up .
That would be suspicious enough.
Add in a dubious million-euro payment to a Geneva-based private security firm and it is clear the Duke is hiding something rather more substantial than a single work of art.
This is where the core mystery of the season really takes shape.
Berlin becomes obsessed with the secret “collection” and it could be anything from stolen masterpieces to black-market treasures to something darker.
And honestly, that tension is the biggest hook of the premiere.
Berlin Is More Reckless Than It Has Ever Been
If there’s one thing Episode 1 made clear, it’s this:
This version of Berlin is much less orderly.
He’s impulsive, egotistical and dangerously distracted.
That seems intentional.
The series seems to be exploring a younger Berlin still very much caught up in his own myth, not yet softened by the perspective we saw in Money Heist.
It makes him a little less polished, but arguably more interesting.
The only problem is that his arrogance at times pushes the story into implausibility.
So far the Duke, for example, is almost too easy a target. If he’s going to be the villain of the season, the next couple of episodes need to show more intelligence and menace.
He’s more of a plot device than an actual threat at this point.
Final Word
Episode 1 doesn’t burst out of the gate the way some fans might have wanted it to, but it doesn’t need to.
Instead, it meticulously builds a stylish chessboard of wounded pride, hidden secrets, shaky relationships, and a romance that could be disastrous.
The pace is slow, but the setup is good.
Seville looks gorgeous, the cinematography is still lush and cinematic, and the show’s signature mix of glamour and absurdity is alive and well.
Most important, it leaves viewers with one compelling question:
Is Berlin finally finding an opponent worthy of his theatrics, or is his biggest enemy still his own ego?
Rating : 8/10
A slow start, but with enough intrigue, mystery and beautifully chaotic energy to make the rest of the season worth watching.