Summary
Round two of Undercover works. It has the right balance of chemistry between the characters that make an addictive crime thriller.
This review of Netflix’s Undercover season 2 contains a major spoiler regarding the first episode.
We recapped every episode — check out the archive.
One of the great shames about Netflix is that the streaming service is frequently accused of not providing enough content OR that they do provide content, but there’s not enough quality. And with that stigma, hidden gems like To the Lake and Grand Army get missed by a mass audience. And that brings me to the Belgian crime thriller Undercover, that is undoubtedly one of the best series on the streaming service. Season 1 impressed with its personal, spy espionage-approach that had the Ozark feeling; where characters become consumed by a location and live by their experiences. Undercover season 2 continues in the same vein — in the first two chapters it’s evident that they have captured the same magic; there’s an exciting feeling in the pit of your stomach that tells you to binge.
Bob returns, but we have to warn you that Season 2 opens up with a tragedy that forms the rest of the story. Kim is killed in the first chapter after she uncovers illegal arms trading. While Bob’s mission is to go undercover and unearth the illegal trading, the second installment of the Netflix series is doused in a strong taste for revenge, making the story have a different angle entirely. It’s not about justice at all — there’s no real division between good and evil.
Bob is not trying to separate his personal and professional life in Season 2; there’s a clear wall that’s blurred, and it provides the necessary depth for an exciting, consistent continuation. We see a different Bob entirely, and it forces the audience to question his choices, and ultimately, his ethics. Newer characters are brought to the fold, but the series smartly adopts a two-pronged approach with the narrative; on one side you have the illegal arms trading plot, and on the other, we witness Ferry and Danielle’s life post their conviction. Undercover manages to interweave both stories with Bob being the center-point. The risks are increasingly higher, and the chance of survival is low.
Netflix’s Undercover season 2 introduces two villains to seal the series as one of the best. Running the illegal arms trades are the Bergers brothers, Jean-Pierre and Laurent. The brothers run a horse ranch, giving western memories of Goliath, where corruption appears to be papered over by American traditions. It’s worth noting that Jean-Pierre is a villain that is noticeably meticulous and paranoid; he isn’t an oaf like Ferry — there’s a real IQ behind this character making the mission a significant challenge for Bob and his team.
Round two of Undercover works. It has the right balance of chemistry between the characters that make an addictive crime thriller.
