Summary
This Netflix series has made a tense viewing again, standing firm as a formidable dark horse.
This review of Netflix’s Undercover season 3 does not contain spoilers.
Undercover has calmly kept itself as a dark horse on Netflix. Building a steady fanbase, the series has given itself a possible universe, with the Netflix film Ferry having a surprising impact. The success of the series lies in its angle to present authentic personalities. The story has never been a dynamic of a gritty cop trying to bring down the man behind the curtain. Instead, the series has zeroed in on the characters, giving them life; regardless of background and intention, they are people. They are human. We are all flawed in some way, after all.
Season 3 feels like the pinnacle of the concept, but I’m sure the writers can conjure another rabbit out of the hat. By bringing in a new drug lord and motive, the story manages to give space for Bob and Ferry to team up together for a common purpose. It’s a tasty idea and wholly ambitious, especially when Ferry has the lust to kill Bob, who set him up for jail.
The ambition pays off. The character development is so embedded in the story that the concept of Bob and Ferry finding a way to team up does not even feel like an elevation of belief. Undercover season 3 melds both personalities together, making viewers wonder if they could have been genuine friends in another life. The series brings a surprising partnership that is a joy to engage with.
Few viewers will have any problems with Ferry, even if he is a raving criminal. The series has done plenty of work to provide an edge of sympathy for a character that has a lust for crime and money. Of course, his standalone film encouraged these feelings. By this point, it’s difficult to gauge what’s “good and evil” in the grand scheme of things, especially with the controversial elements of season 2.
Like Narcos, Undercover believes that the world works in well-oiled cogs, where police authorities and crime blend by the systematic process. There’s this incline that the system keeps the scenarios alive, like a bubbling monster awaiting more food. By now, the crime feels secondary, and the choices of the characters are the center point to the experience.
The new villains work magnificently in season 3. Serkan and his wife Layla present this immense power with a respected reputation. It’s not a man at a caravan park sipping beers. It’s a criminal organization that feels organized, does its vetting, and reviews each situation on a case-by-case basis. Bob certainly has his work cut out in his undercover role this time.
Cutting down to eight episodes, Undercover season 3 brings a suitable conclusion that fans will make peace with. It certainly feels like the end, but also not impossible for the universe to be extended. I have a mixed view on whether more content in this space is needed, but I certainly wouldn’t grumble. This Netflix series has made a tense viewing again, standing firm as a formidable dark horse.
What did you think of Netflix’s Undercover season 3? Comment below.
Undercover. Very good series. Although I would like to know… WHO WAS THE MOLE?
Patrick’s work email account was hacked so Leyla could read his work mail. The deal with Bob/Peter was communicated in Patrick’s personal email account so Leyla did not see these messages.
I love this series! Great acting, compelling characters, suspenseful storylines. But I’m confused about how Bob can still use the cover identity of Peter Bogaert in season 3. Wasn’t his cover blown at the end of season 2?
At Ferry’s trial in season 2, episode 9, Bob is sequestered in a separate room so the jury doesn’t see him. BUT the judge announces his name in the courtroom, which is full of reporters and spectators. The judge says, “All parties are ready for the testimony of the undercover agent known in the police report as Peter Bogaert.” Wouldn’t this completely blow the Peter Bogaert identity?
Like Jack W. above asked WHO WAS THE MOLE?
The series was very good.
Best series I’ve seen in years. Its plots with the ongoing cliffhangers makes your heart pound but just as important are the very human, non-stereotypical characters and their entangled relationships that inhabit each year of the series. They are people who don’t look like they just stepped out of the plastic surgeon’s office, spent hours buffing up at the gym or $500 on a hairdo that doesn’t get mussed up even after a wild scene. I rank this series right up there with the all-time greats including The Sopranos, The Wire, and Breaking Bad. You wonder why they can’t achieve this level of excellence more often in these types of series.