I binged Mocro Maffia and was genuinely impressed. For a Dutch production, it was exceptionally strong: raw, violent, and at times uncomfortably close to what gang life in the Netherlands must be like. Well acted, well written, well directed. Solid all around.
Tonnano quickly became my favorite character, largely thanks to Khalid Alterch's brilliant performance. So when a standalone spinoff was announced, I was genuinely excited. I expected the same high (almost un-Dutch) level of quality in production, writing, and direction. With all the talent involved, this should've been a guaranteed hit.
I couldn't have been more wrong.
This series is an insult, not only to fans of Mocro Maffia, but also to the cast and creatives who poured their time into making this thing. Everything is off. And I mean everything. The production is sloppy, the writing is weak, the direction is all over the place, and the performances (with a few exceptions) are shockingly poor. Compared to its parent series, it's an absolute abomination.
It's painfully obvious the show had neither the budget nor the time to get things right. The script feels rushed, the scenes look unrehearsed, and it honestly feels like they used the first take of every shot.
I loved Mocro Maffia. But this spinoff just made me angry. It destroys the Tonnano character and drags down the entire franchise with it.
Credit where it's due: Khalid, Ciraj, and Anas still manage to shine. Their talent is the only reason I endured it to the end.
But please, no more of this.
