Undercover (2019–2022) User Reviews

May be the best new show of 2019

[thevectortheory · 8/10 · 5 June 2019]

It's like a trailer park version of the Sopranos fused with the "everything goes wrong all the time" storytelling of Breaking Bad.

It's pretty fantastic. I couldn't stop watching after episode 4 or 5.

From America.

Surprised me with gritty atmosphere and great acting

[robberthooij · 8/10 · 4 May 2019]

Being Dutch myself and not expecting much from Dutch series which far too often try to copy US/UK material, this is a very decent entry in the Netflix library.

The cast is quite good allround, giving us some convincing performances. Especially Tom Waes and Frank Lammers are a joy to behold.

Being only four episodes in, I think the story is interesting and keeps me on my toes enough to want to see what's coming. It is however (so far) nothing new or thoroughly original in terms of story. But the delivery is spot-on, down to earth and compelling.

As a Dutchman I'm obviously a little biased but this is definitely worth a shot!

This is what a perfect television series looks like!

[PGMHeuts · 9/10 · 7 May 2019]

Undercover is a Flemish/Dutch co-production that really delivers. Great script, interesting characters, very good actors and a lot of tension. The major part of the crew is Flemish where the major part of the main characters are played by Dutch actors (except for Tom Waes' character). I totally understand why Netflix has released this series in more than 180 countries: it's just superb.

Great Belgium/Dutch crime series...got me hooked

[joshjack-35680 · 10/10 · 24 May 2021]

A great cast of European actors from the Netherlands to Belgium and from Spain. Frank Lammers plays the perfect drug lord. 100% satisfied...hoping for season three.

Very entertaining and good acting

[private-62809 · 9/10 · 5 May 2019]

Although I don't watch a lot of shows in my own language I was really surprised. Solid acting and well shot sceneries. A good thriller/drama show with good story lines. Big thumbs up and all ready looking forward to season two.

Superb Roller Coaster!

[SinceNovember2000 · 8/10 · 5 May 2019]

This show has a great story arch. Every episode ends with a perfect cliffhanger, which makes you wanna see the next one. Overall, Dutch show are of poor quality, but it needs to be said, this one has great production value. The score of the show is perfect and in balance. The acting is superb.

UNDERCOVER OVERDELIVER!

[MadamWarden · 8/10 · 25 November 2020]

A very good series. Definitely binge-worthy. I do love seeing non mainstream countries creative talents. Always a different angle. Something new.

This is definitely something different. Great character development, complex plots, lots of twists and really well directed.

The actors are all terrific.

I really recommend this.

A tale of two seasons

[mnjonman · 6/10 · 22 November 2020]

Watched both seasons of this show. Season 1 was a ten. Everything seemed to work. Good acting, direction, sound editing, soundtrack matching the show. The only good things I could find about season two was the soundtrack matching the show and the acting of the male lead. Everything else fell off. I found every episode boring from three to nine. Episode 1 and 2 were good and episode ten was a thrill ride. For some reason the female lead changed after episode two and the show went downhill, like they were trying emergency re-writes. Plus there was a lot of visible ink in season 2 and I think it changed my expectations. This is one viewers opinion. Try it and judge yourself.

Latecomer to this party (better late than never)

[paul-allaer · 8/10 · 17 January 2022]

As Episode 1 of "Undercover" (2019 release from Belgium; 10 episodes of about 50 min each) opens, we are reminded that the series in "inspired by true events". We see a sign saying "Welkom in Limburg", and we are reminded that Limburg (the Belgian province bordering the Netherlands) is a major producer of ecstasy pills. We then get introduced to Ferry Bouman, a Dutch giving living in Belgium and suspected to be the ringleader of the ecstasy manufacturing operation. But the Belgian police needs more concrete evidence against Bouman. How better to get that than by having 2 cops, a Belgian guy and a Dutch woman, go undercover into Bouman's weekend hangout at a local camping site.... At this point we are 10 min into Episode 1.

Couple of comments: there are several reason why I ended up taking a special liking to this crime drama series (more on that later). The main reason, is that this is a prime example of great story telling. When I see that a movie or series is "inspired by true event", I typically take it that the producers took some facts and built a compelling story around it, nothing more, nothing less. Almost from the get-to, I was pulled in and then the show wouldn't let me go anymore. At its very essence, this is no different that a solid soap opera, except that this is set in the crime and drug settings of Limburg, Belgium. Tom Waes and Anna Drijver, the 2 cops who go undercover, are outstanding as the leads, but there are a ton of other characters.

Even though I grew up in Belgium (although now a longtime US resident), I had never heard of this series. That is, until last week when Netflix "suggested" it to me, so I played the trailer and I almost fell of the couch when I heard the Flemish/Limburgs/Dutch accents. I started watching and immediately saw the initial 3 episodes, and then finished off what turns out was Season 1 in mere days. Can't wait to watch Season 2 (released in 2020) and Season 3 (released in 2021). If you like a great crime drama series that is just not another US TV show, I'd readily suggest you check out "Undercover", and draw your won conclusion. I think you will be glad you gave it a try.

Season 1 yes, season 2 noooooo

[Jeeystar · 6/10 · 13 November 2020]

Season 1 was good, but they should have left it at that. Season 2 was nowhere near the level of 1. Bad acting, thin story packed with clichés. Just don't watch it.

A solid crime drama from Belgium

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 19 January 2022]

This Belgian series, inspired by real events, is centred on Belgian undercover officer Bob Lemmens. In the first season he is partnered with Dutch officer Kim De Rooij. Posing as a couple they start staying at a camp site in order to befriend Ferry Bouman and his wife Danielle. Ferry acts like a fairly ordinary man but the police believe he might be the main player in the European ecstasy business. It won't be an easy operation; Ferry is wary of anybody trying to get close to him and some of those in is operation are even more suspicious.

The second season sees Bob going undercover again. Kim, who is now out of the police and working for a charity organisation reports that she has discovered evidence linking Laurent Berger, the owner of a stables, to weapons smuggling.

By the time of the third series the Belgian drug trade is dominated by Serkan Bulut, a Turkish man. The police believe they have a mole in the midst and an undercover officer has been killed so Bob must go undercover again; this time without police support and with an unlikely partner.

I really enjoyed this Belgian/Dutch series, as well as the prequel movie 'Ferry'. The opening episode quickly introduced key characters so the story could get underway. The characters are interesting and even the 'bad' ones are shown to be convivial most of the time; it is only when they feel crossed or someway threatened that they get dangerous. I think the first season was the best but still enjoyed all three seasons. They all provide plenty of tense moments as well as a few real surprises. The locations might not be as exotic as 'Narcos', at least for viewers in Europe, but their ordinariness adds to the believability and the feeling that if such things could go on in rural Belgium they could happen almost anywhere. The cast is solid; most obviously Tom Waes as Bob and Frank Lammers as Ferry; Anna Drijver and Elise Schaap also really impress as Kim and Danielle. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to anybody looking for a Euro-crime drama.

These comments are based on watching the series in Dutch with English subtitles.

First is good, second season not so much

[rfadam · 6/10 · 28 June 2021]

The first season I found engaging. Ferry Bouman really holds the show together. Bob is not a very likeable person-he's cold, brooding and seems to be entirely ego-driven. The first season had better acting and storyline and also a good dose of humor.

Season 2 focused too much on Bob/Steve, lost the element of humor and keeping Ferry in the plot added far too much tension for me. I stopped watching after episode 7.

I would recommend watching season 1 and then Ferry the movie. Ferry Bouman is the legend we never knew we needed at this time.

Boring

[susemaher · 4/10 · 12 November 2020]

Season 2 is just as tiresome as season 1. It is allegedly inspired by true events but I think more could have been done to make it compelling. Tom Waes is irritating to watch. I thought season 2 would be more interesting with De Rooij (Anna Drijver) removed, as her acting was equally as irritating. Perhaps it is poor directing or poor script, or something, but I am struggling to get through it.

Fantastic

[rogierwsmit · 10/10 · 17 May 2019]

Superb story. Super realistic and genuine. Great acting and engaging as hell. Must see. Euro Breaking Bad. Loved it!!

Superb and tense

[tim_schouwink · 10/10 · 7 May 2019]

Really enjoyably series. Great performance and character building. Fast, fun and tense! Go watch it!

Really good

[sidney_amsterdam · 9/10 · 5 May 2019]

I m pleasantly surprised by the good acting and good story. The main character is played sublime.

Outstanding.

[cshawsta84 · 10/10 · 11 May 2019]

One of the best productions I've seen in a while, and all filmed in Belgium and the Netherlands. Great acting, Writing and cinematography. Edge of my seat. Sorry it had to end. Watched with subtitles as I thought the English dubbing was not very good

How far would you go to protect your cover?

[Coventry · 7/10 · 23 January 2022]

You won't hear me claim "Undercover" is the best television series ever made in these parts of the world (Belgium/Netherlands), but thanks to the immense success on Netflix, it very fast became the most popular and internationally acclaimed series to originate from here. Thus far there have been three seasons, but I don't think there'll be a fourth. You never know, of course. Every new season instantly became more popular that the one before, but only the first season was (albeit loosely) based on a true story.

In the first season, UCAs Bob Lemmens and Kim De Rooij infiltrate in a camping ground community from where the notorious XTC drug-lord Ferry Bouman operates. In season 2, and whilst testifying at the trial of Bouman, Bob must find a way into a rodeo bar/horse riding school to unravel the automatic weapon smuggling business of two brothers. In the third and last series, Bob reluctantly needs the cooperation of freshly released Ferry Bouman to worm into the large-scaled Turkish drugs' network.

The above is naturally just a very high-level summary. Every season contains a lot of plot twists, intrigues, red herrings, and cliffhangers. UCA Bob Lemmens and his direct superiors often balance on a very thin line between what is juridically acceptable and what is illegal as well, and the agents have to make a lot of personal sacrifices, too. "Undercover" is very exhilarating and meticulously well-scripted, but admittedly you also need a fairly large dose of suspension of disbelief. Notably the speed of certain police decisions is incredibly implausible, knowing the ineffectiveness of the justice system in this country. But hey, you'll gladly overlook these and several other little flaws, because there's plenty of good action, suspense, thrills, great locations, stellar performances and impressive stunt work.

Suspenseful drama with great characters

[jeffreymnapier · 10/10 · 8 June 2019]

Wow, my first Dutch drama I've watched. Seen lots of Scandinavian crime shows and this is as good. Especially being a Netflix product. Loved the story, and the characters developed well along the way. Subtitles, but you will get used to it. Who would want to be an undercover cop? Not me.

Very addicting...yet VERY Predictable...

[u-59258 · 7/10 · 17 May 2019]

I loved this series as it started. I felt hooked from the very first episode but unfortunately, as the series began to carry on, it was like I was able to predict every single moment as if I've seen a version of this story at least a dozen times. I did enjoy the acting and the English audio was fantastic. The difference from the original was so subtle I could barely notice.

Eagerly awaiting a second season

[rachelmwhite-34800 · 10/10 · 28 June 2019]

I absolutely love this show. The characters are wonderful and the plot is surprisingly interesting despite being commonplace (undercover agents, drug bust, etc.). A few reviews have mentioned that it's obvious to them that the production doesn't have a very big budget, but I never would have guessed that. I actually really appreciate how it is filmed and think that it adds to the overall feel of the show.

I highly recommend that viewers watch it in its original language (Dutch/Flemish). On Netflix in the United States it will default to play in the dubbed English version, but it is very easy to switch to its original language with various subtitle choices. The original language is beautiful and makes everything about the show even better. I do not speak Dutch, but I do speak French, Italian, Finnish, and some Swedish and am very passionate about foreign films. It is, in my opinion, an absolute must to watch this in its original language. After a few minutes you won't even realize that you're reading subtitles!

First season great, second is an absolute NO

[djslump · 6/10 · 14 August 2021]

Great first season, definitely worth. The second one is terrible though, a total waste of time.

almost comical

[Anastasia97 · 5/10 · 11 November 2020]

If the cops in Netherlands actually act like that, Netherlands is in trouble. These cops make so many stupid mistakes, it's almost comical. Either they're naive or just exceptionally dumb. Not sure how they can even cinsider this "undercover", it's so obvious they're all clueless, I am surprised There are so many episodes. But, I really did not appreciate when this old cow shot an innocent horse, it was completely unnecessary. Overall, the show is amusing, but a suspensful thriller is not a accurate description of this "masterpiece", it's more of a background noise show that you just leave on when you clean your house

Dutch Narcos

[danielcereto · 8/10 · 17 May 2019]

This is not your conventional Narcos series. It is a different view of European Narcos. And it is not about cocaine, it is about extasis. So if you like Narcos, Suburra or Gomorrah you're going to enjoy this as me. Not as violent but pretty intriguing and interesting performances. Get some popcorn and enjoy first season.

Season 3 feels like season 1

[uzkngeweb · 10/10 · 9 January 2022]

Great series, love Ferry and Peter together.

Season 2 was disappointing, season 3 is going strong!

Great characters and one of the best Belgian/Dutch produces.