'The Decameron' Episode 1 Takeaway: Brutal natural calamity hints at one stark social issue
Contains spoilers for 'The Decameron'
FLORENCE, ITALY: 'The Decameron' is streaming on Netflix starting July 25, 2024. The hilarious dark comedy series subliminally points at some serious social issues while taking us through the lives of some eccentrically over-the-top characters.
Created by Kathleen Jordan, the show tells the story of a few rich families in 1348 Italy where the Black Death pandemic where the bubonic plague spread all across Europe. The show is seen through the eyes of a few royal families but it also highlights the gaping gap between how even a natural calamity affects different societal sections differently. It throws away the balance of a smoothly functioning civilized society.
Pandemic underscores Social Inequality in 'The Decameron'
In 'The Decameron', we see the privileged Tindaro (Douggie McMeekin), Filomena (Jessica Plummer), Pampinea (Zosia Mamet), Panfilo (Karan Gill), and Neifile (Lou Gala) find a way out of the infected city into a Villa where they will live safely away from the common people who do not have that option.
A staggering example of the difference in social gaze is when Pampinea witnesses a death of a woman in her husband's arms and sees the romantic side of their tragedy and wants someone to be by her side when she dies.
This underlines how the rich and poor live different lives and how one person's tragedy is nothing but a story for the other person. Filomena has everything anyone can ask for but her frustrations lead her to a point where she has no sympathy for her dying father too.
The real reason behind her leaving the infected city isn't to escape the infection but to go to a place where she can find a suitable groom. This gives us an insight into her myopic vision.
Tidaro's vulnerabilities come to the fore where he seemingly suffers more in privilege than those who are actually in the line of fire. Panfilo and Neifile's relationship has turned so platonic that their conversations have only pretense and no emotions.
Lust for privilege makes Licisca push Filomena
Licisca (Tanya Reynolds) has been a loyal servant to Filomena and her father serving them even during the time of the pandemic. She continues to be loyal until she sees an opportunity.
While going to the Villa, she pushes Filomena and takes up her identity at the Villa. The life of a commoner is one of unending ambition, as she sees an opportunity, in her mind, she is more deserving of what belongs to Filomena as she has served her father with loyalty instead of Filomena who was always disrespectful.
While her plans may not have been successful, as Filomena survives and returns, there is a hidden desperation that comes across in Liscisca which might be explored even more as her relationship with Dioneo (Amar Chadha-Patel) grows.
'The Decameron' is streaming on Netflix