'The Decameron' Episode 8 Takeaway: Netflix show finally does justice to one insufferable character arc
Contains spoilers for 'The Decameron'
FLORENCE, ITALY: 'The Decameron' is streaming on Netflix starting July 25, 2024. The hilarious period drama is a parody that conveys important messages under the guise of a few humorous privileged characters who try to survive with each other in a villa as they evade the plague that wiped out a large chunk of the population in Europe in 1348.
The show has a whole host of characters who cannot stand each other but try to live in the villa. The subliminal message that goes out through the story highlights a class divide that stays relevant to this date.
The character arcs in the show funnily depict the lives of privileged people in extraordinary circumstances. One such character arc is that of Tindaro (Douggie McMeekin)
Tindaro’s redemption against the mercenaries.
Tindaro is a character who keeps whining throughout the show and almost becomes an insufferable character for a large part of the show. He is constantly accompanied by his doctor Dioneo (Amar Chadha-Patel) who does his best to keep him ill if anything.
The character is arrogant and doesn't respect anyone too much and you would love to hate him. But, in the final episode, Tindaro completes his redemption in an act of bravery.
While the show is a farcical comedy at its core, the characters' arcs make the show more enjoyable as the viewers can feel more for the characters.
Tindaro against all odds stands up to the mercenaries and stands up tall to fight them. Clearly, he doesn't have the appropriate training to fight them and falls soon after he shows his bravery.
In his death though, he does show that he partly deserves the royalty that he is treated with. He sacrifices himself for the safety of the others.
Subtle message behind the deaths in the show
The show intelligently says a lot and beautifully disguises it with cheeky humor that makes it feel almost satirical. Even the deaths at the end of the show have significance.
All the characters who die at the end of the final episode are the rich class who survived the plague. Panfilo (Karan Gill) dies at the hands of the mercenaries too and Pampinea (Zosia Mamet) dies after getting burnt in a barrel.
The ones who survive are either servants and commoners or Filomena (Jessica Plummer) who also disguised as a servant in the early part of the show.
The makers intelligently give out a message about life being a great leveler and the nature of the world to restore parity in the long run. They might have used their privilege to escape the pandemic but they could not escape life
'The Decameron' is streaming on Netflix