Netflix’s ‘The Decameron’ Is a Shrewdly Funny Retelling of Bocaccio’s Epic: TV Review

Netflix the limited series ‘The Decameron The Decameron’ is a cleverly hilarious adaptation of Bocaccio’s epic collection.

By Alison Herman

Jul 24, 2024 05:39 PM

3 min. Read

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HTML0 Prior to single-location concept shows and Zoom table readings, there was the original pandemic-adjacent entertainment, Bocaccio’s ” The Decameron ,” the 14th century anthology that was based around an enclave of Italian nobles who were sheltered from the black Plague within The Tuscan countryside. A ten-year-old collection of short stories could be a sever cut in our current culture of reboots however there is a certain logic behind bringing “The Decameron” back in the aftermath of a different society-wide disease.

“The Decameron,” the eight-episode limited-series developed by Kathleen Jordan (“Teenage Bounty Hunters”) for Netflix It was, as per the company’s own documents of pressit was “very loosely inspired” by “The Decameron” as published in the 1300s. The storytelling format has been eliminated that has each guest telling stories to pass the time like “The Canterbury Tales” or “One Thousand and One Nights.” Jordan’s interpretation is centered exclusively on Florentine nobles and their the long-suffering servants who are confined in the villa and each with distinct motives. In that way it evokes “The White Lotus,” the most popular high-water mark for art inspired by confinement (COVID Edition).

Although “The Decameron” may not achieve the highs that Mike White’s contingency strategy that became an HBO most coveted show however, it is a hilarious display of a flawless group of actors. (Executive director Jenji Kohan, who is the star of “Orange Is the New Black,” has a clue about casts that sprawl that are confined to a single place.) As the days pass and pressure builds and the force of strangers being forced to seek out space together and harmful air leads to a growing chaos. Fortunately we’re far enough from lockdowns to appreciate the setting as a stage for black comedy and not just a reminder of something we’d like to not forget.

The cast that makes up “The Decameron” runs the spectrum from comics with a long history to breakout stars. In between “Arrested Development” and “Veep,” Tony Hale has the credentials to be the master of ceremonies. He’s Sirisco is the steward of the villa and in the unconfirmed absence of his boss is his responsibility to make sure that the newcomers are at peace, despite the growing plague out there. The outsiders are Pampinea (Zosia Mamet) who is a self-described old maid of 28 who’s excited to meet her fiance and the missing owner of the mansion along with her servant Misia (Saoirse-Monica Jackson from “Derry Girls”), who is subject to humiliation, such as stealing Pampinea’s “morning cheese.”

In the end, Pampinea decides to forgo the groom completely and create an engagement that will boost her status. It’s not the only fake in the room. Contrary to the cowardly Misia or the service Licisca (Tanya Reynolds from “Sex Education”) takes things in her own hands by shoving her superior Filomena (Jessica Plummer) off a bridge before taking on her own identity. Panfilo (Karan Gill) is a true member of the upper class However, his entire family is falling out of the grace of. His pious partner Niefile (Lou Gala) has also pledged her vow to be a virgin, even though Panfilo has a private reason that he doesn’t seem to be thought of. Then, the Quack Doctor Dioneo (Amar Chadha-Patel) is holding the hypochondriac patient Tindaro (Douggie McMeekin) in his palm but that does not mean that he’s helping Tindaro get better.

Rivalries, reversals, and flirtations begin to develop and many of them cross classes. Mamet is a screamer of a voice as the shrewd Pampinea, who is a bit off-putting, McMeekin is a Corden-like talent of playing the fool. The actors hiding in the shadows are likable as both Reynolds’ Licisca and Sirisco’s deputy Stratilia (Leila Farzad) fight back some of their agency and speak truth to power. “Currently, you’re taking up all the fear,” Licisca says to a scared Filomena. “There’s none left for me.” This is a concise take on the emotional burden in a sea of absurd jokes.

Together with “The Great,” “Bridgerton,” the newest “Lady Jane” and others, “The Decameron” belongs to the astonishingly prolific group of anachronistic historical shows that’s become the mainstay of TV since the last few years. “The Decameron” shot on locations outside Rome and retains its Italian name, however it isn’t adamant about accuracy. Fortunately, the show does not draw parallels with the more recent brush with isolation due to germs. The topics it tackles – social class or status anxiety, love — are timeless and are strong enough in their own. The people who gather at the villa could encounter threats from outside bands, however their increasing anxiety means that the seeds of their downfall are being planted within.

The Eight episodes of “The Decameron” are now available for streaming via Netflix.