Secrets and Sacrifices – The show begins with Pablo (Espedito Incarnato) sitting alone on a bench. Ornella (Melissa Anna Bartolini) confronts him about an incident in which he attacked another student. She questions if he did it for fun.  He doesn’t respond. Children are throwing rocks at a house when Carlo Sabatini (Francesco De Vito) emerges to confront them. Ornella asks if the girl provoked him. He explains how the girl laughed when he fell. The children call the man “ape face” while running away.  Sabatini swears to get them one day. Ornella asks if he has been hurt in the past. He turns to look at her but doesn’t speak.

At a construction site, debris from where Salvatore Zampa (Andrea Piedimonte Bodini) is working. Sylvia Fox (Emilia Fox) rushes out to determine what caused the crash. Isabel Vitale (Tara Fitzgerald) greets Luca Zampa (Paola Saverio Fantoni). She questions how the restoration is going. He tells her that papa describes the condition of the property as the worst he ever encountered. He assures her it isn’t the first time he said he. When another pile of debris falls, Isabel gives her encouragement. Sylvia says by the time the project is complete, she will be too old to enjoy it. Isabel suggests admitting she is defeated. Frustrated, Sylvia asks if she is insinuating it is time to return to London. She assures her that isn’t what she meant before inviting her to stay at her place.

Isabel and Sylvia go out for coffee. When a female patron orders a cappuccino, Sylvia turns to get a better look. Recognizing the woman, she snatches Isabel’s sunglasses, but it is too late. Mallory Bell (Bronagh Gallagher) approaches to greet Sylvia. She tells Isabel that she and Sylvia attended Cambridge together. Isabel identifies herself as Sylvia’s sister, which surprises Mallory. She tells her that Sylvia never spoke of a sister, just her parents. Isabel tells her about Sylvia’s home purchase. Sylvia tells her the house is uninhabitable. When Mallory says she is living in the castle, Isabel admits to thinking it had been abandoned since the death of the old Marchese. Mallory explains how she is an archaeologist who was given the okay to excavate the property.

Isabel questions what she is searching for. Mallory informs them of the Monterosa’ previous owner, the Knights Templar. She hopes to find the old chapel. Before leaving, Mallory suggests they meet up later.

Sylvia picks up some pastries at a local establishment. When she makes it back to her moped, Ernesto Bevilacqua (Stefano Fregni) is writing a ticket. She questions the need for the ticket. He points at the tire, which is sitting on the yellow line.

Sylvia is awakened by an alert on her cellphone. The message reads. “Fanculo Becchini Stranieri.”

Sylvia visits Mallory who gives her a rundown of the stolen items. Mallory escorts her to a wall that had been defaced with the same message Sylvia received earlier. Sylvia interrupts the message as “fu** foreign gravediggers.” Elena Deconte (Giorgia Trasselli) demands to know who is responsible for the vandalism. Sylvia suggests going to the police, but Mallory assures her it is nothing more than vandalism by a group of kids. Mallory tells her about several letters she received. When Sylvia requests to see them, she admits to tossing them in the trash.

Sylvia and Mallory are scrubbing the defaced wall when Ernesto approaches. He asks Mallory for her permit. He tells her the permit must be submitted to the town before the project is implemented. Sylvia explains who Ernesto is before suggesting Mallory stay on his good side.

Sylvia has supper with Isabel, Matteo Vitale (Matteo Carlomagno), and Antonella Vitale (Imma Piro). Matteo commends Sylvia for helping Mallory clean the defaced castle wall. She admits she is interested in finding the culprit. He asks if she had the opportunity to meet the housekeeper, Elena. She describes Elena as being “stuck in the past.” Antonella explains how Elena curses the castle. Matteo says Elena’s family assisted the Nazis in 1944 to still the castle’s valuables.

Elena opens the castle doors and windows.

Sylvia smiles when she looks at her new house. She arrives at the excavation site, where she meets Mallory. Sylvia is digging when she discovers something in the soil. She calls Mallory over to assess it further. Utilizing a brush to dust the dirt away, she exposes some bones. She suggests the bones could be part of the Templar graveyard. Sylvia assures her if the grave is recent, they will be forced to report it to the police. Mallory reminds her of who is in charge. Sylvia goes over her head and contacts the police anyway.

Riva arrives at the castle. The police mark off the scene. Riva informs them that the bones are buried in a shallow grave. Mallory asks if they can determine the age of the victim. He says the forensics team believes the bones are female. Mallory isn’t happy when Riva says the investigation will not be complete for several days. Sylvia informs him of the vandalized wall and Mallory’s stolen items. She asks if he believes the message is a warning in an attempt to keep her from discovering the body. He suggests it could have something to do with the Templar ghost not wanting to be disturbed.

A group of people gathers outside the castle gate. They are grumbling about something when Sylvia approaches. She asks Samir Hamdani (Mehdi Meskar) what they are doing. He tells her that the locals believe the body is Ornella.

Antonella tells her a story that took place between 25 and 30 years ago. She says Ornella Pannacci was only 16 years old when she disappeared. Her brothers and father were hunting when it happened. Ornella’s father operated a demolition company. Her personal belongings were untouched. An extensive search turned up nothing.

When Sabatini hears glass shattering, he rushes outside to see what is happening. A couple of boys pelt him with rocks d call him a killer before running away.

Sylvia is having a drink when Ciao Bernardo (Lorenzo Lazzarini) approaches. He informs her that Sabatini’s home was attacked last night.

Isabel and Sylvia discuss Sabatini’s attack. Matteo says he tried to convince Sabatini to seek treatment at the local hospital, but he refused. Sylvia asks if he was a resident of Panicale when Ornella went missing. He tells her that he had only recently returned to Panicale. Isabel asks what he thinks about Sabatini killing Ornella. He explains how Sabatini, a friend of Ornella’s brother, was seen next to the Pannacci demotion yard when she went missing. With Isabel out of earshot, Matteo asks Isabel to deliver some antibiotics to Sabatini.

Sabatini is working in his yard when Sylvia arrives. She explains the purpose of her visit was to drop off antibiotics for his injury. She compliments his garden before informing him that she is interested in hiring a gardener. He assures her that he only does his own gardening. She questions if he was a former gardener at the castle. He accuses her of visiting just to get a look at a monster. She tells him what the locals are saying about the bones found at the castle belonging to Ornella. He admits to believing the locals are mistaken before entering his home. When Sylvia rides away, he emerges to retrieve the antibiotics.

Sylvia visits the Pannacci demotion yard to inquire about their service. Andrea Pannacci (Daniele Natali) says the business is no open. After greeting her, Giuseppe Pannacci (Andrea Bruschi) apologizes for Andrea’s bluntness. He tells her they have recently been given bad news. She pretends to not realize they are Ornella’s brothers. Andrea makes a comment about getting the killer. She asks who he is referring to. Giuseppe says Sabatini. He goes on a rant about Sabatini. He claims they all attended the same school and hung out together without his father’s approval. He believes Ornella’s disappearance is what killed their father.

Valentino Infante (Lorenzo Balducci) greets Sylvia when she arrives at the castle. She informs him of her and Mallory being together when the bones were discovered. He explains how he came to inherit the castle. She admires a 1945 photo that he refers to as “Protest Art.” He contributes the art to his grandfather who tried to entice the Germans to return their valuables once the war was over. She asks if his campaign was successful. He says the Germans returned only some of the items.

Two men carrying a gurney, with the bones across the property. When Sylvia approaches Mallory, she demands to know why she is there. Sylvia suggests she take a short break away from the castle. Mallory accuses her of trying to get her away from there. They go out for a drink. Exhaling deeply, Mallory comes clean about not informing the university of her being at the castle. She admits to omitting an accreditation of a colleague in her recently published paper. She says the university put her on leave without pay. Sylvia looks over to see Ernesto and Giuseppe greeting a man at a nearby table. Giuseppe picks up something and tosses it at Samir who is having lunch. Ernesto does the same thing.

As Samir gets up to confront them, Sylvia interrupts, asking if they knew it was the birthday of the Queen of England. When she turns around, she sees that Mallory has left.

Riva joins Sylvia on a bench. They discuss the incident at the café, where Ernesto and Giuseppe harassed Samir. He explains how Ernesto’s grandfather prided himself on killing several Germans during the war. She calls him a “weasel.” She tells him about meeting Ornella’s brothers who she believes are keeping secrets. She suggests Giuseppe is keeping Andrea quiet for some reason. He questions why she is so interested in Ornella. She reminds him of who discovered her bones. He assures her that she isn’t responsible for finding her killer.

Isabel asks Sylvia if she recalls their beach vacation in Wales. Sylvia admits her father taught her to swim there. Isabel tells her that she is probably mistaken because their father never went on vacation with them. Sylvia assures her that she remembers swimming with her father. Isabel says it probably wasn’t their father, but their uncle, David.

Sylvia encounters Antonella who invites her to take cooking lessons. She asks her about one of the castle’s missing art pieces. Antonella tells her the 500-year-old art piece is known as “La Marchesa.” She says it is believed that Elena’s sister took the photo.

Sabatini is peeling an apple when the police arrive at his home. Riva and Samir search his home and garage, where they discover a red truck under a tarp. Sabatini assures them that the police inspected the vehicle when Ornella went missing. Riva says forensics can do a more advanced assessment. While Samir is out contacting forensics, Riva discovers a can of red paint.

Sylvia watches a hostile crowd get rowdy when Riva pulls up with Sabatini. Giuseppe Pannacci and Sabatini get into an altercation as he is escorted into the police department. Ernesto makes a racist comment to Samir who reminds him that he isn’t employed with the police department. Sylvia rushes over to question Samir if the police discovered new evidence against Sabatini. He informs her about the red paint that matches the graffiti at the castle. She sarcastically accuses him of exposing Sabatini to the violence because of the red paint. He assures her there are other reasons as well.

While Matteo treats Sabatini’s wound, he asks about Sylvia. Matteo describes her as a “good Samaritan.” Sylvia questions if his dog will be taken care of while he is away from home. He assures her that a farmer will do it. She asks why he didn’t relocate after the locals accused him of killing Ornella. He says there is nowhere for him to go. As she addresses his previous claim of Ornella not being at the castle, the police arrest him. She tells Riva that she assumed he was brought to the police station for questioning, not for an arrest. He informs her that luminol testing detected Ornella’s blood in Sabatini’s truck. He says someone cleaned the interior with bleach. She sees that Matteo overheard their conversation.

As they emerge from the police station, Sylvia suggests Matteo knew Ornella. Escorting her to a private location, Matteo tells her that he was born and raised in Panicale. He admits Ornella came to him for severe headaches. He says there were bruises on her body, which she contributed to a fall. He describes her mood as withdrawn and anxious. He blames himself for not doing something about it.

Sylvia tells Salvatore and Luca that she is headed to Rome. They comment on her new car. In Rome, she meets with Raffaela Tasso (Marianne Leoni) to discuss the Pannacci brothers.

Raffaela informs her that Giuseppe, Andrea, and their father, Alfredo have prior criminal convictions. She says the police investigated Alfredo for spousal abuse. The charges were dropped because his wife was unwilling to testify against him. She died of cancer when Andrea and Giuseppe were still young.  Sylvia questions what happened to Alfredo. She says his death was linked to alcohol. Faffaela tells her before Ornella disappeared an Umbria children’s charity received several calls.  She says the calls came from someone in the Pannacci home.

Sylvia sends Raffaela a text to alert her to make the call to the Pannacci demolition yard. She watches as Giuseppe walks away to take the call. She approaches Andrea as he works on a piece of heavy equipment. She asks if he was friends with Sabatini. He acknowledges they were friends. She questions if he thinks Sabatini is his sister’s killer. He says people think he is responsible for her death. She tells him that his father had a violent personality before asking if he abused Ornella. He denies knowing anything. He becomes anxious when she walks in the direction in which he is staring. She pushes back a door to expose markings on a concrete wall. She asks if he was locked in the room. He admits his father locked Ornella in there more often than him. She asks why. He describes Ornella as looking like their mother.

She asks him if he can remember the night Ornella disappeared. She questions if Alfredo stayed with them the entire time when they went hunting. He shakes his head no. Giuseppe reappears while she asks if he believes Alfredo killed Ornella. He swings a metal rod at Andrea but misses. He orders Sylvia to disappear. Sylvia asks if his father killed Ornella. He swings the rod at Sylvia, forcing her into the room. She reminds him of the surveillance cameras. He assures her that surveillance cameras are known to malfunction. She shows him real-time surveillance footage on her phone. At the end of the driveway, she answers the phone to alert Raffaela that she is okay.

Sylvia visits Isabel to discuss her father. She asks Isabel her age when her father left them. Isabel says she believes their father left when she was two. Sylvia admits to being confused because she has memories of him. Isabel doesn’t perceive her father in the same way as Sylvia.

Sylvia receives a call from Raffaela who informs her that she traced the art to Germany. She says only one of the pieces couldn’t be traced to Germany. Sylvia asks if it was the “La Marchea.”

Ernesto cites Sylvia for driving a vehicle registered in the EU while she is not a citizen. He says she will need to obtain a separate document for a non-citizen motorist. She follows him to a building when Matteo calls to alert her of something.

Sylvia arrives to speak with Riva about the bones not belonging to Ornella. She questions how forensics figured it out. He goes on a rant about nuclear testing that determines if bones were before or after 1950. He says the bones are before 1950. She asks if Sabatini has been released. He tells her that there is not enough evidence to keep him.

Sylvia is taking a cooking lesson from Antonella. They discuss the bones at the castle not belonging to Ornella. Antonella suggests her body is out there somewhere. She tells her a neighbor’s friend, Gabriella (Fabiana Bruno) was a friend of Ornella. Sylvia questions where she lives now. Antonella says Perugia.

Sylvia meets with Gabriella. She tells her that Antonella recommended her because of her knowledge of gardens. Sylvia questions her about being friends with Ornella. Gabriella claims to have seen sightings of Ornella after she was reported missing. She pulls out a box, containing a yellow scarf.

Sylvia shows Sabatini the yellow scarf. She tells him it was discovered in a bicycle basket. He refuses to answer her when she asks if he is the one who put it in the basket. When he holds out his hands, she places the scarf in them. He asks him to drive her somewhere. They drive out past Panicale. In a flashback, Sabatini is driving down the road, with Ornella is alive in the passenger seat. Sylvia asks if he discovered her in the demolition yard. She suggests Ornella had been locked in the outbuilding by her father. Back to the present, Sabatini refuses to show her where he took Ornella because he promised. After jumping out of the car, he starts walking back home.

Bernardo stops by to give her a letter. She asks if Sabatini gets mail delivered to his home. He tells her the post office holds his mail, which he has never picked up. They head to the post office, where he hands her a large stack of letters. She spots a sunflower postcard, addressed to Carlo Sabatini via Boschetto. It was stamped in Bologna, Italy.

Sylvia appears to conduct an online search for missing persons, with the name Ornella. A message from Adam Haines (Jamie Bamber) pops up on the screen. The message reads, “Missing you.”

Sylvia visits the Panicale archive office to research marriage records from 50 years ago.

Ornella asks Pablo to tell her something positive. He admits to getting angry but denies hitting his female classmate. She commends him for doing the right thing. When she escorts Pablo out of the room, she approaches Sylvia.

Sylvia returns, with Ornella to meet with Sabatini. He seems a bit confused butidentifies her. She denies knowing anything about his troubles. He assures her it was worth it to keep Alfredo from abusing her. She contributes her good life to him.

Ornella tells Sylvia about the night Sabatini found her. She says they briefly stopped at Gabriella’s. They left the yellow scarf in hopes she would know she is safe. She tells her about visiting Bologna once with her mother. She took her mother’s name to keep her father and brothers from finding her. She asks if Andrea and Giuseppe know she is alive. Sylvia gives her the option of telling them. Ornella explains how she thought her father’s last beating was going to kill her. Andrea was unsuccessful in trying to stop him from beating her.

Sylvia gets a call from Riva. He explains how the woman from the castle was shot at close range. He shows her the badge of La Brigata Baribaldi that was found with the bones. Elena says, “The partisans.” Mallory suggests the victim may have been from somewhere else. Elena tells about when she was a child. Her mother invested a lot of time in caring for the Marchesa. Her sister, Adriana replaced her mother. She says her hiding places were the best. Sylvia asks if she and Adriana shared a special hiding place. Elena shows her the hiding place. Sylvia holds out the La Marchesa. She assures her that Adriana spared the photo, not stole it. Elena questions why she fled. Sylvia says she never left.

The locals file into the castle to view Valentino’s art. He explains how Adriana and Sabatini were wronged for years. Elena unveils the La Marchesa. All those in attendance clap.

Riva informs Sylvia of Ernesto’s transfer. He questions why she believes Ernesto vandalized the castle with graffiti. She assumes he was told about Adriana’s body by his grandfather. He assures her that his grandfather would have told the police about Adriana. She says not if he was the killer. Mallory tells them about the university allowing her to stay on after she assisted in the La Marchesa’ recovery.

Sabatini is greeted by his dog when he returns home. Elena stares at Adriana’s photo. Isabel and Matteo briefly spy on Riva and Sylvia having a drink. Excited, they take off in the opposite direction. She thanks him for the lovely evening. He apologizes for not inviting her to his home. He explains how he lives at the Carabinieri barracks. They stand quietly holding hands as the episode comes to an end.

 

Signore Volpe Review

The episode was a major improvement from the first episode. The acting is good and the scenery breathtaking. Unlike in the first episode, viewers are introduced to Sylvia’s contacts. This helped eliminate some of the guesswork for the investigation.

The relationship between Sylvia and Isabel feels a bit strained. While I am glad to see her relationship with Riva take off, I’m questioning if they will be a good match.

The show is void of strong onscreen relationships. Even Matteo and Isabel’s relationship is not remarkable. I couldn’t imagine Riva and Sylvia’s relationship being any different. With only three episodes, there is barely enough time for character development, let alone, relationship development. I would’ve recommended six, 45-minute episodes, as compared to three, 1-1/2-hour episodes.

The cinematography is excellent. The plot twists aren’t extraordinary, but interesting, nonetheless.

The story is charming and deep in some sense.

Everything seems a bit too easy for Sylvia. It is questionable if this were a real situation, would the locals be so willing to open up to her. This is where the show contradicts itself. Ernesto discriminates against Samir because he wasn’t born in Panicale, but no one had an issue spilling their guts to Sylvia who is a Londoner.

A much-improved episode. I expect the finale to be even better. You will not fall in love with the show after the first episode. If you stick with it, you may find it quite charming and a breath of fresh air. The episode deserves a 6.5. Get more Signora Volpe recaps here. Support Reel Mockery by clicking on the link to learn more.