The Beautiful, Not-Infected Countryside – The episode opens in 1348 Firenze, Italia. A hungry peasant boy (Michael O’Mara) kills a crow with a rock. Believing it is a chicken, he races to tell his mother. A desperate man (Allash Tepina) is confused about what to do with his deceased wife. Watching from a window, Pampinea Padrona (Zosia Mamet) questions if her fiancé will love her as much. Holding up a red dress, Misia (Saoirse-Monica Jackson) sarcastically says yes. Peasants plead for the plague doctor (Conor Moloney) to help their loved ones. The doctor says their only hope is prayer before fleeing from the desperate peasants. Dioneo (Amar Chadha-Patel) assists Tindaro (Douggie McMeekin) into his tunic. Tindaro voices concern about the color of his feces and hands it to Dioneo to examine. Inside the church, Panfilo Lungarno (Karan Gill)  watches a manic peasant (Elisha Dewulf) drink from the baptismal basin. After confession, Neifile (Lou Gala) asks Panfilo what is her penance. He assures there will be plenty of time to pray for forgiveness on her journey to the villa. The deceased are dumped into the canal.

A king-eyed woman (Denise McNee) and Licisca (Tanya Reynolds) watch as a man dumps the deceased into the canal. The woman hurries to remove a deceased woman’s boots before he is dumped into the canal. Looking at her own worn boots, Licisca believes the woman is lucky. She hurries through the streets to a flat where she places a flower in each of her nostrils. Filomena (Jessica Plummer) calls her a “freak.” Licisca explains how the flowers prevent her from inhaling bad air. Jerking the flowers from her nostrils, Filomena demands she brush her hair and wait to attend to Eduardo. She stresses over being an orphan when her father, Eduardo (John Hannah) dies. Illiterate, Licisca asks what Barone Piero said in his letter. Filomena says he is dead. Licisca promises to stay with her, regardless of her circumstances. While treating Eduardo, Licisca notices what appears to be pustules on his neck. He says she is like a daughter to him. She wipes tears from her eyes. Filomena yells for Licisca to get her some food. Eduardo says of his three children, Filomena survived.

Andreoli (Giampiero De Condillio) informs Filomena and Licisca that Visconte Leonardo’s (Davy Eduard King) wife and two daughters died. He invites them to his countryside villa. Considering a union with the recently widowed Leonardo, Filomena asks Andreoli to tell him to expect them on Friday. Licisca insists she cannot marry her cousin or leave Eduardo alone. Extremely determined, Filomena says they will leave in the morning. Licisca claims to have promised her mother that she would care for Eduardo.

Tindaro complains about moving to the countryside and vows to never share his inheritance with a woman. Neifile and Panfilo are also en route to the villa. Seeing bare-chested men beating themselves, she questions if it will be possible for her to remain holy. He assures her that the villa and prayers will help. In another carriage, Pampinea says her dowry will buy Leonardo’s love. Misia insists he will fall in love with her without a dowry. Pampinea urges her to not say anything about the infections and suggests Misia found it difficult to leave her friend. Misia doesn’t look happy. Upon arriving at the villa, Pampinea is greeted by Sirisco (Tony Hale). Misia makes it known that Pampinea will be Leonardo’s next wife. Sirisco informs them that Leonardo is away but he is actually dead.

As the only surviving servant at the villa, Stratillia (Leila Farzad) urges Sirisco to not tell their guests about Leonardo. Calandrino (Alfredo Pea) is the bee caretaker. He says Leonardo’s fiancé, Pampinea, and his cousin, Filomena, have a claim to the estate. She warns that the heir will terminate their service. Pampinea and Misia insist they start preparing the welcome feast in Leonardo’s absence. Pampinea tells Misia that Leonardo will call off their engagement if he learns she is 28. Misia says Sirisco knows nothing but soon learns she is wrong. She slaps him and warns him against telling Leonardo. She races to the cellar to rescue her lover, Parmena (Tazmyn-May Gebbett), from a sealed barrel.

Filomena hears Eduardo’s grunts and groans from outside his door. She tells Licisca that she found Eduardo deceased. Distraught, Licisca insists on seeing him but Filomena forbids her because he is contagious. Later, Licisca and Filomena pass a dying beggar (Tony Pandolfo) en route to the countryside. Licisca gives him bread. She and Filomena fight over the remaining bread. Filomena gets the bread. Licisca shoves her over a bridge into the water below. When Filomena doesn’t surface, Licisca retrieves her comb and happily rides toward the villa.

At the villa, Neifile, Sirisco, Misia, and Pampinea meet Tindaro for the first time. Pampinea boasts of being the fiancé’ of Leonardo. Dioneo kneels in front of Pampinea and Neifile and kisses their hands. Getting a whiff of Neifile’s perfume, Tindaro passes out. Licisca arrives and identifies herself as Filomena, Leonardo’s cousin. She claims Licisca remained behind to care for Eduardo. Sirisco provides a tour of the villa. Tindaro warns the others of roaming bandits. Sirisco assures them that bandits aren’t a problem and Caladrinio guards the gate. Tindaro says nothing stops death. Neifile drops to her knees and prays. Dioneo is taken by Filomena. Panfilo and Neifile have a celibacy agreement. While riding a stationary pedal-powered machine, she has an orgasm while watching bare-chested Dioneo. In the meantime, Panfilo masturbates to Dioneo.

Dressed in Filomena’s outfit, Licisca is on a walk with Dioneo. He compliments her beauty when Tindaro joins them. Tindaro is awkward when it comes to women complimenting him. While Licisca catches a fish with her bare hands, Tindaro excitedly says he may have intercourse for the first time and wisps Licisca away. Dioneo can do nothing but watch. A short time later, Dioneo tells Tindaro that he believes the women are having a negative effect on him. Tindaro gulps down an herbal tea that will ensure his survival. Elsewhere, Licisca, covered in fish blood, and Panfilo have a strange encounter.

An unwell Parmena believes God is punishing her. Misia urges her to drink water. A rat leaps off a rafter onto the floor. Capturing the rat, Stratilia burns it to death. Pampinea suggests a suckling pig for the welcome party. Sirisco says it takes two days to roast a pig. Misia vows to make her a suckling pig. Sirisco warns her against serving raw pig. She is determined to fulfill Pampinea’s wishes.

The guests patiently wait for dinner to be served. Pampinea becomes frantic when Leonardo is late and suggests he is injured. Not showing any concern, Sirisco serves the first course, flowers in gelatin. Neifile tries to assure Pampinea that she will make Leonardo a happy man. Unveiling a mole on her left upper arm, Pampinea admits to being 28 which she attributes to Leonardo’s tardiness. Licisca and Neifile continue to encourage her. Misia delivers the suckling pig and races down to the cellar to find Parmena deceased. She puts her back in the barrel, so she can be moved.

Panfilo threatens to expose Licisca if she doesn’t pursue Tindaro, not Dioneo. She says they all are going to do and she will enjoy herself with what time she has left. Announcing his arrival, Tindaro races over to pay Licisca a compliment. Sirisco catches Misia pushing a deceased Parmena inside a barrel outside. His elation is cut short when Misia sees a deceased Leonardo lying on the ground. She recalls him says Leonardo was away. They make a pact to not tell each other’s secret.

Tindaro entertains Licisca with a story about the Roman Empire and the Aetolians between retching. Pampinea pours him a glass of wine. Licisca gets upset when Pampinea refuses to share the wine with Dioneo. She gulps down the wine and burps in her face. Cardinal Agnolo (Romano Talevi), dressed as a robed bandit, an eyeless bandit (Oleksandr Rudynskyy), and a mangy bandit (Ricky Champ) demand they hand over their money and women. Tindaro yells. Pampinea flees upstairs. A fight breaks out between Dioneo, Panfilo, and the bandits. Tindaro throws his vomitus vase at the mangy bandit. Neifile recognizes Agnolo who believes God has abandoned them. Panfilo intervenes to save her. Sirisco slices Agnolo’s toe open. Agnolo announces their departure but not before warning, God is lost to them. Seeing pestilence pustules on his neck Licisca stabs him to death with a peacock head when they hear a knock at the door. Pampinea races to open the door to see a disheveled Filomena. Licisca is shocked. The episode ends.

 

The Decameron Synopsis

Florence is stricken with the black plague. Peasants and elitists, alike, are dying. After the death of Barone Piero, Filomena sets her eye on her cousin, Viscount Leonardo who is already engaged to Pampinea. Licisca refuses to leave an ailing Eduardo. Determined to not travel alone, Filomena tells her that Eduardo died. Neifile and Panfilo, who have a celibate marriage, Tindaro and his caretaker, Dioneo, and Pampinea and her servant, Misia, relocate to Viscount Leonardo’s countryside villa.

The Decameron Review

As I’ve not read Giovanni Boccaccio’s novel, “The Decameron,” my review is based on the TV series adaption only. The acting, wardrobe, and cinematography are the series’ strongest aspects. The plot is stereotypical, cliché, and dull. The jokes are platitudinous and stale.

While the acting is strong, the cast fails to properly represent the 14^th-century European population. The show is an insult to the nearly 50 million victims of the black plague.

They may have escaped plague-infested Florence but the threat of death and doom lingered. This is not to mention that many of the survivors had suffered great losses of their loved ones. One could only hope that the story was fabricated from start to finish. The episode deserves a 4 out of 10.

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