This Is Awful, And You’ll Never Recover – As the episode opens, Pampinea (Zosia Mamet) is being pursued by Sirisco (Tony Hale) and a group of peasants. She hides inside a maze and eventually races toward the villa where Stratilia (Leila Farzad) locates a frightened Jacopo (Ashton Wray) behind a large chest. She attributes their situation to her relationship with Tindaro (Douggie McMeekin) which was a mistake. Sirisco and the peasants barge into the house looking for Pampinea. Arriguccio (Dustin Demri-Burns) is impressed with the villa. Sirisco complains about how Pampinea is ruining the villa, created by Benedictine monks. A gossipy peasant (Sun Hee You) asks if he is referring to the same woman. He stresses the need to do away with her, so they can live in the villa like the nobles. They split up to search for her. Elsewhere, Misia (Saoirse-Monica Jackson) is thrilled when Filomena (Jessica Plummer) returns to the villa. When Pampinea insists on helping Pampinea, Filomena says she tried to burn Stratilia at the stake.

Tindaro prepares to propose to Stratlia when he notices burns on her legs and insists she see a doctor. He tells him to shut up and walks away with Jacopo. With an arrow sticking out of her leg, Licisca is disappointed to learn about Dioneo’s (Amar Chadha-Patel) death. Stratlia refuses to help her because she is a noble. Jacopo reminds her that Licisca is a servant. Elsewhere, Misia tells Filomena that she killed Ruggiero (Fares Fares) at Pampinea’s request. Filomena believes she has changed. Misia sings to prove she is the same person. Filomena warns her against staying with Pampinea. They embrace.

Panfilo (Karan Gill) tells Sirisco that he cannot bury Neifile (Lou Gala) with his help. Sirisco agrees to help him but not until Pampinea is located. He urges him to pray when Arriguccio, Calandrino (Alfredo Pea), and the peasants arrive to continue their search for Pampinea. Panfilo prays. Elsewhere, Stratilia ties a tourniquet around Licisca’s leg and places feather shafts over the arrow’s barbs. Licisca groans in pain. Stratilia claims to have had an affair with Leonardo (Davy Eduard King). When she got pregnant with Jacopo, Leonardo promised to make him his heir. Licisca tells her that Filomena knew they were sisters but never told her. Stratilia removes the arrow with one smooth pull. Tindaro overhears Stratilia saying he means nothing to her. Licisca thanks her. Distraught, Tindaro mixes various ingredients together and ingests the concoction. After lying on the floor, he hopes Stratilia will cry for him.

Misia and Filomena kiss and undress each other. Hidden in a nearby chest, Pampinea opens the lid to see them making love. Elsewhere, Arriguccio says they should eat while searching the kitchen. Sirisco warns that Pampinea may be watching them. An old peasant (Hal Yamanouchi), a shy peasant (Alioune Badiane, a cute peasant (Roberta Mengozzi), and a teen peasant (Tommaso Badioli) are starving. Sirisco claims she lied about him being the father of her baby. Realizing she has no power over him, he agrees to let them eat.

Jacopo is disappointed that Stratilia is forcing him to leave his first friend, Tindaro, behind. She tells him that Tindaro is not his friend but he refuses to believe it. He says the estate can be theirs if they take it. She agrees. Elsewhere, Tindaro calls himself weak because he couldn’t take his own life. Neifile’s death has left Panfilo alone. When Tindaro says Stratilia is dead to him, Panfilo punches him, sending him down a flight of stairs. A short time later, Tindaro apologizes to Licisca for not loving her the right way. She questions if he ever loved her before telling him of her plan to leave. He expresses his desire to have someone to love him. Inside, Filomena invites Misia to return to Florence with her when the pandemic is over. Misia asks if she will be her servant. Filomena claims to not want a servant. Misia will be rid of Pampinea forever. Inside the chest, Pampinea silently screams.

Stratilia and Jacopo go to claim the villa as their own. Tindaro asks to go with them but she refuses. A short time later, Stratilia poses in her bright red dress. Andreoli (Giampiero De Concillo) finds Panfilo mourning Neifile by the well. He tells him that they have all suffered. Inside the villa, Stratilia tells Sirisco that the villa belongs to Jacopo and he is permitted to stay on as the steward. Laughing, he suggests they all share it but she refuses. Panfilo barges in and alerts them of the incoming mercenaries. Licisca suggests bribing the mercenaries to leave. Sirisco says to give them Pampinea’s dowry. Filomena and Misia find Pampinea but not her dowry. Pampinea tries to manipulate Misia. Filomena intervenes and admits she used to be like Pampinea. Misia orders her taken away. As Sirisco drags her away, she suggests a servant or peasant took her dowry. Drawing his knife, Sirisco slashes Leonardo’s painting, sticks his head through the slit, and pretends to be him. Tossing the painting to Arriguccio, he orders her to show him the jewels. She denies having them. He carries her to the entrance. Misia slips the jewels into Pampinea’s cloak while they embrace. Pampinea says they stink before leaving.

Each of them remembers their deceased loved ones. Filomena claims Eduardo asked her to not tell Licisca that they were sisters. She confesses to lying about Eduardo’s death to save them from the black plague. Licisca washes her hands of Filomena and limps outside where she finds Pampinea swallowing her jewels. Licisca grabs what is left of the dowry but gets no further than the gate. The mercenaries have arrived. Licisca cures and turns to make her way back to the villa as the episode ends.

 

The Decameron Review

Stratilia declines Tindaro’s marriage proposal. Distraught, he concocts a nostrum which he hopes will kill him only to wake up a short time later. Leonardo’s son and heir of the estate, Jacopo convinces her to take what is theirs. Of course, she meets some resistance from Sirisco. Andreoli delivers a message, warning them of approaching mercenaries. Sirisco, who is destined to remove Pampinea from the villa, suggests giving them her dowry. Filomena and Misia make love. Filomena urges her to leave Pampinea and return to Florence with her after the epidemic. When Pampinea is located, she claims someone took her dowry. Misia sneaks them into her cloak before Sirisco throws her out of the villa.

Fed up with Filomena, Licisca decides to set out on her own. Pampinea swallows most of her jewels and Licisca takes the rest. Licisca is forced to return to the villa when the mercenaries arrive. The episode deserves a 5.2 out of 10.

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