I am going to admit right off the bat that I did not think The Decameron (2024-) was going to be good. That was in large part due to the ridiculous costumes and since we run a costume snark blog, I was thinking that if nothing else, I could just snark the living daylights out of the show and call it a day. I did not expect to actually enjoy it.
Let me cut to the chase: The costumes are fanciful, but they’re designed by legendary costume designer Gabriella Pescucci. That fact alone got me to set aside some of my knee-jerk snark and roll with the wacky headgear and panne velvet.
Secondly, the cast is absolutely top notch. We have Tony Hale playing a very un-Tony-Hale-esque character, and it took me two whole episodes to realize who he is; Saoirse-Monica Jackson from Derry Girls, proving that she needs to be in more shows; Zosia Mammet, who plays a weirdly likable spoiled noblewoman, and the utterly brilliant Tanya Reynolds who is fantastic as the central character Licisca, just to name a few of the bigger names.
But the one thing I want you all to understand is that The Decameron has absolutely nothing to do with the actual Decameron, written by Boccaccio in the 1350s. And I kind of wonder why the show runners decided to name it after the book. I was a little worried it would detract from the story, but it really doesn’t. There are still Boccacio-esque elements to the story, such as a group of Italian nobles escaping to the Italian countryside to avoid the plague, but that’s more or less where the similarity ends.
Are you watching The Decameron (2024-)? Tell us what you think about it!
Find this frock flick at:
Thank god someone else it watching this. I am finding it really compelling.
It’s got so much going on. I kind of enjoy the bizarro headgear!
I did not know this show existed. Now I do. Thank you.
This show has been on my radar because of one man, and I’m just a teeny tiny bit salty you didn’t mention him: Amar Chadha-Patel. I loved him in WILLOW (which is no longer available for legal streaming anywhere), but if his Dioneo is anything like his Willow character, I’m so in.
it just clicked where I know Tanya Reynolds from! She was the super goofy and super sexually adventerious weirdo Lily from Netflix’s Sex Education. That performance pegs her as utterly fearless as an actress.
Also I would be remiss if I didn’t direct anyone’s attention to how utterly gorgeous two of the male leads are: Karan Gill with his dreamy coppery eyes and dapper costumes and Amar Chadha-Patel, who gets his kit off a lot and reveals a body that would make Olympian athletes want to cover themselves in shame.
Might be a fine place to recommend Il Decameron (1971), which at times is literally word-for-word Boccaccio’s writing but is way more vivacious and punchy than most films today. It’s a must-watch!
The same director, Pasolini, also did The Canterbury Tales, and One Thousand and One Nights, as well as more… ahem… infamous works haha.
If we would consider that they wanted to reflect the decameron in the 14th century this would be something for Snark Week. But it’s looking too much fantasy or whatever to talk about costumes etc. from a historical point of view.
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The depiction of characters and the plot looked sraight out of a Shakespeare play on the same theme. Apart from that, the series is really disappointing, as characters are overplayed, the references overdone, I struggled to get at the end of episode 2, and yet I wanted to love it.
I’m looking forward to seeing this show, honestly because it reminds me of the low-stakes drama from Downton Abbey. It’s cheerful, the background and sets look gorgeous, and just fun.
This is an extremely funny and not infrequently bittersweet show that didn’t quite stick the landing for me: I may have to rewatch it at some point, to give a more fair assessment, but I’m not sure my heart could stand it.
Fabulous villa, excellent cast though.