I watched the final episode of the 2nd season last night, and strongly believe this series is getting not worse but even better, promising even more interesting conflicts of mood for the 3rd season.
What Vanessa Scalera (Imma) told in a recent interview was an eye opener for me. She said that in the source material (the series of novels) her character is somewhat more bitter, physically less likely to fulfill the frame but more loud, etc. I think Scalera's personal charm contributed to the self esteem we get to see on screen.
During the 1st season, I could never really understand what we were to expect from her flirt with Calogiuri, given the character was really not likely to go all the way and betray the loving husband. The way the 2nd season ended will force everyone to account for what actually DID happen based on misperceptions Pietro (the husband) has already developed and others (thanks to the blackmailer's pics) will eventually develop.
I enjoyed how music began to contribute more to the overall mood thanks to Pietro's short-lived dream of running a jazz club. His naive ambitions, his neverending support for Imma (despite losing his dreams bacause of her) did really sink in. The characters are now just too 3-dimensional to not care about the personal lives of.
Where the events are set, Matera, is known best for being the shooting location for Mel Gibson's "The Passion", however it has served even before as a unique setting for several other important films, and also for other Italian TV series (like "Sorelle"). In Imma Tataranni, we see Matera less as the "ancient looking town" and more as a normal part of contemporary Italian life, which it is, being also a touristic center.
The friendships / rapport Imma has with those who surround her, the other women in the office, the law enforcement, they all look very entertaining and genuine DESPITE the very generic crimes she fights against as a prosecutor. And this is where the series finds its success: The focus is on the ordinary people who are just getting by, and the bigger, dirtier players (like the mafia) are not allowed to steal from the joy they are able to reflect to the screen.
To sum it up, this series is family-size fun. You may have some difficulty relating to the characters in the early episodes, but S2 will be worth the adaptation process.
