The Decameron

My goodness but doesn't anyone want to watch something just for fun anymore?? C'mon y'all, this is called humor and we need it these days.

First I want to thank the sound crew for the delicious soundtrack! I'm in my mid 50s and most of the songs (I've watched the first 4 episodes so far) have me and my husband nearly dancing while viewing!! Of course it's silly to hear Depeche Mode playing in the background during a scene from the 1300s, but that's the point! Some of these other reviewers seem to have missed the point.

This series is very refreshing, goofy, fun and hilarious but also well scripted, performed and beautiful cinematography as well. I am trying not to binge this one out too quickly, yet I can't wait for more!!!

I am not sure why the show got such low grades. It has all it takes to make it interesting to watch: light humour, fast pace, caracter development, awkward situations... I mean yes, there is no end goal to it, as in there is no classic scenario, some things are bizzare and maybe illogical, but it all serves the atmosphere of a plague, and depicting the sense that the people must have had during those times - despair, hunger, pain, opportunism, but also sense of freedom, unimportance of social status, changing roles, and finally importance of love and friendship during difficult times.

The show depicts how in times of crisis people start behaving in different ways, and the results are sometimes bizzare, sometimes satisfactory.

Though not really a Decameron, it reminded me of Shakespeare's comedy plays, depicting quircky medival atmosphere. It definitely deserves higher grades.

Just finished watching all the episodes, and here's my review:

Positives: A super crazy, binge-worthy historical drama. When I saw that the first episode was about an hour long, I almost wanted to quit. But not a single scene was boring, and the same goes for the rest of the episodes. The show is highly entertaining with very few slow scenes that won't ruin your experience. After the first episode, I stopped checking the duration because I was enjoying it. The direction, the writing, the cast, the background music, the location, and the story all of it worked well.

No character is safe in this show, which I love. I enjoy shows where they kill off some or many lead characters because it keeps you engaged and interested in seeing who will survive until the end.

The cast did an amazing job. I love many of the characters, especially Filomena and Neifile, who were my favorites. Even though it's currently a limited series, I'd love for the show to continue for at least three seasons or more..

The final episode includes a really dark scene that I wasn't expecting. The overall ending was superb and satisfying, avoiding the usual cliffhanger tactic to force a network renewal.

The ratings are currently a bit low, but please give it atleast 10-15 minutes of your time before judging the show based on these ratings and skipping it.

Negatives: Although I don't mind nudity and intimate scenes, some of it felt a bit unnecessary. Almost everyone is involved, including straight people, gays, lesbians, and even rats in the intro. But, this doesn't impact the overall experience much.

The final battle could have been more interesting and thrilling, keeping us on the edge. Instead, it was made more casual.

They could have explored the black deaths happening during the pandemic a bit more. The show mainly focuses on those who are not affected, so it doesn't feel like it's set during a pandemic. The focus is more on, poisonous deaths, revenge, and battle rather than the disease.

Overall: This is a must-watch and super binge-worthy show. I hope it gets the hype it deserves, with popular leads from hit shows like Sex Education and Derry Girls. It's on Netflix and is one of the best comedy period dramas. It may not be as good as The Great, but fans of that show might also enjoy this one. Rating: 3.75/5.

It is good. Looks great. Has great actors. Uses satire and the period of the black plague both as wrappings in which to serve some smart portrayals of human greed, selfishness, inequality (which is still terrible today) and position of women and lgbt persons (also current issues). It is hard to look at this mirror to humans evwn with the bows silly hats and bright colors that is served with.

I found it an easy watch. Amusing. And occasionally clever and funny. But mostly was glued to the actors who are all quite successfully playing not particulary likeable characters.

And the show really does look very good!

I am surprised it is on netflix. Feels like it would fit better with hbo.

I gave it a7 measured against everything I've ever watched before. The short review is that I enjoyed this. I binge watched it during my wife's absence because I suspected she would not enjoy it. My taste is slightly more eclectic and so I came into this without major expectations, simply expecting just a fun romp with the occasional smart or funny quip and it met my expectation.

I read through many of these reviews before and after watching and I think some viewers expected too much. If a person feels the need to write a horrible review, why the heck even would that individual hang in there for eight episodes?

Anyway, if you are the curious type, you'll see I have a public list of movies I've watched during my many years on this little blue planet. I don't write a lot of reviews but jumped in here because I felt this deserved higher than a six rating. If you've found my review and you're wondering if you should invest 8 hours of your time watching this, my advice would be to stay away if you are the very serious or overly critical type.

It was fun. Love has long claws.