User reviews

I came here actually surprised by the low rate given by MADB, but after I realised it is actually worthless, I decided to write a short review to give a more unbiased overview of this mini serie.

It is a crime story with a super-tiny bit of supernatural in it: you can like it or not, it is surely not the main point of the serie, but more like a background perk for the main character.

The crime plots, per se, are average: surely pretty complicated but neither trivial or super shocking.

In my opinion the two strong points that make this serie unique are the setting and the shooting. The setting is the birth of fascism in Italy: the reconstruction of scenes, dresses, habits and feeling is manical! Never seen something so scrupulously precise outside documentaries (and sometimes not even in those). The shooting is also incredible (for Italian stardards): the use of lights and filters gives a feeling like almost being in a comic book.

For me is by far one of the best series from Italy of the last 20 years and an absolute must-see if you like the genre and/or the setting.

Beautifully and artfully produced series, set during the period of Mussolini's Fascist regime in Italy.

It is a character-driven series, centering on Ricciardi, a Detective Inspector in the police force, but also a Baron, who shuns the vanities of that ilk.

You get drawn not only into the character of Ricciardi, battling his demons, while yearning for love, but also the lives of the supporting characters he is surrounded by.

I found it to be extremely absorbing, and a captivating storyline, interspersed with the cases he solves.

It is dramatic, and romantic, and tragic, and beautifully done.

I am a lover of multi layered tv series and Inspector Ricciardi delivers that in spades. This is a detective series set in Naples in the 1930s. It has the supernatural in the shape of our hero who is cursed with hearing the voices of the dead, but that helps him to solve his crimes. His sidekick is an overweight police sergeant, who turns out to have a heart of gold and a great source of informants. Each episode is a stand alone mystery to be solved, but we also experience the emotional lives of our two main protagonists as they try to achieve happiness in their personal lives. This thread alone has a number of twists and turns. As might be expected from an Italian series, a lot of the female leads are beautiful.

Add to this that the series takes place in the rise of fascism in Italy, with shadowy characters never far away from the narrative.

It's a great series. Highly recommended.

The scenery, the acting, the plots- everything is at its best. One of the most beautiful series I have ever seen. From the first episode I was captivated by Ricciardi. His longings, his sorrows, his flair: all are splendidly conveyed.

The side characters are also pleasant, well drawn. Very much enjoyed the dialogues, full of humor but also sensibility. I felt immersed in the story, as if I were on the streets of Naples myself. The first season is a masterpiece, but the second season is also very good: the ending is perfect as it is.

If I had to sum it up to one word that describes this series for me, it would be emotion. Pure, genuine emotion. A feast for the eyes and for the soul.

Charming crime drama set in one of my favorite time periods. The story is not fast paced but it's not slow. Plots are often complex but driven by simple emotions. Characters are relatable and the actors seem like real life. I hope the next season is released soon!

I almost gave up on the first episode however I am glad I stuck with it. At first it seemed too twee and saccharine, a bit clichéd. However subsequent episodes have been unexpectedly quite hard hitting and complex. Interwoven is a bittersweet love story, and Naples looks great, with Vesuvius as a dramatic backdrop. The characters are likeable too, and interesting, particularly Bruno and Garzo. I like the elements relating to Mussolini too. All in all a really good detective show. Inspector Montalbano is still my favourite, but I am really looking forward to the second series of this. I recommend this.

I'm so captivated by this series. The character of Inspector Ricciardi, a baron who has turned his back on his title and estate to work as a cop, is marvelously embodied by Lino Guanciale. A haunted, sensitive, and tormented man, Ricciardi has convinced himself he can never marry or have children who might inherit his frightening second sight. Thus his front-view window relationship with his lovely neighbor across the street is more agonizing than delicious when she lets him know that she reciprocates his feelings. The romantic-sexual frustration extends over the two seasons. The setting of the show in 1930s Naples shows another side of Ricciardi. His best friend, the police pathologist, is an outspoken detester of the Fascists. He constantly skirts arrest by the brown shirts and Ricciardi is suspected by association. There are a host of regular characters, wonderfully acted, and a richly detailed setting, all of which make the series a worthy heir of the Italian neo-realist film tradition. Although the romance of the two neighbors finally becomes official at the end of season 2, there are many reasons to fear the way ahead may be thorny, so a season 3 is warranted. To Amazon Prime and the producers: please don't drop this masterpiece of a series. Let us continue to follow Ricciardi in his passions and torments.

This is a great streaming series. Beautifully filmed (cinematography, editing, etc). Set in Italy during the Mussolini fascist regime, it's basically a crime investigation series, but it's totally in context of the history and politics of the time. Top-drawer acting, great drama. It's very much a character-driven work. The detective has his own personal story and "special" skill, like so many. Each episode follows smoothly from the prior one. What you would think would be "minor" characters are actually very essential to everything going on. There's great good and great evil. I cannot imagine it being anything less than one of the best I've seen.

This series is photographed beautifully so each scene looks like an old-master painting. Delightful to see. The characters are engaging and draw you in. However, aside from portrayal of the drive by fascism to dictate behavior and our character's resistance to it, the episodes have a fairy tale lightness to them. Not by any stretch of imagination the psychological gloom of Endeavour or the hard hitting of Line of Duty. Instead, an enjoyable entertainment with glimpses of amusement and tongue in cheek, set in a contrasting fascist background. As an instance of the unreality the viewer is inclined to indulge, our Detective is attracted to a neighbor living in an apartment across the street, but he and her both are made so uncomfortable with their entrancement that their contact is primarily that of looking at each other through their apartment windows.

Interesting to watch despite its unbelievable aspects.

The cinematography, the main storyline, the incredible acting, I love everything about this series. Deeply relate to all of it... We can hardly wait for Season 3!! And, since they're making me fulfill a character minimum, I guess I'll say that my grandmother was a deeply devout Italian Catholic right down to the votive candles, novenas, chapel veil, rosary beads, Saint statues, and hymns. She is the only person I've ever known of whom I dreamt in her spiritual light after she died. This show has conjured so many memories that I treasure. P. S. I have 63 more required characters lol, so I'll end by saying Thank You to everyone involved in bringing this gorgeous series to life.

Best thing I have seen since Gran Hotel (Spanish). It is surprising to me that both of my favourite programmes of all time have had subtitles, but seriously I couldn't wait to watch the next episode. The casting and each of the characters are superb in their own right. It has a mix of mystery, romance, comedy, with a few twists and turns as it is set in 1930's Naples during the rise of fascism. I understand that there is a series 3 in the pipeline which I really hope materialises. Apparently there are a number of books on which this series is based so there should be plenty of stories to tell.

This is a hidden gem and I really do hope we get to see more.

I cannot quite make up my mind as to how to score this series, so I am hoping that writing this review will help.

First, the strengths of the series. The whodunnit plots are generally sufficiently puzzling to hold your interest. The historical backdrop allows other layers of engagement, with the fascists' becoming ever more present in the stories. The production values are pretty high, so that time and place are convincingly presented. Lastly, Naples affords stunning views and architecture.

Amidst all that good stuff are a couple of niggles. Firstly, you have to get used to the fact that ghosts feature in every episode. Secondly, the love story (or stories) central to Inspector Ricciardi's travails does not always ring true.

Now, I did learn to accommodate the ghosts. I also gradually bought in to their effect on his ability to love. If I had not done so I probably would not have continued watching. But because I did I was able to continue to appreciate the strengths listed above through two series. I would even watch a third if it is made.

This has become my favourite TV show - I have watched season 1 three times and season 2 twice - and so I am delighted that a third season is underway. I have also read that this is despite domestic audience figures falling during season 2, which is disappointing, but I think I can surmise a couple of reasons why.

ONE: did the season become overburdened with narratives? Besides the story arcs carried over from season 1, we now have Ricciardi & Bianca (so he is now pursued by two of the most celebrated beauties in Naples!), Bruno & Lina, Nelide & her market trader, Manfred & Enrica amid the machinations of the Party, Maione's son going off the rails, even Bambinella & his 'boyfriend'. Episodes can become rather bitty as segments try to keep all these storylines going.

TWO: the rich colour palette of season 1 has changed - under the influence of a new director, a new cinematographer, or both? - into a marked predominance of greys and off-whites. There are some sequences, as a result, which are to all intents and purposes in monochrome. I don't know what the point of this is, but it is thus less visually engaging than season 1. I hope that this is rethought for season 3, which I look forward to seeing next year.