About:
- Genres:
- Historical Fiction
- Mystery
Fix: Women Being Awesome, Murder Mysteries, Sibling Banter, Slow Burn Romance, Italy, Fancy Dress
Platform: Netflix
Netflix Summary:
An aspiring lawyer fights sexism, investigates murders with her brother and falls for her brother-in-law in this period drama set in 19th-century Italy.
FYA Summary:
“If justice itself denies to a woman what it naturally grants to a man, can we still call it justice?” – Lidia Poët, Episode 3
This six-episode miniseries is inspired by the true story of Lidia Poët, the first woman in Italy to earn a law degree. After being disbarred because of her gender, she goes back to her family home to assist her brother Enrico in his law practice instead. And by “assist”, she means to sneak into crime scenes, question witnesses under false pretenses, name-drop Enrico to take on cases he’d never touch, and win them all for him, much to his dismay. Enrico’s wife’s brother, Jacopo, a journalist, becomes Lidia’s ally – and possibly more – as they explore the city of Turin in pursuit of truth and justice.
Familiar Faces*:
*Actually, none of them are familiar to me, but I still wanted to list them here because they did an amazing job.
Matilda de Angelis as Lidia Poët
Every time she looks at the camera, you can almost see the gears turning in her head. She’s fierce, smart, calculating, but still full of empathy, fighting to defend clients who are – like her – scapegoated just for being who they are.
Pier Luigi Pasino as Enrico Poët
He might seem like a self-important bigot at first, and he is, but one who genuinely cares about his sister and wants to keep her out of trouble. (Not that it ever works.)
Eduardo Scarpetta as Jacopo Barberis
He’s sharp enough to not only keep up with Lidia, but also see right through her pretenses. He’s also the kind of guy who, when you’re out at night doing something not quite legal, will hide your face from a patrolling policeman by kissing you. With consent, of course.
Couch-Sharing Capability: Discretion Is Advised
This is very much an adult series, so you may not want to watch it with young children. It contains sex scenes, alcohol and opium consumption and – obviously – murder. Also, the “Bury Your Gays” trope appears when someone is accused of killing their same-sex lover, although Lidia is as unbiased and compassionate in handling this case as she is for all the others.
Recommended Level of Inebriation: Espresso
These characters enjoy knocking back coffee in tiny gold-rimmed porcelain cups. Perfect for keeping your wits sharp to fight the patriarchy. To be consumed in small doses if (like me) you find the flavor intense.
Use of Your Streaming Subscription: Judicious
This series may be inspired by a true story, but I’d take it with a grain of salt. The real Lidia Poet’s biographer and great-niece have gone on record saying that Netflix changed some things; for example, Enrico’s marital status and the city they lived in. It’s still a great story, though, worth watching for the visuals alone. Lidia’s gorgeous costumes and the picturesque Italian setting made me wish I could travel back in time …
Okay, not really. I like the right to vote, keep my own money and marry whoever I want (thanks, lawyers) too much for that.
