Comedies in the Streaming Era
Comedies, like horror stories, have the task of provoking immediate emotional responses from their audience while avoiding overstaying their welcome. Laughing and screaming can be exhausting, so it’s crucial for the source of amusement or fear to be efficient. Nothing is worse than feeling bored during a scary movie or checking the time during a rom-com or crime caper. The word “bloat” has become synonymous with a particular streaming service known for its red and black branding. Even though Netflix’s new medieval series The Decameron is based on an extensive book, its episodes should not be dragging on for 40 to 50 minutes.
The Decameron Gallery
Giovanni Boccaccio’s Decameron, often referred to as “The Human Comedy,” is a collection of 100 short stories framed by a group of nobles and servants awaiting the Black Plague’s passing in a Florentine villa. Taking place in a 14th-century quarantine setting, the characters share tales of romance, comedy, tragedy, and debauchery. Adapting each story with its unique settings and characters would be too immense a task for any TV show. Therefore, The Decameron focuses on the characters in the villa, engaging in various antics during their seclusion from society. The show presents a mix of narratives influenced by Shakespearean comedies of errors.
The show initially delivers laughs with the characters’ outrageous problems that escalate as the episodes progress. Tony Hale shines as Sirisco, the perpetually exasperated steward, amidst nobles and conniving staff members. Despite the humor, The Decameron often relies on modern slang and expressions, a common trend in period shows today. However, the reliance on this type of comedy seems to be the show’s primary source of humor.
Unfortunately, the series struggles to justify its lengthy episodes, filled with indulgent montages set to pop music, a common issue in Netflix originals. As the ensemble expands, the season’s middle parts drag due to shifting alliances and friendships among the characters to push the narrative forward. Only a few cast members like Zosia Mamet and Saoirse-Monica Jackson effectively capture the show’s critique of class and privilege, embodying their characters’ transformations vividly.
The attempt to modernize a classic tale falls short by the end, as The Decameron resorts to cliches about societal breakdown during hardships. In its final episodes, the show’s jokes feel hollow, failing to resonate with the audience. The attempt to make old-fashioned narratives relevant to modern audiences ultimately results in a series that falls short of its potential.