The Sea Beyond

This is a story - not only that characters are fictional as stated but I am fully aware , even if I am neither Neapolitan nor Italian, that situations and relationships among them are not even close to realistic.

But that's not the point. Because it's a story - about the most profound of human experiences, especially when lived at a tender age, it is a story about love and friendship and devotion, about hate and violence , about joy and pain, about the warmth of an embrace when in the depths of despair, about choices, about courage and meekness, about weakness, about redemption and growth, acceptation and reject, about the complexity of human's inner being, about selflessness, about winning battles - with others and with yourself. There's a whole bestiary deployed to impersonate these themes as characters are interestingly making us think of the relations in the animal world: there are dogs (Pino, Filippo, even if of different breed), a panther (Skubra) and a splendid wolf (Carmine), a sheep (Gemma), a nightingale (Naditza), a snake (Viola), a lion (Ciro), a bear (Massimo), a monkey (Toto) and a rooster (Eduardo), all bathed in the beauty of the Italian scenery - what would one want more? Applauses to Massimiliano Caiazzo, Pia Lanciotti and Valentina Romani for captivating the screen and creating so colourful characters!

A downside (in my opinion) : as it unfolds, the serie frequently abbandons its characters leaving stories open-ended after having invested a lot of energy in, leaving the public in a quite consumming sort of quest for an end.

One more thing: having made this serie during those dark years (from 2020 on) it is remarcable how it pleas for freedom, breaking the rules, not losing morality and stay on the truth's side while cherishing relationships above everything. Maybe, in the spirit of the serie, it was the boldest act of all.

In the series we often speak in Neapolitan dialect and many actors are unknown.

This thing in the first few episodes could lead us to give lower ratings than necessary.

But once the first impact is made, the plot grabs you and you realize that these young "non-professional" actors are really good. Certainly many of them play parts that are congenial to them and perhaps they would not be able to do as well in other roles but this does not detract from the wonderful acting of this work.

As you go along you can't help but continue with the next episode and now I'm waiting for the new season to come out.

Even in Italy we know how to do beautiful things, even with not all professional actors and even when the budget is not millionaires.

Well done, really good everyone.

The first thing to know about this show is that it does not claim to be realistic and it does not pretend to be a documentary on the life of young people in a juvenile prison in Naples. Once you understand this, the show will be awesome. The characters are very well done, the setting is interesting and the story is compelling. I cried with every episode. Massimiliano Caiazzo's acting is perfect.

First of all i'm gonna say don't watch this show if you're sensitive to certain topics like abuse, violence or assault.

This show is great and I honestly got addicted from the first few episodes. One thing I love about this show is that you can't tell who the main character is because everyone is given equal time to shine and everyone's story is beautifully explained. The actors are almost all newbies but the acting is awesome. The chemistry between couples (especially Gemma & Cardiotrap and Rosa & Carmine) is just perfect. Plus I love the soundtrack.

Also not gonna lie Rosa and Carmine's relationship carried the third season. I wish season 4 would come soon, can't wait to watch!

I really enjoyed season 1, and found it to be really addictive, like the best prison dramas. The dramatic pull was so strong that I could easily suspend my disbelief at all the crazy goings on. However, they cranked up the melodrama in season 2 beyond my what I could handle, so I dropped it after episode 4. The death of a key character at a significant moment in a very suspicious manner, and the operatic, slow motion reactions to it was one of the last straws. I wish the creative staff had practiced a little more restraint and tastefulness. However, their strategy seems to have paid off, at least in the Italian market, even if it doesn't displeases someone like me. I'm glad I watched season 1 though.