Suburræterna

I desperately wanted this to be good, but frankly, it really isn't. I picked the first season up after completing Gommorah (the best show in TV history bar none). Gammorah left a massive gap as all other TV now became rubbish. The first season of Suburra gave new hope. It wasn't as good as Gammorah but it was really enjoyable.

However, the second season is nowhere near close. I eventually gave up after 4 seasons. The loss of Alessandro Borghi is just too big a gap to fill. The large banner of him in the gym is a poor substitute. It appears that he was the show. The character change to Spadino is truly laughable. It doesn't work. The characters are not connectable and the speed of dialogue and zillions of names, makes following subtitles impossible. I won't be watched e5 and I now know that this show should have died with Aureliano.

Sure, the other SUBURRA entries (and the champion, for my money the best TV series ever made, GOMORRA) were stronger. A few situations could have been written and / or directed better, but even a series that delivers "only" 80-90% from that group of film makers delivers more quality, better acting and less artificial storytelling than the usual stuff from the US with all those terrible dialogues. Great atmosphere, as usual very fine visuals and belivable acting makes this series another winner from Italia. Especially the way they dealt with the church I liked a lot, quite brave. (The new series' only minus, for me anyway, is the last episode. Can't wait for the next season!)

I had watched Suburra, which is the hit 2015 movie but not the series. This review is so based on the eight episodes of this show and what the audience can take away from them as a standalone. All the prequels have had the Anecleti family at the center of things. The question is whether this show can be viewed as a standalone. The answer is yes, it can, although it takes time to understand the big picture, as none of these characters were known before if seen that way. It's not that the script is too bad, but it doesn't offer anything new. It is another power struggle, a clash of ideologies with no apparent reason, and just general gunslinging and firing At times, it felt like the story had too many details and politics that we were missing, and that was a mistake by the scriptwriters. The one genuine benefit of not having watched the prequels is that the audience will root equally for both sides at war. Briefly, this story is that Rome is 'in turmoil,' with the mafia, the church, and the government pushing their agendas at the expense of poor people. This is why it is apt to say that there are no good guys in this show, even if they look like they are doing the right thing. The fact is that we expected to feel something with Suburræterna. All in all is better to be watched with a global knowledge of other stories.

Quite disappointed by this new series - the premise was promising, although I feel the characters were a bit too soggy and raw - no energy, very little memorable moments. If you are a fan of Suburra, then this is a must watch to find out how the story develops from the previous series - that's unfortunately about it :/

There was hope for Spadino to develop, unfortunately he is the shadow of himself...The other characters, especially Cinaglia is not as fascinating and exotic. The female character is confusing, and Damiano fails to become a main character - the one that is interesting and intriguing.

Back to the Suburra universe. Brash and brutal melodrama of political corruption and gangster turf wars in Rome - set at the fraught moment of spiritual crisis in Vatican. Perfect for binge watching. If you like other Suburra seasons, punchy neo-noir, its imbroglio of crime families, political corruption and endless deal makings about Rome real estate. You will enjoy this one as well. Remember that this a sequel to an earlier series. If you need a refresher or just to catch up, or if you want to watch in order, you should watch "Suburra: Blood on Rome" first and you'll appreciate this show even more.