Warning: This article contains MAJOR SPOILERS for Netflix’s The Decameron.
Summary
While most ofThe Decameronleans into morbid, hilarious, and raunchy elements, the Netflix show includes one painful scene that provides viewers with something important after the COVID-19 pandemic. The dark comedy series is set in Florence, Italy, in 1348, using a fictionalized version ofthe true story of the Black Plagueasa long-form allegory to explore the painful and funny experiences of people during the peak of COVID-19.This choice has been extremely divisive.
Some viewers think the show makes a joke out of something serious, and others appreciate that the show uses humor as a coping mechanism for the shared trauma the world experienced. Despite largely being a satirization, though,The Decameron’s endingincludes one scene that’s that it’s both painful to watch and extremely meaningful after the COVID-19 pandemic, taking an important step forward in the way that TV shows handle the worst part of what we went through – death.
When Did Panfilo Know Neifile Had The Plague In The Decameron?
Panfilo and Neifile grew closer to each other before her death in The Decameron, raising the question of when he learned that she had the plague.
The Decameron’s Characters All Lost People To The Black Plague
The Decameron Season 1, Episode 7, “This Is Awful, And You’ll Never Recover”
In the most painful scene,the characters ofThe Decameronfinally address the unspoken shared trauma that loomed over the entire series. They list off the people they have lost, and everybody knows at least one character who died from the Black Plague. The immense number of deaths aligns with the true story of the Black Plague, as75 million to 200 million people died during the Black Death(viaVaccines Work). Additionally, the moment felt far too relatable after the harrowing events at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
10 Best Shows Like The Decameron
After watching Netflix’s The Decameron, similar period TV shows with a light, modern approach to history act as the perfect follow-up.
The Decameron Plague Victim Remembrance Scene Is A First For The COVID-19 Era
The Decameron’s Remembrance Scene Is The First Major Delayed Catharsis For COVID-19
While manyTV shows incorporated COVID-19in 2020, few have revisited the global pandemic since. When shows do address it, the pandemic is often through subtle references like characters wearing masks or a passing mention. However,The Decameron’sscene, in which the characters remember the plague victims, provides viewers with a much-needed opportunity for delayed collective grieving post-COVID-19. The parallels to the modern pandemic, set against the backdrop of the larger dark comedy, add extra poignancy to an already powerful scene.
The Decameronoffers a sense of catharsis as COVID-19 slowly transitions from a pandemic to an endemic.
The world may not have lost nearly as many people to the COVID-19 pandemic as Europe did during the Black Plague, but that doesn’t diminish the gravity of the situation.This scene inThe Decameronis a powerful acknowledgment of the fear, pain, and loss the global population endured.It provides viewers with a moment to pause and reflect on how profoundly the COVID-19 pandemic shifted our sense of normal. Additionally,The Decameronoffers a sense of catharsis as COVID-19 slowly transitions from a pandemic to an endemic.
