After a long - and in some ways troubled - wait, it finally came to an end Suburra, the cult series that tells us about the intrigues that have consigned Rome to the "blood" of corruption. Aureliano and Spadino in the final confrontation with Samurai, Manfredi, between Church and Politics to get their hands on "Mafia Capitale". Do not expect an account of the facts: history (in its atrocities) was quite another thing. Here it is only a show, it will make you cry, but also smile; who will win the neighborhood "war"?
Veterans from the finale of the second season of Suburra, with some characters who leave (Gabriele, the policeman's son, commits suicide in front of his "friends" and Livia Adami) and others who return (Manfredi, the leader of the Gypsies brother of Spadino comes out of the coma), we previewed the last season of Suburra for 6 episodes of 45/50 minutes. The duration is overall lower than the previous ones, a sign of a quick saturation of ideas? Who knows. Without overdoing it, the writers preferred to conclude with a focus on action - without going into too many details - to offer a complete show, however up to the level of the previous seasons.
Narrative and character static
The focus of this last season of Suburra is centered on the protagonists that remain anchored (for better or for worse) to their characters. There is no real evolution of the roles, nor a clear change of course (as, for example, happens to Genny Savastano and Ciro di Marzio in Gomorra). Only one of them will make a more complete path, a path into evil that will lead him to do anything to get to power. Certainly the emotions are not lacking, but in reality they are those sensations that we expected to experience, nothing more. What is felt less and less is the tension (which instead should grow), perhaps because the key scenes are repeated in a similar way, without particular twists (those that seem to be end up turning out to be a bit obvious) waiting for us.
We are in the midst of the ascent of Aureliano Adami (Alessandro Borghi) and Alberto "Spadino" Anacleti (Giacomo Ferrara) to conquer power over the Rome of "Mafia Capitale" - against the backdrop of the "war" for the procurement of the Ostia Tourist Port - , the one “manipulated” by criminals (now also those of Northern Rome), politicians - represented by the arrivalist Amedeo Cinaglia (Filippo Nigro) - and influential people from the Vatican (Sara Monaschi, played by Claudia Gerini). In the background remains the shadow of Samurai (Francesco Acquaroli) and of the Sicilians (the Badali), with the renewed competition and thirst for revenge of Manfredi Anacleti (Adamo Dionisi), pleasant return both for the narrative and for the skill of its interpreter in getting inside such a particular character.
Would a "villain" like him, so charismatic, ever agree to be commanded by his younger brother once he is out of a coma? We'll see. Each dialogue involving Manfredi becomes a painting of what his family of Sinti origin in Rome represents: power. We will also see him perform in a curious singing interpretation that - despite the cruelty of the words that are spoken - will also make you smile. The almost tragicomic spirit of the character (even in the most bitter situations) makes him the most enthralling non-protagonist of the series. You will come to hate his character for the actions he will perform, you will surely love it for the mastery of how it was staged by its interpreter. The exchanges of threats (explicit or veiled) between him, Aureliano and Spadino are always raw, direct, but also a little grotesque, which is not bad. Manfredi's relationship with his brother (not considered as a worthy heir to the "throne" of the Anacleti) is deepened, deteriorates more and more, until it explodes, with dramatic consequences for everyone.
The Sinti "family" of the Anacleti is represented in a truly scenographic way (both for the furnishings of the villa and for the costumes) and picturesque, showing a cruel and ruthless nature, but with rules, a code of behavior that will influence the fate of Spadino and Aureliano. The two partners / friends are accompanied more and more by their respective life partners, Angelica Sale (Carlotta Antonelli) and Nadia (Federica Sabatini) - who here will have a real role as protagonists -, who will be practically placed on the same level in the "hierarchy ”Of power and will become more and more influential in the choices of their respective men. Alberto Anacleti's wife Sinti, daughter of another boss of the "family", is pregnant with the future heir and has a perennial feeling of suffering because she is aware of her husband's homosexual nature. Antonelli's surprising interpretation is one of the positive notes of the season, a confirmation for us. She manages to show Angelica's desire to be happy and serene, far from the underworld, in the awareness, however, that she has a harder character inside her than her boyfriend. This will force her to take enormous responsibilities.
While all of this seems to convince, what holds less is the reliability of the facts. We know that it is a show, reality is a matter for the judiciary. In Suburra, however, the sense of reality is lacking for large parts. We had already noticed in previous seasons that the protagonists had the ability to enter without any problem the homes (bases) of partners / enemies without them noticing. It almost seemed that they had the keys to all of Rome, a detail that keeps repeating itself. This season it even becomes child's play to move corpses to symbolic places that are really unlikely to be reached with a black bag on the shoulder. Furthermore, no one comes to believe that certain crafty criminals with years of experience come to fall into traps as banal as they are obvious. Other twists to be defined as "important" then really know already. The reasons that lead to drastic decisions (especially in the season finale) are not always justified and explained and indeed, certain choices are really difficult to understand and end up moving less because they are unmotivated.
The numerous action scenes present in this third season of Suburra (between shootings and chases) are well done, even if there is a few too many B-action action-movie explosions. Borghi is capable of perfectly concealing himself within the tension of firefights, he dresses well in the role of the hard-to-kill (a bit too much John McClane by Bruce Willis, in fact) by Aureliano Adami. He always moves in person - a trait that remains so throughout the series - which makes him a sort of lone executioner / avenger that hardly fits his role as boss. This unmanageable side of him will have decisive consequences on the outcome of the rise to power. Who will win?
