The Decameron on Netflix is a dark comedy series set in 1348 following a group of misfits trying to wait out the Black Death in the Italian countryside. There, they hope to wait out the deadly pandemic by enjoying a lavish holiday but as social rules wear thin, their wine-fuelled romp descends into a fight for survival.
The fourth episode of this hectic and hilarious comedy opens with Pampinea lording it over everyone, making them hang off her every word becasue she is now pregnant with 'Leonardo's' baby. No one takes too kindly to her ordering them about and tensions run high as Tindaro stands up to her, much to wife-to-be Licisca's disgust!
Meanwhile, Dioneo has been ousted from the group and is sitting far away from the others who still aren't talking to him after he poisoned Tindaro. Clearly fed up of being shunned, Dioneo talks to Neifile who is desperately munching on rhubarb in a desperate bid to cure her sinful thoughts. But when Neifile tells him that she no longer desires him now she knows he is evil, Dioneo responds that the rhubarb eating is pointless and she should try sleeping with her husband to cure her lust instead.
We learn from how far Pampinea is in her pregnancy that a few months have passed since the group arrived at Villa Santa to wait out the plague and Panfilo and Sirisco are getting impatient, hating the fact that Pampinea is living like the lady of the house when she actually has no claim over it at all. They have come up with a plan, however, and soon a rowdy group of men arrives on horseback and it is Leonardo's cousin Ruggiero and his men, who are all loud, obnoxious and far too into partying for Pampinea's liking.
After he has pawed over all the women in the villa, Ruggiero makes himself at home, ordering wine to celebrate the fact he has arrived. The party soon gets out of hand, with lusty Neifile taking a shine to the newcomers, much to her husband's horror. Pampinea is far from impressed with her new houseguests and tries to get everyone to retire for the night, but the party has only just started and soon Ruggiero takes everyone to Leonardo's secret parlor, which is full of phallic objects and even comes complete with its own secret 'whore door' - leaving everyone stunned and Pampinea speechless with horror.
While the raucous wine-fulled romp is going on in the secret parlor, Tinardo finds himself in the villa kitchen after falling victim to another of his (probably fake) ailments. Cook Stratilia doesn't have any sympathy at all and she hurls insults at the nobleman, which being of delicate constitution as he is, doesn't go down too well.
Upstairs, Panfilo and Sirisco have realized that they've made a grave error asking Ruggiero to the villa as while he might be the rightful heir, he is a total nightmare and about to drink the place dry. And with the pestilence raging outside the villa walls, it's unlikely they'll get their hands on more alcohol before the plague passes.
Soon fun turns to tragedy in the parlor when two of Ruggiero's friends start fighting when one talks about having sex with the other one's sister, but as a sword fight erupts, it is the innocent musician who ends up being killed. Everyone else in the villa is stunned into silence, watching the whole thing unfold with horror, but Ruggiero and his men just laugh at the other man's misfortune, which leads to Pampinea going mad and trying to throw them all out.
Of course, Ruggiero and his friends don't take kindly to being thrown out by a woman and just laugh at her - and when Pampinea's loyal handmaiden Misia stands up for her along with Filomena, the men pick Filomena up and carry her out of the parlor to 'teach her a lesson'. Horrified at what is unfolding, everyone tries to stop the men, and it is only Licisca admitting they have swapped roles and he is about to hurt his own family that they put Filomena down.
However, the confession, which leaves everyone shocked, doesn't go down well with Ruggiero, who doesn't like being lied to and he orders them out of the villa via the 'whore door'. Everyone is speechless at losing two of their friends, however, no one wants to stand up to Ruggiero and his friends. Thankfully Panfilo manages to diffuse the situation and peace seems to have been restored... but only for a second!
Just as it seems everyone has calmed down, Sirisco, who has missed the entire thing from musician-killing to Filomena and Licisca being thrown out, barges back into the parlor with a bag that he dumps on the table. He takes out the rotting head of Leonardo and everyone is horrified... and Ruggiero is devastated for a moment, before realizing he is now the heir to the villa and promptly celebrates by throwing everyone out of the house.
As they are marched out through the kitchen, we see Tinardo and Stratilia merging from a back room, and it seems their argument turned to passion and they've slept together. Stratilia is adamant no one must ever find out, while Tinardo is loving every moment!
Soon the group is marched outside to the gardens and as they leave, a gang of whores arrive for Ruggiero and his men, and at least one of them has a very suspicious plague-ridden cough... however, as everyone watches the women in disgust, lusty Neifile sneaks back into the house.
All episode of The Decameron are available to stream worldwide on Netflix now.
