Medici - General Discussion

[Scarlett45]

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A political family drama set in Florence in the early fifteenth century. Cosimo de Medici finds himself at the helm of his banking dynasty when his father, Giovanni, dies suddenly.

I searched but didn’t see a thread for this series. Season 1 is entitled Masters of Florence and Season 2 is entitled The Magnificent. 

I see several familiar faces from other costume dramas- and Dustin Hoffman as the family patriarch is a treat. 

Richard Marsden (Cosmio) is a young guy, so I think the long hair vs short hair with a grey streak is a clear indicator for flash back scenes. 

[Scarlett45]

I may be all alone in my love for this series but Daniel Sharman, playing Lorenzo the Magnificent is HAWT. 

https://instagram.com/danielsharman?utm_source=ig_profile_share&igshid=eo5if3gpx0xi

[Constant Viewer]

Yay a medici topic! I liked the first one, but haven't had time to watch the 2nd season yet.

[Scarlett45]

On 2/9/2019 at 9:44 PM, Constant Viewer said:

Yay a medici topic! I liked the first one, but haven't had time to watch the 2nd season yet.

Yasssss. You will like it!!!

[Constant Viewer]

I'm actually watching Season 2 now. I am glad Contessina is showing up in flashbacks since she was my favorite character. 

[akiss]

I really love this show, although season 2 was a little uneven (didn't care about the subplot with Guilliano and Simonetta). I can't wait for season 3.

[Constant Viewer]

Is there going to be a 3rd season? I enjoy the show as well, love the costumes and the music

[akiss]

Yes. Season 3 has already been filmed. I think it's the last one, though. 

[Haleth]

I recently discovered this show and was half way through season 2 before I realized there was an earlier season featuring Cosimo. (I love Richard Madden but his real accent keeps creeping in, one not appropriate for a 15th c Florentine.  Plus I want to smack him for his treatment of la magnifica Contessina.)  I’ll be thru with him in a couple days and can get back to Lorenzo.

It’s strange to see Sean Bean playing a hapless bad guy. 

[Scarlett45]

I need to get started on season 3. 

[Haleth]

I watched the first episode. So good so far. Coincidentally I’m reading the biography of the wife of this year’s bad guy.* It will be interesting to see how real events line up with the show.

*Tigress of Forlí. About Catarina Sforza, wife of Girolamo Riario. 

[Haleth]

Wow, this season really plays fast and loose with the timeline. 

[CCTC]

On 3/11/2019 at 10:20 PM, Constant Viewer said:

. I am glad Contessina is showing up in flashbacks since she was my favorite character. 

I have only watched two episodes of the second season, so it is a bit too early to tell, bit I am not sure any of the current female leads have the presence she did in the first season.

[Inquisitionist]

I've watched the first four episodes to placate Mr. Inqui, and I think that's enough to say the writing sucks and the acting isn't good enough to overcome that.  And good lord, what kind of payday did Dustin Hoffman and Brian Cox get for those truly abysmal "performances"? 🙄

[blackwing]

On 7/31/2021 at 8:53 AM, Inquisitionist said:

I've watched the first four episodes to placate Mr. Inqui, and I think that's enough to say the writing sucks and the acting isn't good enough to overcome that.  And good lord, what kind of payday did Dustin Hoffman and Brian Cox get for those truly abysmal "performances"? 🙄

I just started watching this series... just finished the second episode of the first season.  I like Richard Madden and Stuart Martin in these roles, but I agree with you regarding Dustin Hoffman.  I think he's completely miscast and he's just phoning in this terrible performance.  It seems at his age, maybe he isn't in high demand anymore?

Jeremy Irons was great in "The Borgias", so I bet this show was trying for a similar "Celebrated Oscar-winning film actor graces us with his presence in taking a role in a lavish TV production" vibe.  Unfortunately, Hoffman is just flat-out terrible.

On 1/27/2019 at 3:17 PM, Scarlett45 said:

Richard Marsden (Cosmio) is a young guy, so I think the long hair vs short hair with a grey streak is a clear indicator for flash back scenes. 

That white streak is all his, it's that hereditary condition some people have where they have a streak or tuft of gray/white in their hair.  He usually dyes it for roles.

I'm not sure how old he is supposed to be in the "young" sequences versus the "old" sequences.  In the long-haired young sequences, I would imagine he's supposed to be early 20s?  But in the short-haired old sequences, he has a 20 year old son, so he has to be at least early 40s or maybe 45?  He doesn't look any different at all apart from the hair.

[Scarlett45]

3 hours ago, blackwing said:

I'm not sure how old he is supposed to be in the "young" sequences versus the "old" sequences.  In the long-haired young sequences, I would imagine he's supposed to be early 20s?  But in the short-haired old sequences, he has a 20 year old son, so he has to be at least early 40s or maybe 45?  He doesn't look any different at all apart from the hair.

Yes it’s about a 20-25 year difference between the two last I remember. 

[blackwing]

Finished the first season.  My knowledge of the Medici, Italian history, and this particular time period in history is practically non-existent.  I did enjoy it overall, but I was a bit confused about all of the politics involving the pope and I wish the show had done a better job of explaining this.  I am aware that during this period in the history of the Catholic Church that there were quite a number of Antipopes, and that there were various schisms in the church, but I don't think this was explained very well.

For example, in the first episode or so, Cosimo and Lorenzo scheme to bribe various cardinals to get their chosen candidate Cozza (played by the guy I know best as the Duke of Buckingham from "The Tudors" and the marshal from "Jamestown") elected as pope.   But then later on, the pope that Cosimo deals with is Pope Eugenius.  I think Cozza was an Antipope but I must have missed discussion as to what happened to him.  I also wasn't sure why Eugenius was in exile living in Florence at Cosimo's house, or why they needed to raise an army to stand up against Visconti (?) and restore Eugenius to Rome.  Was Visconti the then-Antipope?   What happened to Cozza?  There was another long V name that was mentioned as being in support of Eugenius in Rome.

I thought Richard Madden was great in this role, even if his character was written as a jerk to his wife.  The actress who played Contessina was fantastic, I am not sure why I haven't seen her in more things but I hope she turns up again.  Usually these British historical TV dramas all seemingly tend to more or less use a lot of familiar faces.

Disappointed there was no comeuppance for the rat-faced Pazzi for orchestrating the death of Lorenzo.  Or are we supposed to believe that Ugo was the mastermind behind that death as well?

I started the second season and I'm struck by how much the actor playing Lorenzo (who I've not seen before in anything) really does look like he could be related to Richard Madden.  I recognise Bradley James who plays Giuliano as Arthur from "Merlin".  I did watch DaVinci's Demons some years back, but for some reason am not retaining much about these Medicis from that series, but I do recall what happens to Giuliano.

 

On 3/11/2019 at 10:20 PM, Constant Viewer said:

I'm actually watching Season 2 now. I am glad Contessina is showing up in flashbacks since she was my favorite character. 

 

On 7/14/2020 at 3:33 PM, CCTC said:

I have only watched two episodes of the second season, so it is a bit too early to tell, bit I am not sure any of the current female leads have the presence she did in the first season.

I'm only midway through the first episode but I do appreciate the appearance of Grandmama Contessina.  I like some of the little touches, like how Donatello's statue of David from the first season is prominently displayed in the Medici home.

I do find it a little jarring that I'm pretty sure that Piero and Lucrezia from Season 1 were portrayed by Italian actors, with Piero in particular being portrayed as and looking kind of dweebish.  Yet now in Season 2, their older selves are portrayed by the very English Julian Sands and an English actress.  The change from the curly floppy haired Season 1 Italian Piero to straggly longish blonde hair English Julian Sands is kind of interesting.

[DanaMB]

On 8/30/2021 at 10:16 AM, blackwing said:

Finished the first season.  My knowledge of the Medici, Italian history, and this particular time period in history is practically non-existent.  I did enjoy it overall, but I was a bit confused about all of the politics involving the pope and I wish the show had done a better job of explaining this.

Agree.  I have to look a lot of things up and even read recaps of the episodes to make sure I understand everything. 

[blackwing]

 

On 3/11/2019 at 10:04 PM, Scarlett45 said:

Yasssss. You will like it!!!

 

On 3/11/2019 at 10:20 PM, Constant Viewer said:

I'm actually watching Season 2 now. I am glad Contessina is showing up in flashbacks since she was my favorite character. 

 

On 1/30/2020 at 2:58 AM, akiss said:

I really love this show, although season 2 was a little uneven (didn't care about the subplot with Guilliano and Simonetta). I can't wait for season 3.

Finished the second season (the first of the Daniel Sharman seasons).  I enjoyed it, I thought the plot and the politics was much easier to understand than the first season.  Lorenzo is trying to advance the interests of Florence by allying with Venice and Milan.  His objectives come into conflict with the Pope.  Jacopo Pazzi is always at odds with Lorenzo, and his nephew Francesco is Lorenzo's childhood friend grown into an enemy turned friend then turned back into enemy again.

I liked the Giuliano and Simonetta plot.  I never quite figured out the portrayal of Botticelli.  Was he in love with Simonetta?  Because it wasn't really communicated well.  I got the sense that he was gay and in love with Giuliano.  Did he later recreate a copy of "Venus and Mars"?  Because the painting is in London's National Gallery and wasn't burned as depicted in the show.  I did like how we saw a fast forward of him in the season finale painting "Primavera" although I kept expecting him to start "The Birth of Venus".  

I found the Lucrezia Donati character to be completely extraneous here.  It's been some years since I saw "Da Vinci's Demons", but I vaguely remember that both Lucrezia and Clarice were prominent characters in that show.  Here, once Lorenzo ends his affair with Lucrezia, it's like the show had no idea what to do with her anymore.

Did all of the Pazzi conspirators get hanged?  I feel cheated of seeing the fate of Marco Vespucci and that mercenary who said he wouldn't kill anyone in a church but nonetheless had been involved in the overall plot.

The characters on this show are generally very well written.  I thoroughly despised Salviati.  Kudos to the actor, he practically dripped smarm every time he opened his mouth.  Unfortunately I think that if I ever see this actor again, I will associate him with this hateful character.

Looking forward to watching the final season.