The Sixth Commandment isn’t the only one of the Ten that gets broken in Thou Shalt Not Kill, the engrossing crime drama series from Italy that premiered in the US yesterday.
Set in Turin, Thou Shalt Not Kill (Non Uccidere) centers on the murder investigations led by Chief Inspector Valeria Ferro (aka Miss Italy 2008 Miriam Leone, 1992, Medici: Masters of Florence) — a steely, ballsy, beautiful, and impetuous crime squad detective.
Like many heroes and heroines in noir mysteries and crimes dramas, Valeria has a troubled past and a bad attitude in the present. She crosses the line quite often in her work, and it’s usually Giorgio Lombardi (Thomas Trabacchi, 1992, Anti-Drug Squad), her boss and lover, who must reel her in.
The first of six two-part stories that make up Season 1 concerns the death of a teen-aged girl, whose body is found in the flooded basement of a building in the Little Bucharest section of Turin. Valeria is sure the victim knew her assailant, but there are few clues to point her toward any one suspect… until her keen observations and instincts lead her to the truth she’s been seeking.
The second story finds Valeria and her partner Andrea Russo (Matteo Martari, Luisa Spagnoli) investigating the murder of Guglielmo Mantovani, the wealthy owner of a bank. Her interrogation of the family member who found the deceased man’s bloody body triggers suspicion about his alibi. The plot thickens when there’s another dead body and another suspect experiences a bit of pronoun trouble.
Until recently, Valeria’s home life has been less complicated and demanding. She’s been living happily with her brother Giacomo (Davide Iacopini, Fog and Crimes), his wife Michela (Viola Sartoretto, Massimo Ribasso), and their young daughter Costanza (newcomer Crystal Deglaudi). However, her domestic tranquility ends abruptly when she learns that her mother Lucia (Monica Guerritore, Rossella), jailed years ago for the murder of Valeria’s father, is being released early from prison. As in tomorrow. What’s more, Lucia is moving in with her family. (Cue Valeria, exit stage left.)
Featuring Riccardo Lombardo (Drawn for Jury Duty), Luca Terracciano (Un passo dal cielo), and Gigio Alberti (Inspector Coliandro), the series has 24 episodes (12 stories) to date. There are rumors about a third season, but nothing has been confirmed yet, so stay tuned for updates.
Dark and brooding like Fog and Crimes, with a damaged detective like Wallander, and featuring a compelling and forceful female lead like Spiral, Thou Shalt Not Kill is definitely worthy of a binge-watch. (Now that I’m out of my Thanksgiving dinner-induced food coma, I’m picking up where I left off, because I’m hooked.)
Thou Shalt Not Kill is now streaming exclusively on Walter Presents and the Walter Presents Channel on Amazon.
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