It seems to me that most Italian crime dramas seem to fit into two distinct categories. There are the slightly comedic police procedurals like ‘Inspector Montalbano’, where the quality of dining is of greater importance than the crime itself. And then there’s the darker and more violent side, like ‘Gomorrah’, ‘Romanzo Criminale’ and ‘Thou Shalt Not Kill’. These shows focus on the seedier underbelly of Italian life, where organised crime and bloodshed are part of daily life.
If you want to avoid all spoilers, stop reading this article now.
‘Redemption’ (known as ‘Io ti cercherò’ in Italy) is more of the latter. Alessandro Gassmann plays Valerio, an ex-cop who learns of the tragic news that his young son, Ettore, has apparently committed suicide, his body having been discovered by a fisherman on the banks of the Tiber River. But Valerio’s ex-girlfriend, Sara (Maya Sansa) – who is still a detective – is far from convinced that it was suicide. There are too many inconsistencies and irregularities for her to believe the young man would have jumped to his death voluntarily. He had a girlfriend who he loved, a full fridge – it didn’t feel like the scenario of a man with nothing to live for.
Sara tries to convince the mourning Valerio that this needs to be investigated, but he is curiously reluctant to believe his son’s death is anything but suicide. And Valerio has his own demons to contend with.
Much of the opening episode uses the old trick of flashbacks to Valerio and Ettore in happier times, or Valerio imagining scenes involving his dead son and his friends. It’s a bit clumsy at times, if I’m honest, but I suppose a necessary evil to provide some background to both men’s past and their relationship.
Thankfully, by the end of the opening gambit, Sara has clearly done a very good job of convincing Valerio that his son’s death was indeed suspicious and should be subject to further investigation. She manages to secure access to Ettore’s apartment, where Valerio finds clues which help convince him that his son might not have left the flat of his own volition. Valerio embarks on a journey that will ultimately – after eight 60-minute episodes – result in discovering the truth behind his son’s death, as well as exposing and challenging some of Valerio’s own terrors and insecurities.
The show – at least the opening episode – can be quite hard work at times. Obviously, the violent death of a young man is heavy subject matter; but it’s hard to warm to Valerio because of his prickly demeanour. But the performances of the main actors are strong, and the basic mystery is an interesting storyline. It won’t win any awards for originality, but if you enjoyed other Walter Presents shows like ‘Thou Shalt Not Kill’, this will be another one to add to the list.
Walter Presents: ‘Redemption’ is available as a boxset on All 4 now.
