At first glance, this could be Nordic Noir – the snow-clad landscapes, the stunning mountains and scenery. But this is Italy – specifically the Dolomites.
If you want to avoid all spoilers, stop reading this article now.
The latest offering from the Walter Presents stable is a light-hearted Italian crime drama series, based on the novels by Ilaria Tuti.
Police Commissioner Teresa Battaglia (Elena Sofia Ricci) is brought in to investigate the murder of an engineer, Roberto Valent, who is working on a new ski resort. His naked body was found after a search of the mountains – he had been reported missing by his wife the day before. His eyes had been gouged out (whilst still alive), and he has bruising on his wrists.
His clothes are found nearby draped over sticks – like a scarecrow – with berries for eyes. His real eyes haven’t been found. His car is nearby next to dead stag; but there are no wounds on the deer, suggesting the scene has been staged.
Assisting Battaglia in the investigation is new recruit, Inspector Massimo Marini. He’s been transferred from Sicily and is woefully ill-prepared for the inclement weather. He turns up at the murder scene with a sportscar that cannot handle the terrain, brogues that immediately get ruined by the snow, and an expensive Italian coat and might be okay for a chilly evening in the south of the country but won’t cut the mustard in the frozen Dolomites.
The relationship between the domineering and bossy Battaglia and the bumbling but well-meaning Marini is the basis upon which the series is based. He’s desperate to impress his older boss; but she’s a tough nut to crack and doesn’t suffer fools.
Meanwhile, the dead man’s son – Diego – and his friends are exploring the woods and see a strange, hooded man who appears to be stalking them. They are also being terrorised by a long grey-haired man at school, who frankly – going by his behaviour – should be allowed with a mile of a school!
This is a peculiar show. There are many light-hearted moments in the relationship between the two police officers. For example, in an attempt to ingratiate himself to his boss, he buys her a box of doughnuts. She starts devouring them, before informing him that she’s a diabetic and that he’s probably killing her.
But fundamental to the show, particularly later in the series, is the declining mental capacity of Battaglia, who suspects that she’s experiencing the early signs of dementia. This is obviously a hugely serious subject, and doesn’t seem to fit alongside the trite attempts at humour.
If I’m honest, the main draw here is the location. The acting is nothing spectacular, and the writing is about as cliched as you can imagine. Perhaps this will improve as the series develops, but for now this appears to be a series lacking direction and doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be.
Walter Presents: ‘Flowers Over the Inferno' is available as a full boxset on C4 Streaming now.
