Romanzo Criminale Season 1 Episode 1 Episode 1
- TV-MA
- September 3, 2010
- 59 min
Romanzo Criminale is an Italian television series that depicts the criminal underworld of Rome in the late 1970s. The show is based on a novel of the same name by Giancarlo De Cataldo. The first episode of the show centers around a group of young men who come together to form a gang called The Band of Magliana.
The episode begins in 1977 with a voiceover explaining that this is a true story and that names have not been changed. We are introduced to Libanese, one of the main characters of the show, who is being released from prison after serving a sentence for robbery. He is met at the prison gates by his friend Ice, who is also recently released from prison. Ice has a plan to rob a building in Rome and he wants Libanese to be a part of it.
The plan involves stealing a large amount of money and gold that is kept in a safe in the building. Ice has already recruited a few other members for the job, including Dandi, Buffoni, and Freddo. The group meets at a bar to discuss the details of the robbery. They decide on the day and time, and Libanese suggests that they should also bring in his cousin, Scrocchiazeppi, who is a mechanic and can help them with the getaway car.
As the gang is planning the heist, the show introduces us to another main character, Commissioner Scialoja, who is a police officer investigating organized crime in Rome. Scialoja is determined to bring down the criminal organizations in the city, and he has his sights set on a gang called The Libanese, who are responsible for a string of robberies.
As the gang prepares for the robbery, tensions rise between them. Buffoni, who is in charge of the weapons, shows up with a knife instead of a gun. Ice is furious and threatens to cancel the whole plan. Meanwhile, the police continue their investigation. Scialoja and his team are tracking the movements of The Libanese and are closing in on their hideout.
The day of the heist arrives and the gang pulls off the robbery successfully. They make off with the money and the gold and head to Scrocchiazeppi's garage to hide out with their loot. However, things start to unravel when Buffoni accidentally stabs and kills a prostitute who witnessed the robbery. The gang is in a panic and they decide to get rid of the body by dumping it in the river.
Scialoja and his team are closing in on the gang and catch up to them at the garage. A shootout ensues and Buffoni is killed. The rest of the gang is arrested and taken into custody.
The episode ends with a voiceover from Scialoja, who explains that the gang members were all sentenced to long prison terms. He also reveals that The Band of Magliana, the gang that we have been following, eventually takes over the criminal underworld of Rome.
Overall, the first episode of Romanzo Criminale is a gripping introduction to the world of organized crime in Rome. The characters are well-developed and the tension builds throughout the episode as the gang prepares for the heist and the police close in on them. The show has a gritty, realistic feel and the performances are excellent. It's not hard to see why the show has been so popular in Italy and around the world.