The final season is coming to a close for me. Together the 4 seasons make up what is known as The Quartet. She has written quite a few books, the flyleaf of the book tells me. She is a very insightful writer as to people and particularly the people of Naples. Most European countries have regional or even city cultural differences but I think none so distinctly held still as Italy. I've read a good bit of Italian history, never enough though, and I have some understanding of how they have clung to the heritage of their city states and regions maybe more than any other European countries. Anyone who has followed Italian soccer for some time would understand the ferocity of local culture. Where the story is in Ep 6 of the last season is the time when Napoli rose to be a leading team in Italy's Serie A (with the help of Argentina's Maradona). Naples has among the darkest history of any of the city states or regions, for a long time under a corrupt, degraded royal family and then the power of the various mafia groups, which have still not been extinguished. This series brings all that history to its decadent and corrupt present or very recent times, with marvellous descriptive power and characters. One of the best tv series and the most engrossing I've seen in a long time. But only if you enjoy the drama of human relationships.
