The Law According to Lidia Poet (La legge di Lidia Poët) is a six-episode Italian series centred around Lidia Poet (the first female lawyer from Italy who was disbarred unjustly from the profession on the accounts of her gender). The trajectory of the mystery drama follows Lidia solving multiple cases to defend innocent individuals while fighting against the sharp prejudice against women during the 19th century.
The series is directed by Letizia Lamartire and Matteo Rovere and stars Matilda De Angelis in the titular role of Lidia Poet. Moreover, the rest of the cast features Sara Lazzaro, Dario Aita, Nicolo Pasetti, Riccardo Leto, Gionathan Montagna, and Matilde Vigna.
The official synopsis of the series reads as
In this gripping period drama, Lidia Poët investigates murders while fighting to practice law. Inspired by the true story of Italy’s first female lawyer.
-The Law According to Lidia Poet Review Does Not Contain Spoilers-
The investigation drama series starts with a brief introduction of Lidia Poet, Italy’s first female lawyer, whose initial disbarment from the profession led to several movements for women in public offices. At first, we are met with Lidia representing a stalker cum artist, allegedly responsible for the murder of a Ballerina love interest.
The case, however, gets taken away from the hands of the ambitious lawyer on account of prejudice against women practising law. Furthermore, this drastic change of events forces her to take the help of her brother (who is also a notable lawyer) to represent the case on her behalf. What happens next is a series of investigative anthological mysteries, solved along the lines of suspense and romance.
The series feels quite fulfilling in the first three episodes, where everything reaches a fine conclusion. And even though there is a sense of predictability with the mystery, the process as a whole doesn’t let you down. We get to see the character of Lidia Poe evolving over time, and finding herself stuck with the attachment-phobic life of a sleuth.
Matilda De Angelis, (whom I first saw in the fascist heist flick Robbing Mussolini) does a great job of depicting nuances in her role. And finds the common ground of persistence and resilience in the character of Lidia. She is almost like the driving force of the flick that shines above everything.
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Notably, the series formulates the same pattern of mysteries and investigation throughout. And becomes a little repetitive in the later half with its conventional relying methods (especially during the anarchist murderer tale, and the cult affairs). Something which almost changes the gears for the genre of the series, and hampers the overall tone of intrigue.
However, the exceptional finale makes up for the distorted elements in the story and forms a complete arc of Lidia’s character. It redeems the direction of the series and makes up for a satisfying mystery binge.
The Law According to Lidia Poet Final Thoughts
If you are in the mood for a wholesome investigative saga, with a vital context, then The Law According to Lidia Poet will be a worthy option to latch onto. And even though you might have to struggle briefly in the middle, the series won’t disappoint you towards the end.
You can stream the series on Netflix. Let us know your thoughts about it in the comment section below.
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