Netflix’s adaptation of Italian writer Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa’s celebrated literary work, The Leopard, is visually extravagant. Richard Warlow’s six-episode series is centered around Don Fabrizio (also known as the Leopard), the Prince of Salina, and the conflict he experienced as the new world emerged. With Garibaldi’s Redshirt army fast approaching, the prince had to leave Palermo to protect his family. He and his ancestors had been loyal to the Bourbon Dynasty, who’d ruled Sicily for over a century. As the movement for the unification of Italy gained traction, the aristocrats had no choice but to brace themselves for the worst. The series is about Don Fabrizio’s struggle to adjust to the new world order, where men like him no longer had the ultimate power.
Spoiler Alert
Why Did Don Fabrizio Decide To Marry His Nephew To The Mayor’s Daughter?
While Don Fabrizio was not in favor of the revolution, his nephew Tancredi supported Garibaldi’s unification plan. He heavily relied on his uncle for financial support, but at the same time, he realized that unification was the only way forward, even though it would take away power and wealth from aristocrats like his uncle. His decision to join the Redshirt army was considered a betrayal by Fabrizio’s son, Paolo, but Fabrizio was fond of his nephew and did not stop him from following his heart. Fabrizio loved his sister with all his heart, and after her death, Tancredi became his responsibility.
Soon the dream of a unified Italy came true under the leadership of Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of an independent, united Italy. Meanwhile, Fabrizio’s daughter, Concetta, had fallen in love with his rebel nephew. She sent him letters every day while he was away participating in the revolution. She started to deeply care about him, and when he returned after the unification of Italy, there was no end to Concetta’s joy. She had confessed her feelings to their family priest, who ended up discussing her love affair with her entire family. Fabrizio gradually made peace with the idea that his daughter would marry his nephew, but everything changed when he met the mayor of Donnafugata.
The revolution resulted in a frenzy, where no one knew who would hold the reins. Bandits took advantage of the situation and exploited farmers while the masters were away protecting themselves. These bandits were often led by managers of the farms who planned on building their wealth during the crisis. The mayor of Donnafugata, Don Calogero Sedara, belonged to the emerging capitalist class. While he pretended to favor the ruling aristocrats, he’d been secretly hoarding wealth. He was born a farmer, and he had tactically secured all the reserves of wheat held in the province when Garibaldi’s redshirt army was said to be approaching. He bought cheap lands that were assumed to be barren, and all of a sudden sulfur was discovered beneath the ground. That immediately made him wealthy, and he was known to be ruthless. He’d also managed to win favor among the locals by funding restoration work at the local church. He was trying to establish a new order where the town council would cover the cost of the repair of public properties and financially support the locals. So, he was loaning money to the people of Donnafugata and winning their loyalty and affection. He was trying to be the next Don Fabrizio.
When the prince figured out the motive of the mayor, he decided to use the situation to his advantage. Fabrizio had the title, but his financial condition was on the decline. Don Sedara’s daughter, Angelica, was a glamorous woman who had instantly caught everyone’s attention when she attended a dinner party hosted by the prince, and she was evidently interested in Tancredi. Fabrizio’s plan was to marry them off. He chose to ignore Concetta’s feelings and prioritized building a strategic relationship that would help him in the future. Tancredi was also eager to marry Angelica, and that was perhaps all the more reason why Fabrizio decided it was better for his daughter to get over her affection for Tancredi. The mayor agreed to the marriage proposal even though he knew Tancredi didn’t inherit any wealth. He had enough wealth to support his daughter and son-in-law, but he didn’t have the noble title and the respect that automatically came with it; he wanted Angelica to marry Tancredi to elevate his social status.
What reunited Concetta with her family?
Watching the love of her life get married to a woman he barely knew broke Concetta’s heart. She tried to put on a brave face, but she could not hide her tears. She was devastated and extremely disappointed in her father for arranging the match. All this while she’d assumed Tancredi was in love with her as well, and she never guessed that one day a stranger would come into her life and take her lover away. There was no denying that Tancredi had played with Concetta’s emotions, and he expected her to move on after he changed his mind. Concetta found it impossible to stay at her house, especially after her father’s betrayal, so she took shelter at a convent. She experienced a sense of peace there, and she kept herself distracted with daily chores. She refused to meet her family, but her father was an adamant man, and he tried different ways to meet his daughter. Through their family priest, Fabrizio had sent Concetta her birthday gift—a telescope. The gift was meant to teach her to look at the big picture instead of obsessing over the little things. He believed Concetta would get over Tancredi, but their financial condition could only be improved through marriage.
Meanwhile, Fabrizio had sent his heir, Paolo, to take a look around his estate and ensure everything was alright. He was accompanied by Russo, a handyman and also the leader of a group of bandits who’d tried to make money in the chaos. Paolo was surprised to see Russo bow down to Don Sedara. When Paolo demanded the reason behind the gesture, Sedara gave a bogus response. As it turned out, Sedara and Russo were interested in investing in sulfur mines, and Sedara was particularly keen on taking over the church lands, which he believed had a rich deposit of sulfur underneath the surface. Fabrizio did not show interest when Sedara proposed mining the church lands, but he figured Paolo was innocent and would do anything to be appreciated by his father. Russo explained that a group of ‘heathens’ was mining the land illegally, and that was why they didn’t wish to involve Paolo. Desperate for his father’s love, Paolo decided to be brave and face the savages alone.
Don Sedara knew how dangerous it was, yet he stood by and watched. Paolo assumed his title would protect him, but the savages didn’t care who he was; they wanted him off the property, and when Paolo didn’t comply, they fired a blank shot. Paolo’s horse was impossible to control, and he ended up falling off his horse, dying on the spot. Russo brought Paolo’s body home; he didn’t disclose Sedara’s involvement in Paolo’s death. The death of his son shook Fabrizio, but he was relieved to see Concetta at the funeral. She chose her family over her religious calling. She knew she had to be the one to hold her family together in a time of crisis.
Why did Don Fabrizio reject the offer to become a senator?
Tancredi had moved to Turin, and he was in contact with influential people such as Cavaliere, who had expressed an interest in talking to Don Fabrizio about a political proposal. He explained that the government was in search of prominent Sicilians to nominate as senators of the kingdom, and he believed Don Fabrizio was the perfect candidate. Fabrizio was initially hesitant, but he decided to travel to Turin to make up his mind. Concetta accompanied him after her mother told her how Fabrizio was not the man he used to be after Paolo’s death. Fabrizio felt relieved when Concetta announced that she would accompany him to Turin. It was not a decision she made lightly, because she knew she would cross paths with Tancredi and Angelica.
Fabrizio struggled to make peace with how different life in Turin was. Everyone was fighting for a bigger piece of the pie, and Fabrizio felt a little out of place. The world he came from valued subtlety, and there were only a privileged few who had complete authority. He was shocked when he discovered that Angelica was sleeping with the French ambassador, and he was all the more flabbergasted when he realized that Tancredi knew about it. He believed women of noble families were meant to be demure and pious, but he felt unsettled when Tancredi questioned him about his affair. In his world, men were allowed to occasionally seek pleasure outside marriage, but he could not imagine a husband pimping his wife out in the hopes of professional advancement. Pleasing the French ambassador could result in Tancredi becoming the Italian ambassador in Paris. The ideals and beliefs that men such as Fabrizio had always sworn by were non-existent in the new world. Throughout the series, it was hinted that Fabrizio was attracted to Angelica, but he showed restraint because he knew an affair with her would compromise all that he stood for. Fabrizio believed that the emerging businessmen were desperate and lacked a moral compass, and he compared them to hyenas.
After spending time in Turin, Fabrizio realized that he didn’t belong to the new world. He decided that he would rather hold on to tradition and honor the world he knew than become a hyena. He was convinced that men such as Sedara that cared only about wealth and had no principles were the ones meant for this new world. Fabrizio was not the only one who struggled to fit into the new world; some believed in the revolution but were disappointed with the outcome. Fabrizio could see how the aristocrats were fading away with time. The bandits and looters had ravaged their lands, and they had no choice but to sell them at a low price. They only had their titles to cling to, as their wealth depleted with every passing day. Before returning home, Fabrizio announced that he was not ready to become a senator, and he suggested the government consider Sedara for the position.
Did Concetta and Tancredi reunite?
When Concetta was in Turin, she found it impossible to ignore Tancredi. She later discovered that his marriage to Angelica was far from perfect. The initial attraction had faded away, and they’d realized they were both extremely passionate about climbing the social ladder, and that was the only reason they were still together. Tancredi had realized he’d always been in love with Concetta, and that he’d made a terrible mistake by letting go of her. Concetta and Tancredi kissed in secrecy. She had always longed for his affection, and in that moment she chose not to hold herself back. She didn’t want to be one of his mistresses, and in the final episode of The Leopard, when Tancredi asked her about their future, she replied that all she wanted was for him to be her friend. Tancredi promised to always prioritize her over everyone else, even though it was not ideal; they negotiated with their situation because all they cared about was having each other in their lives.
During The Leopard’s ending, Don Fabrizio was diagnosed with an incurable brain tumor. His condition drastically worsened within a few days, and before he took his final breath, he asked Concetta to promise him that she would always look after her family. Even though her younger brother Francesco would be the heir, she had to be the one making decisions for them. Concetta stood by her promise; immediately after her father’s death, she decided to do something that Fabrizio would be proud of. She and Francesco contacted Russo and informed him that they had bought all of Leonforte’s properties (Russo had destroyed his property so that he and Sedara could purchase it for a low price). Russo wondered how Francesco could afford to pay a price higher than what they’d offered, and Concetta explained that she’d used Sedara’s savings. Since Tancredi was married to his daughter, he had received a significant portion of his wealth, and Concetta used it to outbid him. Russo threatened to ruin them, but Concetta refused to be afraid. She was determined to live by her father’s principles and protect her family. Concetta remained unmarried and focused on taking care of everything she’d inherited from her father. She was a perfect blend of both the old and the new world, and presumably, she managed to keep men such as Sedara away.
