Devils

Devils is a slow moving thriller, and no that’s not a contradiction in terms, it’s just what it is, slow moving at first, and a crime thriller you understand from the start deals with the immense and undue influence of the financial business, banks in particular, on the day to day ives of people, all over the world. First thing one expects from big banks’ management is that they are without scruples, and in this series, that they are. The short bits of narrated comments at the beginning of the episodes equates what we would associate with the devil’s chronicler, hinting at what evil goings on will occur in the upcoming episode or has occurred in the previous, as if it was read from passages of the devil’s bible. For some this is annoying and or irrelevant, for me, it was fascinating as I tried to make the connections which I seldom did, simply because I was not that focussed on it once the action starts; others may have done better than I, but I could care less and so, I suspect, does the general viewing audience. The action takes place in the period leading to and happening during the 2008-2009 world financial crisis, with actual video sequences of real events and real world leaders spewing their political spin, just like today. So, you get the idea that the story is a dramatization of real behind the scene historical events. It’s not, it’s all fiction based on notions of what may or not have happened, but we will be easily convinced they are. Can’t prove they aren’t. They only thing we know for sure are the economic and financial impacts of the days, because those are know facts most of us have experienced in one form or another. The series highlights those impacts as often as it needs, if not to make you believe the series story, at least to keep you coming back for more as you are plunged into a discovery process, the one about the devils that control the world and plays people as puppets or casualties of the game of life, played by the money handlers and their high placed political friends. The main character, Massimo Ruggero played by Alessandro Borghi is the star of the series, playing the head trader for the NYL bank; good guy, bad guy, it will take you all ten episodes to determine if you haven’t made up your mind from the start or changed it a little pass midway. The next important character, Dominic Morgan played by Patrick Dempsey is the devil you’re dying to find out what he’s got up his sleeve as head of NYL, the New York London Bank. Now the story cannot unfold without the indispensable characters of Sofia Flores played by Lala Costa, Carrie Price played by Sallie Harmsen and her cohort Kalim Chowdrey played by Paul Chowdhry, all of who do a damn good job in their characters. Lars Mikkelsen who plays Daniel Duval and Malachi Kirby who plays Oliver Harris both have roles which also are key to the development of the plot that unfolds in the end, but was brewing all along. I didn’t want to spoil it for you so I’ve left out what I know you are asking yourselves. Yes you’ll have to be patient and discover for yourself. Speaking as a person who’s worked most of my life in finance, bank, and international finance companies, even as internal auditor for a major one during a five year period, I can assure you this series had me on pins and needles. While you’re at it, please try to enjoy the scenery that takes you through London mostly , New York and beautiful Italy (I loved my vacation there, in the country of the former great empire).