Fashion

Tanya Reynolds and Jessica Plummer Talk New Netflix Series


Netflix’s latest romp The Decameron is the story of five 14th century nobles and their servants selected to retreat to a beautiful countryside villa to wait out the deadly plague, sort through power struggles and class systems, and find out what happens when they stop being polite and start getting real. (IYKYK.) The answer? All havoc breaks loose. Based on the collection of short stories by 14th century Italian author Giovanni Boccaccio, The Decameron is a hilarious, soapy, one-of-a-kind dark comedy that brings some levity to survival in the time of a pandemic.

As a whole, it’s wonderfully clever, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t specifically call out the show’s stellar ensemble cast—a veritable treasure trove of comedic favorites, such as Tony Hale and Zosia Mamet, and breakout stars like Parisian Lou Gala. One standout duo is Jessica Plummer (The Girl Before) and Tanya Reynolds (Sex Education). They play Filomena, a self-centered lady-in-waiting, and her dedicated servant Licisca, respectively. Both in search of a better life for themselves, their love-hate dynamic makes for some of the show’s best LOL moments. When the two young women find themselves at odds en route to the villa, Licisca takes matters into her own hands, ensuring her solo arrival to their destination. Claiming she is Filomena, Licisca enjoys the spoils of noble life and romance until the real Filomena arrives days later, threatening to expose Licisca’s lie. As their secret starts to unravel and their lives are thrown in jeopardy, they discover they have a closer bond than they initially realized.

Licisca and Filomena’s sisterly dynamic makes for brilliant TV, and off-screen, Reynolds and Plummer prove their chemistry and banter aren’t just make believe. A few weeks ago, the two got on a call to reminisce on filming The Decameron, trade funny audition stories, and debate which is better, period vs. modern costumes.

(Image credit: Netflix)

Tanya Reynolds: Hey, friends. Sorry I’m late. I had to update my bloody Zoom.