Suburra Eterna is set to release on Netflix in just a few short weeks, and if you’re intrigued by its premise of mafia turmoil in the streets of Rome, you might be aware that it’s a sequel to an earlier series. If you need a refresher or just to catch up, this is how Suburra: Blood on Rome ended.
What Was Suburra: Blood On Rome About?
Suburra: Blood on Rome is an Italian language series that ran for three seasons between 2017 and 2020. It was itself a reimagining of the 2015 film Suburra, featuring many of the same characters, with several actors reprising their roles. The series centers on a mafia dispute over a plot of land in the Ostia region of Rome.
The land in question is part-owned by the Vatican and the Adami family, but a mafioso known only as Samurai (Francesco Acquaroli) has his sights set on it. Meanwhile, Aureliano Adami (Alessandro Borghi) has his own plans for the land, which brings him into conflict with Samurai and the Anacleti family of Sinti gangsters. Heir-apparent to the family and closeted homosexual Spadino Anacleti (Giacomo Ferrara) and the drug-dealing son of a policeman Gabriele Marchilli (Eduardo Valdarnini) join Aureliano as the lead characters.
Despite what may seem like dry subject matter, the show is multilayered. Of course there’s the political drama around the land and how the machinations to purchase it reach all the way to the upper echelons of both the Vatican and Roman governments. At the same time, Aureliano, Spadino, and Gabriele are all working through issues within themselves and their families, giving the series a propulsive energy.
How Did Suburra: Blood On Rome End?
Before we get to how Suburra: Blood on Rome ended, I just want to say that the show is well worth checking out if you haven’t already. It’s a gripping, edge-of-your-seat show, and reading spoilers will definitely diminish the experience.
NoThe end of the second season saw Aureliano and Spadino securing control of the land in Ostia, though Gabriele suicided because of an inability to reconcile his criminal behavior at the behest of Samurai with who he believes himself to be. In the wake of this, Aureliano and Spadino decide to avenge him by killing Samurai. Simultaneously, Spadino’s brother Manfredi (Adamo Dionisi) has woken from a long coma and claimed control over the Anacleti family.
Samurai’s end comes in the first episode, leaving the rest of the season to deal with the fallout from that, Spadino’s conflict with his brother, and Aureliano’s uncertain control over his own affairs in Ostia. It comes to a head when Manfredi lures Spadino into a trap. Through the intervention of Spadino’s wife, Angelica (Carlotta Antonelli), Aureliano manages to arrive in time to help him fend off his murderous family, only to be killed in the firefight.
In the aftermath, Spadino gives Aureliano a burial at sea, deciding to leave his wife, his family, and Rome behind.
Where Does That Leave Us With Suburra Eterna?
It’s a crying shame that there’s no way for Alessandro Borghi’s Aureliano to return, but that’s okay because he’s currently starring opposite Patrick Dempsey in Devils. Suburra Eterna will pick up in 2011, three years after the end of Blood on Rome.
The power vacuum in Rome has been filled by Amedeo Cinaglia (Filippo Nigro), a politician who previously worked with Samurai; Spadino’s mother Adelaide (Paola Sotgiu); Angelica; and Aureliano’s former partner Nadia (Federica Sabatini). However, as new political tensions arise and new threats emerge, Spadino returns. The first trailer for the new series doesn’t give much more away than that, but you can check it out below for the impeccable, energetic atmosphere.
