Medici

Like Father, Like Son

Medici is a British-Italian historical series created by Frank Spotnitz and Nicholas Meyer in 2016.

The series is about the powerful eponymous family that ruled the late medieval / Renaissance era city-state of Florence in Italy. Aside from intense personal drama, it highlights the turbulent period when the Medici were becoming kings of Florence in all but name, with the attendant intrigue and drama.

The first season, titled Masters of Florence, is a dramatization of the life of Cosimo de' Medici "the Elder" (Richard Madden), as he ascends to family patriarch and leader of the wealthy and powerful Medici bank following the suspicious death of his father, Giovanni (Dustin Hoffman).

The second season, titled The Magnificent, Part 1, focuses on the younger years of Cosimo's grandson Lorenzo "the Magnificent" (Daniel Sharman), and the Pazzi Conspiracy against him. The third season, titled The Magnificent, Part 2, focuses on Lorenzo's later life and concludes the series.

The show aired on Rai (the channel that co-produced it) in Italy, Sky in Germany and Zive in France. It is available on Netflix for English-speakers.

This series provides examples of:

0% Approval Rating: The Pazzi family doesn't realise they have this in comparison to the Medicis, and especially after murdering Giuliano de Medici at Mass.
Actor Allusion:
- The first season's main draw was Richard Madden as Cosimo, who quite appropriately starts out as a romantic young man not unlike his first mainline role King Robb Stark. The catch of course is that Cosimo's arc of becoming the ruthless Medici patriarch turns something more akin to the former's nemesis, Tywin Lannister or (as is more culturally akin) Michael Corleone of The Godfather. (It also helps that Giovanni [as portrayed by Dustin Hoffman], Cosimo's father, is just about as much of a ruthless Asshole Victim as the aforementioned Tywin.)
- On an explicitly-related note, David Bradley is once again the father-in-law to Richard Madden—albeit the Arranged Marriage proceeds far more successfully than the Red Wedding. Both of their characters even awkwardly pause and stare when they first meet as if there is a flicker of recognition.
- Sean Bean's casting as Jacopo de Pazzi in Season 2 invites amusement not only because a) it's another feather in his Chronically Killed Actor cap; b) as the Pazzi head, he is essentially arrayed against the family of his erstwhile on-screen "son" in Game of Thrones; and c) whereas Ned Stark's political ineptness in Game of Thrones marked him out as a Tragic Hero, Jacopo's just cements his being an Asshole Victim.
- Bradley James is best known for being King Arthur in Merlin (2008), the "golden boy" of his side who gets killed before his loved one (Guinevere) takes up the rule of the kingdom. This pretty much also describes the role Giuliano de Medici played for his brother Lorenzo the Magnificent up until he dies in the Pazzi conspiracy.
- David Bamber, once again, plays a prominent Roman politician who flees Rome due to a civil war in the city- only this time he's the Pope, not a senator.
Adapted Out: Understandably, some members of the Medici family and other clans were removed from the storyline to streamline the narrative.
- Cosimo and Contessina had a younger son other than Piero, Giovanni, who was deemed more competent and healthier than Piero—but unfortunately predeceased Cosimo, paving the way for Piero's succession. Perhaps to avoid another retread of the drama between Cosimo and Lorenzo, Piero is the only son of Cosimo shown—and his incompetencies were downplayed to a lack of confidence and initiative (at least for Season 1).
- Rinaldo had a brother, Luca, who was staunchly loyal to Cosimo and married to a Medici cousin.
- Lorenzo (the Elder) was already married (for a couple decades prior to his Ginevra's first mention in the series) and had a family, including one notable son Pierfrancesco who would have been alive during the timeline of the show.
Appeal to Force: This has been the "tool of last resort" of the Medici family men, with varying success.
- When Cosimo is arrested, Lorenzo the Elder fetches an army (led by Francesco Sforza, later to be Duke of Milan) to threaten the city and force his release. It helps Contessina to leverage Cosimo's exile.
- When Piero's mismanagement of the bank has led to bank runs and diminishing confidence in the Medici bank, he took up a Deal with the Devil from the next Duke of Milan, Galeazzo Sforza, to invade Florence, allow them to pilfer whichever they desire and then pay the Medici (in addition to destroying their enemies)—despite the massive PR disaster it would cause the Medici. This is what ultimately drove Lorenzo the Magnificent to rise up and depose his father.
Arc Words: "A man always has a choice." Arguably. It is repeated a few times, with different emphasis and is bound up in the show's themes.
Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: At one point Cosimo is arrested and dramatically accused of three treasons; that he attempted to make himself a despot over all Florence, that he charges interest on loans (a grave sin) and that he pollutes the city's morals by funding tacky art.
Artistic License – Art:
- Several liberties were taken in regards of Sandro Botticelli's Venus And Mars. Giuliano models as Mars (while it is generally agreed that the original model was a drowned man fished out of the Arno), Simonetta Vespucci is live modelling for it (while, if it is indeed her portrait, it was posthumous as she was already dead by the estimated time of its creation), the painting is never used as a headboard for the bed and, more glaringly, it gets burned when the Vespucci house is looted by an angry mob after Marco's involvement in the Pazzi Conspiracy. The latter is especially puzzling since, in the next season, Venus and Mars is included in the montage of Renaissance artworks that make up the Medici's legacy to future generations.
- The very first Botticelli painting seen in the series is Fortitude, in The Magnificent, Part 1. Somehow, it's seen hanging in the dining hall of the Medici Palace in Part I. The Medici didn't commission the painting, statesman Tommaso Soderini did, for the Tribunale di Mercanzia of Florence.
Artistic License – History: The period is beautifully, lovingly displayed, but the show assumes a lot of private conversations and back-dealings we would know nothing about. Most tellingly, we have no idea how Giovanni de Medici died in real life (except that it was in February, so he wouldn't be relaxing in the vineyard and eating grapes), but his murder is central to the plot. The creators acknowledge this, not changing events that were confirmed to have happened, but not hiding the fact that the exact circumstances portrayed were little more than guesswork.
As You Know: Giuliano seems to be at Council meetings to explain this to the audience.
Asskicking Leads to Leadership: Rinaldo seems to believe that nobles rule through a combination of divine mandate and martial prowess. Certainly, he does not shy away from battle and distrusts the Medici for ruling through their wealth.
- Jacopo de Pazzi believes much the same in Season 2.
Badass Bookworm: Cosimo is a banker, and wanted to be an artist, but it's still unwise to test him. Piero tries to be this, but he's not quite there yet.
Beauty Inversion: The series tends to "age up" the actors with make-up, greying strands of hair and emphasizing stockier builds with clothing (at least for the men). In the case of the women—despite giving them perhaps more mature and stylized clothing—they don't really bother making them look older than their wedding days. All of them remained incredibly beautiful.
- There's an explicit differentiation made for the younger Cosimo and Lorenzo [the Elder] (where they dress, more often than not, like Romance Cover Scene leading men—with luxurious locks and open doublets) compared to their older statelier selves (where their clothes make them look stouter and their well-trimmed hair is salt-and-pepper). And yet when each of them have a Shirtless Scene, their bodies have never aged either.
- They tried to age Danial Sharman up and a messier beard and hairstyle, hoping to give him a plumper, sicklier, more dishevelled look as an older Lorenzo the Magnificent with gout.
- Annabel Scholey and Synnove Karlsen, too, were subsequently aged up with make-up and greying wigs when potraying an older Contessina and Clarice respectively.
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Cosimo. Though he's the show's hero, he's repeatedly unkind to Contessina and he has little regard for Maddalena once he tires of her.
- Lorenzo, too, after he Took a Level in Jerkass in season three as a result of Giuliano's death and Francesco's betrayal. In fact, the show in general makes very little to sugarcoat the less savoury traits of the main characters.
Bittersweet Ending / "Ray of Hope" Ending: Season three ends with the death of Lorenzo and Savonarola all but in charge of Florence. However, Lorenzo dies at peace, surrounded by the love of his remaining family, and seemingly redeemed; he gets the last word with Savonarola telling him (correctly) that the beauty of the Florentine Renaissance he patroned will endure; we are told that while Piero loses his power and is ousted from Florence, Giovanni and later Giulio would go on to become popes; and finally, we are treated to a beautiful montage of many Renaissance artworks patroned by the Medici which have survived well into our times, showing that Cosimo and Lorenzo's legacy has become a pivotal part of humanity's heritage and they were ultimately right.
Blackmail Backfire: The surgeon who autopsies Giovanni De Medici knows the Medici wish to keep his cause of death quiet, and attempts to blackmail Cosimo in the first episode. Cosimo is willing to pay, but Marco insists such things never end with a one-time payoff, and murders the surgeon.
- A non-murder type of this happens in Season 2.
Blue Blood: Much of the cast, at least technically. Contessina is a noblewoman, making Cosimo and their child such. Most of the Signoria, especially Rinaldo Albizzi.
Bribe Backfire: Happens to Cosimo and Lorenzo the Elder when trying to rig the papal election. The Medici are often accused of buying votes, even on the odd occasion they're innocent.
Bribing Your Way to Victory: Standard practice of the Medici. They are wealthy bankers, after all.
Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Filippo Brunelleschi has a very abrasive and self-centered personality. But he's also every bit the architectural genius he says he is.
Butt-Monkey: Piero can't get any respect for most of the first season, and little or nothing he tries turns out well. Makes it all the better in the end when he stands up and dictates terms to the Signoria.
The Chains of Commanding: Cosimo De Medici never wanted to be a banker, or a politician or to marry into nobility. He definitely never wanted to hurt or kill anyone. But for his family, he will do all these things and worse.
Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: Andrea Pazzi.
Chronically Killed Actor: Sean Bean is in Season Two.
The Consigliere: Ugo Bencini, the administrator for the bank, can speak very frankly to the family about their decisions. made more appropriate by the revelation he was the Medici's hitman, and not just a paper-pusher
Corrupt Church: One of Cosimo's earliest exploits was rigging the selection of a new pope—the one who turned out to be Antipope John XXIII during the Western Schism. The one needed vote he couldn't buy, he blackmailed with the Cardinal's homosexual relationship. This is what convinced Giovanni to name Cosimo his heir.
- Averted with Pope Eugene IV, who - interestingly for a Renaissance Pope - is portrayed for the most part as a fairly straight example of a Good Shepherd, preferring the simple black habit of a Benedictine monk to Papal finery and being genuinely concerned for the physical and spiritual well-being of those around him. Cosimo in particular describes him to the Signoria as the first truly holy man he's ever met, and it leaves a deep impression on him.
Crisis of Faith: Cosimo spends a great deal of time almost frantically praying, for forgiveness, for answers.
Deal with the Devil: To save the family, Cosimo gives 40,000 florins to a bishop-general, knowing he is a butcher and blood will run in the streets of Rome. Said bishop also makes it clear that he expects the Medici to bankroll all his future military adventures, for the church and for himself. There's a long pause where you can see Cosimo understands exactly what he's agreeing to.
Decidedby One Vote: Season Two Episode Three ends with the Medici family two votes short for their treaty to pass. Unexpectedly, Francesco de Pazzi switches sides to the Medici vote, meaning the members tie and the Gonfalioniere breaks the tie for the Medicis.
Declaration of Protection:
- Lucrezia pledges this Glulio after learning he is the illegitimate son of Giuliano.
The Dog Was the Mastermind: The killer of Giovanni turns out to be.....Ugo. The administrator of the bank who was always in the background. Unlike most cases his motivations were hinted at before The Reveal.
The Don: The Medici aren't (technically) criminals most of the time, but Cosimo and Giovanni before him otherwise fit this trope to a T. Piero tries (but fails spectacularly most times), and Lorenzo the Magnificent was ultimately in the process of transitioning the family from behind-the-scenes politicking to flat-out seizing political power instead.
Dracoin Leather Pants: Francesco de Pazzi is very much this.
The Dutiful Son: Much of the drama in the Medici family, understandably, is to what extent should the men be this—and in what specific ways. The first patriarch Giovanni compares the men of the family (even himself) to branches in a grapevine—where the fall/failure of one father or son should not deter the others from doing their duties to the family and gaining victory.
- Lorenzo the Elder was this in their youth, but Cosimo proved more determined and inventive. To Lorenzo's credit, he eventually decided that this is indeed the right course and was happy to support Cosimo's more effective leadership. That said, the decades begin to strain both of them due to Cosimo's increasing ruthlessness and Lorenzo's increasing disillusionment with what they're doing—not to mention an increasing case of Dude, Where's My Respect?.
- Piero the Gouty for his part is defined by his desire to live up to his father Cosimo. While it is an endearing and sympathetic character trait for him as a young man in Season 1, Season 2 shows him as an elderly man unable to innovate anything further than what Cosimo has done before—to the family business's detriment.
- This, in turn, is what drove the younger Lorenzo ('the Magnificent') to depose his father—something that his enemies rightfully describe as "stabbing his father in the back", but he (and even his mother Lucrezia) agreed needed to be done to give the family stronger leadership.
Earn Your Happy Ending: Clarice has this with Lorenzo, after being unhappy with Lorenzo's affair with Lucrezia Donati. As Donati tells her 'pushing him out of my bed won't bring him closer to yours', Clarice sets in motion the match-up of Francesco and Novella, to bring the loyalty of Venice. This, after Lorenzo's own failed plans, seems to bring them together.
The Exile: Cosimo, after his arrest for treason is convicted, but has his sentence commuted to banishment through a combination of Contessina's scheming and Lorenzo's army. After a year, he returns in triumph.
- Guglielmo is exiled after the rest of the Pazzi family murder Giuliano. Bianca chooses exile with him.
Failure Gambit: A variation happens in Episode 3. Jacopo intends to use Guglielmo and Bianca's elopement to expose a scandal to ruin Lorenzo's alliance with Soderini and stop the treaty going through. However, Lorenzo the Magnificent realises that it's not a scandal if they say they were officially bethrothed. Soderini is appeased with money.
Failed a Spot Check: Francesco doesn't wait to check that Lorenzo the Magnificent is dead. So he mistakes Lucrezia's screaming over Giuliano as a sign that the injured Lorenzo has died. Had he waited, or left a guard there, he might have succeeded in his plan.
Family Business: The Medici Bank, the wealthiest in all Europe with the Pope as a prominent client.
- The Pazzi are a rival family bank.
Family Drama: And lots of it.
Feuding Families: The Medici and the Albizzi. At first it seems a simple case of old nobility objecting to jumped-up bankers, but it turns out to be born from a deeply personal grudge between Rinaldo and Cosimo (but Rinaldo still intends to put down anyone not of nobility).
- The Medici and the Pazzi under Jacopo de Pazzi. It's unclear if Jacopo's grudge is personal or snobbery, but given that his brother intended to wed his son to Piero's daughter, it might be very specifically Jacopo's grudge.^note
Finger-Licking Poison: Giovanni is killed by grapes painted with hemlock. This was made possible because he always stopped in his morning walk and sampled the grapes of the same vine, to gauge the progress of the vineyard.
Funny Background Event: During Piero and Pazzi's head to head in the Signoria near the end of season one, Pazzi desperately clamours for attention by taking the Gonfaloniere's hammer and bowl while calling for 'order'. Moments later, Guadagni actually does obtain order by using a small handbell with an amusing tinkling.
Good Adultery, Bad Adultery: While in exile in Venice, Cosimo sleeps with a slave girl, whom he later brings back to Florence to live in their household, much to Contessina's chagrin. Meanwhile, Contessina meets an Old Flame, with whom she flirts (mainly to obtain information for Cosimo, but also because she enjoys the attention after being spurned and abandoned by her husband). The worst she does is kiss the guy, and yet Cosimo treats their betrayals as equivalent.
- Lorenzo the Magnificent presses Giuliano to make peace with Vespucci after having an affair with his wife. Giuliano at that moment notices Lorenzo's former mistress, with her husband, who we presume is unaware of their affair.
Happily Arranged Marriage: This is initially the way with Francesco and Novella, who was originally intended for Giuliano, but after Giuliano's lack of interest, and her obvious interest in Francesco, Clarice arranges that match up instead, as her father wants 'a son of a Florence banking family'.
Historical Beauty Update: The Beautiful Elite and Beauty Equals (a-bit-Morally Ambiguous but ultimately) Good is very much in effect for the Medici family.
- See here◊ for comparison between the real Giovanni de' Medici and Dustin Hoffman.
- The real Cosimo de Medici looked like this.◊ Here he's played by Richard Madden.
- The real Lorenzo de Medici is frequently described in historical documents as short and homely with a squashed nose. Here he's played by British actor Daniel Sharman, who is over 6 feet tall and a model.
- While the real Giuliano de Medici was reportedly quite handsome, if the portraits◊ we have of him are accurate, he probably would've killed to look like Bradley James.
- The real Clarice Orsini was described by her own mother-in-law as not overtly plain, but not a great beauty either. Here she's played by Synnove Karlsen, who may not be conventionally attractive, but try to find one person who won't say she's gorgeous.
Historical Hero Upgrade: Bernardo Guadagni (portrayed by Brian Cox), the Gonfaloniere of Justice of Florence (essentially the president of the city-state) was in fact openly complicit with the Albizzi and the Pazzi in driving Cosimo into exile. Here, at worst Guadani was reduced to being a Puppet King under the Albizzi, but not without wisdom, dignity and integrity of his own (especially when either guiding Cosimo and keeping the factions at peace in the Signoria, or entrapping Albizzi towards confessing his planned coup to prevent Cosimo's return from exile).
Historical Relationship Overhaul: Unlike the real men, Cosimo and Rinaldo were not teenaged rivals/friends as they were about 20 years apart in age. Their enmity was primarily political and mostly stemmed from Rinaldo's fear of the extent to which the Medicis' influence might grow.
Horror Doesn't Settle for Simple Tuesday: True to history, the climax of the Pazzi conspiracy happens at Easter of 1478. Giuliano is murdered at mass, and the ensuing chaos tears through the holiday.
Impossible Task: Saving Albizzi's life when he is imprisoned for treason, with an airtight case against him, and sternly refuses any help from his enemy, the Medici.
In Love with the Mark: Happens to Maddalena in Venice. First she is given to Cosimo as a gift, to spy on him. Then she falls in love and escapes her abusive former master to live with the Medici.
Ironic Echo: "A man always has a choice."
Jumping Off the Slippery Slope: Ugo found himself doing this. His first murder, that of Giovanni was understandable. He was consumed with guilt for causing the death of Lorenzo's lover and his unborn child and disgusted when Giovanni callously brushes it off. His later crimes, such as murdering the man he bought poison from and framing Marco are basically to save his own ass.
Knight Templar Parent: Giovanni went out of his way to ruin both his sons' relationships rather than risk their marrying beneath them.
Like a Son to Me: Ironically, Lorenzo and his mother Lucrezia, both come to view Glulio as such.
Lonely at the Top: Cosimo has a great deal of trouble relating to his wife and son, and even his relationship with his brother Lorenzo [the Elder] is sometimes strained by his position as the family patriarch.
Heel–Face Turn: Francesco de Pazzi supports the Medici vote, after Jacopo disowns Guglielmo.
Heel–Face Door-Slam: Francesco de Pazzi is convinced that the Medicis are making a joke of him, and returns to the Pazzi side.
Meet Cute: Francesco and Novella.
Morality Pet: Guglielmo seems to be this for Francesco.
The Muse: Simonetta Vespucci for Botticelli. After her death, he insists he can't paint again. It doesn't last.
Naïve Newcomer: Piero. Cosimo hated being groomed to lead the bank and tries to shelter his son from some of the harsher truths of business and politics in Florence.
Noodle Incident: Season 2 shows an older Marco Bello training the young Lorenzo the Magnificent in the joust under the eye of the equally-elderly Contessina. The point of the Season 1 denouement was explicitly about Marco choosing to abandon his loyalties to the Medici to save his life. What exactly restored him to their favor (save presumably Cosimo's death in-between seasons) is not discussed.
An Offer You Can't Refuse: Cosimo makes several of these.
One-Steve Limit: To wit, usually defied: after all, this is still a pre-modern society were given names-as-heritage are Serious Business.
- The men of the Medici household tend to reuse the names Giovanni, Lorenzo and Piero. Notably, it even serves as character marks both in the series (for Rule of Drama) and Truth in Television.
  - The Lorenzos (both the Elder [Cosimo's brother] and the Magnificent [the protagonist of Seasons 2-3]) have a more ruthless streak against their enemies. They also have a really bad tendency to spark their allies and relatives' resentments against them.
  - The Pieros (both the Gouty [Lorenzo the Magnificent's father] and the Unfortunate [Lorenzo the Magnificent's son]) tend to be Sketchy Successors.
  - The Giovannis (both the very first patriarch [Cosimo's father] and Lorenzo the Magnificent's son [later Pope Leo X]), surprisingly, couldn't be more different, at least in-show. The former was an Abusive Parent who forced Cosimo to abandon his art and love affair, while the younger Giovanni would in turn be forced by Lorenzo to enter the priesthood and abandon the arts.^note
- Lucrezia Tornabuoni, Lorenzo the Magnificent's mother, and Lucrezia Donati, his Mistress.
O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Carlo knows the plan but is threatened not to reveal it. So he sends Clarice a letter in Latin, as he knows that she doesn't read Latin, which alerts the Medici's suspicions of a plot against them.
Posthumous Character: Contessina appears in flashbacks in Season 2. As does Marco Bello.
The Plague: The actual Black Death comes to Florence in the third episode 'Pestilence' and upsets the whole gameboard.
Rags to Riches: When the story begins, the Medici are already wealthy and powerful, but not yet the masters of Florence. Giovanni really did come from humble origins, as Rinaldo attempts to rub in in the first episode.
The Reveal: Ugo is the one who killed Giovanni Medici. Consumed with guilt for indirectly causing the death of Lorenzo's lover and his unborn child and disgusted by Giovanni's callousness on the matter, Ugo poisoned him. Then he committed more murders and framed Marco in order to cover it up.
Smug Snake: All the Pazzi family have shades of this during the assassination of Giuliano, but Salviati is definitely the prime case.
Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!: The attitude of Rinaldo, and many nobles.
Screw the Rules, I Have Money!: The Medici are accused of having this attitude. Arguably this is true.
Ship Tease: Francesco and Lorenzo, judging from the Fan videos. The main arc of the series is the *Sunk Ship between these two.
Smug Snake: Rinaldo Albizzi, and to a lesser extent Andrea Pazzi.
Stupid Evil: Francesco de Pazzi. He gives his own wife the advice that one shouldn't listen to Jacopo de Pazzi because he lies and manipulates for his own ends. What does he do in the very same episode? All this leads to him throwing his wife out of the house and banishing her back to her father, getting involved with a conspiracy to kill Lorenzo and Guiliano, actually stabbing Guiliano to death in the Cathedral during Mass, and ultimately being hung for his crimes alongside his uncle and co-conspirators. He really should have listened to his own advice. What makes it worse that just prior to this he had a Heel–Face Turn and actually befriended and helped Lorenzo when he realised how callous Jacopo could be making it even more of a facepalm inducing decision.
Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: Welcoming new arts and sciences to Florence is a noble goal, but as Lucrezia points out these projects cost a pretty penny. Which is why she has been cooking the books while borrowing money from the city's coffers.
These Hands Have Killed: Cosimo's reaction when a blackmailer is killed on his behalf, but not on his orders.
- Lorenzo has this in the Season 2 premiere after killing a guard, and after the slaughter at Volterra, which he couldn't stop.
Those Two Guys: The Cavalcanti Cousins. They appear in Episode 1, as youthful friends of Lorenzo, and then don't reappear until the finale where they help save the day.
Time Skip: It has been announced the second season will leap ahead to the time of Lorenzo il Magnifico, Cosimo's grandson only just born at the end of the first season.
- A year passes between Episode 4 and 5 of Season 2.
- Also, a year passes between episodes four and five of the first season.
- Seven(!) years passes between episode 3 and 4 of Season 3.
Turn Out Like His Father: Cosimo is afraid of this, and at one point Lorenzo the Elder accuses him of being this. Ugo assures him he's not. Ugo would of course know, as Cosimo continues to show that he has a conscience despite making the shadiest of decisions, while Giovanni's such an unrepentant asshole that Ugo eventually chose to assassinate him himself.
Ungrateful Bastard: Contessina goes above and beyond to save Cosimo's life and commute his sentence to exile. Cosimo reacts as if she has betrayed him, forbids her to go with him, keeps her at arm's length, and even sleeps with a slave girl. Understandably, she feels unappreciated. When she angrily tells him everything she has done for him, he points out that she was merely fulfilling her duty as his wife. She counters that he hasn't done much to fulfil his duty as her husband. They have sex, but it doesn't resolve anything.
Vicariously Ambitious: The narrative of Season 1 frames Cosimo's patronage of artists and geniuses like Brunelleschi as this: since Giovanni cut short his pursuit of the humanities, he essentially chose to enable and patronize starving artists to achieve what he never can. The series clearly sympathizes with this and portrays it as ultimately the Medici's greatest legacy.
Villain Protagonist: Lorenzo by Season 3. Fortunately, he does make amends by the very end.
We Can Rule Together: Cantalina has trying to bond with her husband over this for YEARS, yet he never really appericated her efforts. It's no wonder why she ultimately gives up and sides with the Medici family.
"Well Done, Son" Guy: Piero wants only to prove himself to his father and join the family business. This is baffling to his father, who had to be strong-armed into the life.
Well-Intentioned Extremist: There is precious little Cosimo won't do for his family or his city. But he will feel terribly bad about it later.
What the Hell, Hero?: Cosimo's treatment of Contessina.
Wide-Eyed Idealist: Piero is so very much this. He's so cute thinking facts have anything to do with a heavily politicized trial.
- Lorenzo (before he becomes 'the Magnificent') in Season Two has this to a degree.
We Used to Be Friends: Family loyalties, much like everything in Florence, ruins things and ironically sets up internecine rivalries.
- Cosimo and Rinaldo, despite a sports rivalry, share a common temperament that would have made them friends. Giovanni, Cosimo's father, however, desires to usurp Albizzi assets, and used Cosimo's friendship to learn about the Albizzis' actions and ruin them. Rinaldo, quite rightfully, resents this and hardens into lifelong opposition to the Medici—which Cosimo never succeeds in repairing despite countless overtures.
- Francesco and Lorenzo the Magnificent were childhood friends. They both end up on opposing sides due to their clans.
What Happened to the Mouse?: Season Two never tells us what became of Maddalena, although we know her son, Carlo de Medici, joins the church.