‘Signora Volpe’ Recap: ‘An Anxious Aunt’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the series premiere of ‘Signora Volpe’.
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There is a prevailing belief in our society, that the fresh start is a simple and quick act/decision, and it makes sense as to why we believe this. For we live in a world that is always on the go and doesn’t harbor time for thought or analysis. So, if we find ourselves in a situation where we aren’t happy or don’t think we are on the right path, we should just drop everything… move away and start over. After all, jobs are plentiful, there are plenty of places to rent and other jobs in our career field, and we’ll feel better in just going for it and finding a new way forward. In fact, this belief is so deeply engrained in our modern world, that even fiction supports this line of thinking.
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But the fact of the matter is, starting over… isn’t a simple process or an easy decision to make. Because sometimes the career field we’ve chosen isn’t something we can just laterally transfer within and of course, we may not know what we want in life after spending years on a particular path and those are realities that we need to speak to more. So that people really understand the gravity of starting over and how much thought actually needs to go into such matters, so we can properly figure out what we actually want and need in life to be happy, and it just so happens… that fiction is starting to go against that popular grain and is offering stories that showcase what really goes into starting over in life. In fact, there’s a brand-new series out on Acorn TV that explores just that, in Signora Volpe.

A feat that the series premiere of this show accomplishes, by introducing us to an MI6 agent named Sylvia Fox. And when we catch up with Sylvia in ‘An Anxious Aunt’, she’s struggling with her chosen career field. For the decision to expose her assets in the name of a sour deal, courtesy of her ex-husband/lover Adam Haines no less… leaves Sylvia beside herself and motivates her, to just get away for a bit, to Italy no less. For her niece is about to be married and what better way to clear one’s mind and figure out what comes next than by getting away from it all for a while. But some odd and suspicious moments in Italy, force Sylvia to use her training to uncover a grand mystery. One that might endanger her niece’s life and well, it is that desire to do good and do right by her family that leads to the exploration of what a fresh start actually looks like.

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Because we are privy to a bevy of intimate moments with Sylvia. Wherein she comes to realize that her desire to be a superstar in the spy industry by any means… has cost her a great deal. Since she doesn’t know her family, and she doesn’t have a personal life at all. She simply works, and while she knows plenty about threats and threat management and queen and country, that knowledge has given her nothing and never allowed for her to grow Which means that often times, the fresh start begins with a grand epiphany. One that helps us to understand that we are simply not happy with the choices we’ve made and that we need a change, and it was both powerful and fascinating to watch Sylvia come to that realization over the course of the premiere since it was handled in such a careful and organic manner… as was the next step in this journey.

For we have to decide… who we want to be and what we want to stand for if we are going to make a change in our lives and well, once Sylvia gets into the case involving her niece’s shady fiancé, she begins to understand exactly what it is she wants out of life. In that, she joined MI6 under the belief that she would be making the world a better place and saving lives in the process, not playing political games with lives instead. And being able to help her niece and assist in a grand investigation, is what gives her the clarity she needs. In that, she still wants to help people and make the world a better place… and she can do just that on a smaller scale, through one decent and kind act at a time. Which is… a brilliant way to explore the fresh start, since it is realistic and organic and smooth, and it doesn’t offer up quick resolution on the matter either.

Since Sylvia doesn’t end this journey with a new place or an office space with ‘Detective Agency’ emblazoned upon a door. She’s just content in finally finding direction and she’s eager to settle in and continue the steps needed to get what she wants and that is a wonderful way to bring this premiere to a close. Because it leaves us eager to continue the journey and see exactly how Sylvia finds that peace and everything else, she’s looking for and well… that makes this a perfect premiere in the end. Since it truly offers up a realistic journey for the audience, one complete with stellar performances. Since Emilia Fox is wonderful as Sylvia and brings gravity to every moment, she’s on screen and Jamie Bamber makes a huge impact in this tale as well, since his role helps to sell Sylvia’s reality and well, in the end... just like that… we are now on a grand journey of discovery, one that undoubtedly teach us and Sylvia a great deal more about the wonders and realities... of starting over. Until next time. 

To learn more about this series and its main characters, check out our interviews with Emilia Fox and Jamie Bamber.

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