‘Signora Volpe’ Recap: ‘Secrets & Sacrifices’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Two of ‘Signora Volpe’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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One of the most difficult aspects of starting our lives over and moving to a new place in doing so… is finding a way to integrate ourselves with our new community. For we are genuinely an outsider when we first arrive and know little about this strange new place and what its people stand for, and that can make for an awkward experience. Since we will make mistakes with local customs and stick out like a sore thumb as we try to find our way about and well, that’s why we make it a priority to learn more about where we are living and how exactly we can become a part of our new home. So, we don’t feel out of place in the slightest and as though we truly belong.
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But while that seems to be an easy task, since one would think being aware of the community and its goings on would easily allow for one to just sneak on in and hang out and make friends, if the community is a touch isolated and generational in nature, blending in won’t come easy. It will require some genuine care and dedication to show everyone that lives there that we care about this place and want to truly be part of it and well, that particular conundrum and how to assimilate into a new place when we’re starting over are top of mind today… because that’s precisely what the next episode of Signora Volpe on Acorn TV focused upon.

For when we catch up with Sylvia Fox in ‘Secrets & Sacrifices’, she’s finally settling into her new home, which is still undergoing major renovations and she’s doing her best to blend in… with minimal results. Since everyone is still keeping to themselves and seeing her as nothing more than another person passing through and ironically… it takes the arrival of another ‘outsider’ and friend from college, named Mallory, to really allow for Sylvia to begin to work her way into this city and the hearts of its people. For Mallory arrived in town to handle an archeological dig and when her exploration of the past, uncovers the remains of a body… well all kinds of ugly memories about an age-old cold case come to the surface for this town, giving Sylvia a chance to solve it.

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In part because she knows such an act would show how much she cares about this community and would help her to blend in better, but more so because… it’s the right thing to do. For someone lost someone they loved dearly, and they need that closure, and just that like… Sylvia dives into the case and quickly discovers… there are a lot of gaps with this case. For the man supposedly responsible for it, refuses to speak about his involvement regarding it and there are no clues or details that really support that he was indeed the murderer in question. In fact, the more Sylvia digs, the less she finds about the poor girl that supposedly died at his hands and to complicate matters further, eventually forensic testing reveals… that the body in question, belongs to someone else.
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Which motivates Sylvia to double down and think outside the box to find the truth here and what she uncovers, is an errand of mercy. One where the supposedly deceased was badly abused as a child and rescued by her supposed murderer so she could live a full life and he would instead take the fall to keep her existence a secret and keep her safe and secure, and discovering this, brought peace to the community and perspective, as did the reveal that the deceased that started this whole journey of discovery, was a hero that saved a piece of art that mattered so much. And just like that, two major mysteries were solved and understanding came to this community at last after years of mystery and strife, and just like that… Sylvia was part of this town, since she demonstrated to everyone she truly cares about what happens here.

If anything, all of these elements made for one brilliant tale, one that not only did a fine job of showing us that finding a way to make ourselves a necessary part of our new community is vital to feeling at home when we start over… but this story was flat out as original as it gets. Because these are the kind of crimes and mysteries that go ignored by most modern shows. Likely because they’re not gritty or engaging enough when clearly… they’re definitely the latter. Since when done correctly, a story such as this can be compelling and powerful and will end beautifully in an inspiring and hopeful manner and that goes to show… how refreshing this series is. Because it was just wonderful to enjoy a different kind of mystery that ended on this note and truly… all this does is leave us hungry for more. So, we can see what other wonderful life lessons and unique mysteries await Sylvia Fox in her new home and new community. Until next time.

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