Netflix’s new miniseries, “From Scratch” is based on the love story of a real-life couple, Saro and Tembi Locke. Produced by Hello Sunshine after Reese Witherspoon picked it for her famous book club, the series follows the relationship between Texas artist Amy (Zoe Saldaña) and Sicilian chef Lino (Eugenio Mastrandrea).
The story begins with Amy fleeing to Italy to fulfill her dreams of being an artist. Throughout her journey in Florence, she meets a man named Lino who she comes to find out is an amazing chef. Their relationship takes flight rather fast, as their romance and chemistry is full of passion. These strong feelings eventually transition to Amy and Lino moving to Los Angeles together, despite Lino having never been outside of Italy.
The show then catapults into their life together as artists and chefs trying to make it in a big city. Of course, this comes with some hardships, a few arguments and even second thoughts about their decision to move in together in a different country. However, their strong bond proves that love can outweigh nearly anything.
***The rest of this review will contain spoilers.***
Lino’s cancer diagnosis creates a shift in the storyline, one that puts their relationship to the ultimate test. His battle with cancer had many ups and downs, which ultimately results in Lino passing away.
However, the journey that Lino and Amy take together, beginning with moving to LA and ending with Lino’s cancer, show that their bond was too strong to break no matter the challenge.
Amy and their daughter, Idalia’s last moments with Lino and the lingering sadness that looms over their house can remind anyone of their time spent with a sick loved one. People come in and out for visits, and their last conversations with that person will be something that they always remember.
Lino shows how selfless and strong he is throughout his battle with cancer. He is always more worried about his wife and daughter. Despite the hardships that Amy and Lino faced throughout the course of their relationship, any viewer can appreciate their story. They learned so much from each other and went against the norms of societal expectations.
The last episode, titled “Aftertastes” recounts the devastating time after the loss of Lino. Amy goes into a deep depression in the aftermath of Lino’s passing. Her sister, Zora, keeps her together until she hits a breaking point with Amy’s behavior. Zora pushes Amy to fulfill Lino’s wishes of spreading his ashes in Sicily, where he is from.
Amy and their daughter Idalia finally make their trip to Casetllone, Sicily to spread Lino’s ashes and spend time with his family there. Amy has a hard time adjusting to being with Lino’s mother and extended family, but she begins to appreciate her time there. It seems as if being in Sicily and staying in the home Lino grew up in helps Amy to grieve his death.
Overall, this is a story that raises awareness for so many and has more than one message: follow your dreams, don’t be afraid of love, family is the most important thing and take advantage of every day like it’s your last. You’ll be crying, laughing and dropping your jaw all at the same time throughout the course of this show.
Rating: 5/5
