From Scratch

TV Series Review

When Amy first came to Italy, she wasn’t interested finding love or romance. She wanted to study art and experience Europe’s greatest works for herself.

It was supposed to be a six-week excursion—one last hurrah before going back to law school at Georgetown and pursuing the career her dad always wanted her to have.

Instead, she fell in love: with the city of Florentine, with Italian cuisine, with art and with Lino.

A chef from a small town in Sicily, Lino taught Amy how to truly experience all that Italy has to offer. He showed her how food could be an artistic expression. And he gave her the confidence she needed to pursue her dream of becoming an artist.

But this love story doesn’t end there.

Lino and Amy move to Los Angeles, get married (despite opposition from both their families) and even have a daughter. Then, tragedy strikes, and we witness how this couple learns to cope with all of life’s and death’s challenges.

A Tale of Love and Loss

From Scratch is based the memoir of the same name by Tembi Locke (who also produces this show). And perhaps it’s best described by the New York Post: “While Tembi’s story is one of sorrow and loss, it is also a celebration of love, food, caregiving and family.”

This TV-MA Netflix series isn’t without problems. Potential viewers will be exposed to sex scenes (though nothing critical is seen), harsh language (including uses of the f-word) and the heart-wrenching process of grief.

So while it’s an uplifting tale that ultimately focuses on healing after the loss of a loved one, those content concerns will likely make it a nonstarter for most families.

Episode Reviews

Oct. 21, 2022 – S1, Ep1: “First Tastes”

Amy travels to Italy to study art for a semester before heading back to law school. Instead, she finds love and a passion for creating art that convinces her to change the entire course of her life.

A couple has sex, and we see quite a bit of skin (though nothing critical is shown). Other couples make out. One of Amy’s roommates learns how to say “I don’t want to have sex” in Italian since she is engaged and doesn’t want other men to pursue her. Her other roommate learns how to do the opposite (and she returns home one morning after a presumed night of sexual dalliances). Amy is encouraged to pursue love and sex since a “lover” would shower her with money and gifts. Some statues feature male genitalia. Some women wear revealing outfits. We hear that one woman kissed another. We learn that Amy’s parents are divorced, and we learn that her mom is going through another divorce.

We hear that some artists died by suicide. People drink and smoke throughout. Stealing is casually referred to as “the Florentine way.” Amy works illegally to pay her way through Italy (and her boss pays her under the table). She argues with her dad about what career path she should pursue. Her mom believes her daughter should have studied art in Africa instead of Europe, since that’s her heritage. Amy’s dad thinks she’s foolish for pursuing a relationship with someone from another race and culture. There are other allusions to racial differences.

We hear uses of the f-word and s-word, as well as “a–” and “d–n.” A woman wears a cross necklace. We see religious art scattered throughout Florence. Someone says God must have a twisted sense of humor.