Everything is not what it seems in the Netflix Original “Baby”

BY KAREN SUROS

“If you’re 16 and live in Rome’s most beautiful neighborhood, you’re lucky. Ours is the best possible world. Even though everything looks perfect, to survive, we need a secret life.”

This is how Netflix’s new series “Baby” begins. Six episodes, less than an hour long each, delve into the double lives of elite Roman teenagers.

Chiara, played by Benedetta Porcaroli, is the main character. Her life appears simply perfect at first glance; her parents are wealthy, she has solid friends Camilla (Chabeli Sastre) and Fabio (Brando Pacitto) and she is a star on the track. However, everything is not as it seems.

The characters don’t make the best role models for young teens. They drink, cheat, lie and do drugs.  

Her parents are only together for appearance’ sake and she is lying to those closest to her. Things become more complex when she befriends Ludovica (Alice Pagani), who has been outcasted by her peers due to a sex scandal. The two become involved in Rome’s dark and twisty underground clubs. The formerly poor son of a diplomat, Damiano (Riccardo Mandolini), shows up to further complicate things by becoming Chiara’s main love interest.

Think of it as Hannah Montana gone wrong.

“Baby” is actually loosely based on the true story of the Baby Squillo Scandal. In 2013, it was revealed that a 14- and 15-year-old had participated in part-time prostitution in order to afford high-end clothing and technology.

Given where the show’s inspiration comes from, it is not entirely surprising that the show has been criticized for glamorizing teenage prostitution and sex trafficking. The characters don’t make the best role models for young teens. They drink, cheat, lie and do drugs.  

However, these characters are not meant to be role models, and the show’s focus is more relatable to most teens. Typical teen drama in the series allows topics such as love triangles, rebellion and betrayal to take center stage. “Baby” comes off as more of a coming-of-age story about lost teenagers as they navigate the transition between adolescence and adulthood.

“Baby” has all the drama of Gossip Girl, all the maturity of 13 Reasons Why and some of the raw reality of Skins.

Furthermore, the show does a decent job of villainizing the pimps, Saverio (Paolo Cabresi) and Fiore (Giuseppe Maggio), painting the former as greedy and creepy and the latter as obsessive and dangerous.

As previously mentioned, “Baby” takes place in Rome and consequently is in Italian. For Netflix viewers who are not familiar with the language, this means either making the most of the subtitles or dealing with the dubbed version. But the excellence of the show’s acting crosses language barriers. Porcaroli does a grand portrayal of the protagonist Chiara, fluidly transitioning from a quiet wallflower to a fiery force of nature.

“Baby” has all the drama of Gossip Girl, all the maturity of 13 Reasons Why and some of the raw reality of Skins.

Overall, “Baby” is incredibly entertaining, especially for viewers with an affinity for teen dramas. With only six episodes, it’s short yet satisfying, with an ending that may allow for a second season. Despite mature concepts, “Baby” has not done anything terribly out of place for a teen drama, and it will certainly not be out of place in a binge-watch session.

Photo courtesy of Express