Netflix Drama “From Scratch” Is a Sentimental Recipe of Love With a Side of Tears

“The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.”

That’s the closing lyric to “Nature Boy”, a song written by Eden Ahbez and first recorded by Nat King Cole in the 1940s. It’s also my first thought after finishing Netflix’s new limited series From Scratch, as I sat on my bed with tears in my eyes and a soft smile on my face. The series is based on Tembi Locke’s memoir and NY Times best-selling book From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home. With the help of her sister, Attica Locke (writer and producer, Empire and Little Fires Everywhere), and Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine, Tembi’s true-life love story has made its way to the screen.

Zoe Saldaña (who also produced) steps into Tembi’s shoes as Amy, a law student from Texas who would much rather pursue her passion and become an artist. She takes a trip to Florence, Italy, where she bumps into Sicilian chef, Lino (Eugenio Mastrandrea). Their chance meeting proves to be fate as the two begin to fall for each other. After 18 months of long-distance romance, Lino relocates to Los Angeles to start a new life with Amy. Over the course of their journey, the couple encounters many challenges, including cultural differences and their complicated families. But, when Lino’s health takes an unexpected turn, they both must rely not only on the love they have for each other but the love of those around them to see them through.

Chemistry is essential in bringing a story like this to the screen. Saldaña and Mastrandrea are wonderful together as Amy and Lino. There can be a tendency, in romance TV, for things to feel sappy and over the top. There are moments where the dialogue borders on cliche, but filtered through these performances, it still comes through as believable. This also extends to the remainder of the cast. Keith David, Judith Scott, Kellita Smith, Paride Benassai, and Lucia Sardo all shine as Amy and Lino’s parents with each performance enhancing the next. But, it’s Danielle Deadwyler’s performance as Amy’s older sister, Zora, that had me sitting up a little taller in anticipation of whatever she was going to do or say.

Through this cast, we come to understand the intent of the Locke sisters in bringing this story to the screen. They set out to tell a story about the many different aspects of love. Not just romantic love, but a love of “culture, food, and travel, and the love of family”. From Tembi’s perspective, it’s also a coming-of-age tale. “I wanted us to show a story of a woman of color on a journey of self-discovery, through marriage, motherhood, loss, and grief, and reimagining family, over the arc of a life and a love. Because not only had I lived it, but as a viewer, I had longed to see it. As storytellers, in TV and our books, we have sought to center the interior of the lives of people who look like us, to tell our stories with all their complexity, beauty, tragedy, and humor.”

The series accomplishes their goal, but it is not for everyone. Yes, the message of love is universal, but the way it is portrayed within these 8 episodes may be too sugary for some tastes. Aside from the tragedy of Lino’s diagnosis, there are parts of the story that could have used a bit more vinegar to really play up the discord between some of the characters, like Lino and his father, Giacomo. Doing so would have made the moments of resolution that much more cathartic. It seemed that many of the conflicts within the series were settled in a way that either felt rushed or too small, slightly offsetting the balance of the series.

Heavily seasoned with sentiment, From Scratch is not just a love story — it’s love’s story. Through not only Amy and Lino but their families and friends, we do experience love in all its forms and all that comes with it — disappointment, reconciliation, compromise, sorrow, and acceptance. While not everyone’s cup of tea, the beauty of the story cannot be denied. Well-written with an incredible cast, From Scratch is a tender tribute to an “epic love…from eros to agape”. Be sure to keep your tissues close. You’ll need them.

From Scratch is now streaming on Netflix.