Sometimes I laugh at vertical series because I am thinking that whoever wrote these has got to expand their horizons past the cheesiest lines, silk sheets, and what is it with green walls? Seriously, I need to understand all the green walls. I sincerely don’t understand, but I also can’t stop watching. Meet My Mafia King On Christmas has met that criteria – along with a wanna be actress who obviously financed a bit of the series so she could play the stepmom.
Meet My Mafia King On Christmas had me both laughing at the story and staring at Tim Steins’ abs. Well, also his hair. Now, the costuming on this series was really bad, but I get it – it plays to the whole Mafia stereotypes. I was waiting for leopard print and zebra stripes, but luckily that didn’t happen.
Vittorio Cassio is the Mafia Don. He’s been shot, makes his way onto the train in New York, and Aurora tends to his wounds. While I would like to believe that could happen, I have lived in New York long enough to be like, “That doesn’t happen.” We all keep to ourselves.
But hey – here we are, and choices are being made. Aurora made the choice to save him from bleeding out. She’s a good person, putting aside all her issues to be there for others always. She’s there for others even when her Dad sells her off to some old creep. But if you think Vittorio is gonna let that happen, you are out of your mind.
Aurora thinks she’s marrying the love of her life (he’s really not), and the creepy dude shows up. Somehow, her Dad is like, “You will do this, and you take one for the team.” Sir, why don’t you take one for the team? But she need not worry – Vittorio will get there just in time.
This poor girl has way too much going on in her life, but she takes it like a champ. Some of her decisions are not the smartest, but we all make dumb choices. At least, no matter what, Vittorio is going to be there for her.
He won’t let her go. He’s done his research and knows way too much about Aurora. It’s like balancing love and stalking, and well, the two do not mix. I would have slapped him, but she’s just fighting back verbally.
It’s abs distraction. I bet.
Aurora’s Mom is ill and needs surgery. The hospital won’t do it because she has to pay up front. Her father has taken all of her mom’s money, as well as her company. His new wife is a reminder that if you have money, you can buy your way into anything, but you probably shouldn’t because you can not act. What you can do is be the worst actor that some of us have seen in a while. That someone is me. I have legitimately watched hundreds of movies and television shows, and I just could not even wrap my head around the stepmother. There should be a hell no on this one ever being in a vertical again.
Vittorio Cassio is in love with Aurora, and it’s kinda sweet but also very overbearing. He’s pushing himself on Aurora every chance he gets. She’s pushing back really hard and finally tells him that she doesn’t want to be with him, that she loves Rory. Rory is a piece of crap who doesn’t deserve any attention. Vittorio is head over heels in love with Aurora and lets her go. He tells her that he begs for no one and that if he ever comes crawling back, she had better call him a dog.
Spoiler alert: He comes back. Even woofs it up.
Who would have known that the Mafia Don is a softie? He does come running back and takes a knife to the back to save Aurora. He is all over the place, but she – well, she isn’t really good at hiding her sexual attraction to him. This toxic AF relationship is sometimes funny and sometimes angsty. But let us be reminded that this is fiction.
He really wants a ring on her finger, and I am just wondering if he gets off on control. The other part of him is just sad and distant and is desperate for love. She’s refusing to give herself to him, and honestly, good on her. She’s gotta draw a line. But she also needs to see what is right in front of her.
He’s a man who wants to protect her. He’s got a brother who is absolute trash and keeps telling him that he’s not worthy of love. Silas – a name one should never trust. The brother is trash and wants Vittorio dead. Silas is a psychopath who needs to be locked up. He basically tells his brother that he’s a mistake. Let’s not get it twisted, though.
He is not a mistake. He makes mistakes. Here are the mistakes that Vittorio has made – he wants to be in control, he has trouble being vulnerable, doesn’t listen, is overbearing, and tries to buy everyone versus just allowing them in. He doesn’t seem to know the value of time. But the good thing about him is that he is completely devoted, and his word means something.
Meet My Mafia King On Christmas is different because every vertical series actor plays a Don differently. Some are stoic, some are way too meh, and some show their emotion when they figure out the thing that is their weakness. While I am not sure if I like Stein more as a Don or a Master, I will say that I like the curly hair. Not sure where this was filmed, but the humidity seemed to grasp onto his hair and say, “We’re never gonna let you go.” I guess that is better, though, than the grey spray that they put in his hair when they try to age him up in that one vertical. I forgot the name.
Sofia López, who plays Aurora, is a charmer who plays innocent really well. My only issue with her character is that for the life of me, I can not figure out when or why she fell in love with Vittorio. Yes, I know it’s the whole he saved me as a kid, but they didn’t know that until the very end. So somewhere along the way, she had fallen, and I rewatched like 30 episodes to try and figure out when, and I couldn’t. So if anyone watches and figures it out, let me know.
That said, I don’t think that it is Lópezs fault for that. She’s a great actress and really does well in this vertical. I think that it has to do with editing and the way that they cut things off and then start the next episode with like 2-3 seconds of the episode before. Stop doing that and just give us more of the story. Can you imagine what we may get that we don’t get?
Do I love that at the end, the two come together, and she tells him he loves him? Of course. Did I like this drama? Yes. Sometimes you need the insanely ridiculous verticals. I mean, in the end, at least it gives you a happy ending.
OTHER THOUGHTS
- Is the punishment spending Christmas together for life? That truly sounds like a punishment
- The Don gets stabbed and shot a lot – where are his peeps
- Taking care of her Mama – I can appreciate a man who just does and takes care of the family
- Ryder doing the dance – that made me LOL
- Aurora’s Dad is he actual devil, and so is her sister
- I need to understand why it is in these things the parents only like one of the kids
- Vittorio’s parents were not good people
- All of these people and their quest to take others’ money. Lik,e come on now, people.
- The Christmas add-on wasn’t necessary, but I can appreciate marketing so…
Where to Watch: Dramawave
