'The Octopus' (La Piovra) from 1984 is largely focused on Italian mafia intrigue, crime, and personal drama. Characters are written with depth and flaws, with minimal emphasis on identity politics. Storytelling privileges character arcs, danger, and realism over modern ideological messaging. Forced representation and contemporary identity themes are virtually absent.

The show treats institutions like family, tradition, and religion as complex, sometimes corrupt but influential – reflective of the realities of Italian society at the time. It neither derides masculinity nor rewrites history to fit a modern mold. Gender and traditional roles are depicted with nuance, without heavy-handed subversion.

Alternative worldviews are not caricatured; rather, the series depicts a spectrum of morality among law enforcement, criminals, and families. There’s no clear push for a uniform modern ideology; debate and conflict are central. While the show comments on corruption, it does so without today's typical ideological slant.