Wealthy American widower Adam Verver and his daughter Maggie live in Europe, where they collect art and relish each other's company. Through the efforts of the manipulative Fanny Assingham, Maggie becomes engaged to Amerigo, but remains blind to his rekindled affair with her longtime friend Charlotte Stant.
In a fascinating style, this is a TV series about bored rich people whose pastimes are buying splendid objects, showing off the objects, walking about and dramatic looks and silences. Maggie and her father have a strange close relationship. Charlotte and Amerigo are in love but marry others for money. Amerigo and Charlotte resume their premarital love affair. What follows are dramatic scenes, meaningful silences and kinda martyrdom.