As a passionate reader of Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Novels, I must say that this episode was a rollercoaster of emotions, much like the tumultuous lives of Lenù and Lila themselves. The intensity with which Irene Maiorino portrayed Lila in her interactions with Alfonso was truly captivating – it was as if we were peering into a soul wrestling with its own demons.
This week, while I was engaged in watching “The Return,” my companion, who hasn’t read the Neapolitan Quartet and has only casually caught glimpses of the series as I watch it, happened to pass by at a moment when Nino was pleading with Lenù to reconcile. Upon catching a glimpse, he expressed his skepticism, given limited understanding of the extent of Nino’s wrongdoings: “It seems odd that you’d want someone who treated your closest friend so unfairly.
It’s a question we’ve all been asking ourselves. Last week, I tried puzzling it out by suggesting that, in Ferrante’s world, a formative desire may die down, but it never fully goes away: It resists time and change like an ember that needs only a little oxygen to spark up again. These embers exist outside of space and time, as if desire occupied its own dimension in a person’s emotional universe. When Lenù returns home from Lila’s to an empty apartment after catching Nino having sex with Silvana, humiliated and determined to free herself from him for good, Antonio stops by. Antonio was Lenù’s first real flame, the first boy with whom she became intimate in the ruins of an old factory in the neighborhood. Antonio was always kind and troubled, and though they never had sex in adolescence, Lenù maintains that the lust she felt for him, unconsummated, was more powerful than even her want for Nino.
At least, that’s what she tells him to get in his pants. Managing somehow to split himself between obedience to the Solaras and Lila, Antonio is something of the neighborhood’s watchman: He finds things out, investigates people, keeps an eye on Lenù, and is confidently able to tell her that not only was Nino trying to get Lila back but he had numerous affairs — “You can’t imagine how many” — over the course of his relationship with Lenù. He fucked around so widely and indiscriminately that even the gynecologist, whose impropriety suddenly makes a lot of sense, was part of his roster. Crucially, Antonio tells Lenù that Nino’s strategy is to never break things off with anyone. He keeps emotional tabs on women, leaving them when it’s convenient but never committing to a definitive break. If Lenù wants him to regret the day he was born, Antonio will make sure he does. He has always loved Lenù, even if she has always loved Nino.
Lenù is mortified to the point where she feels weak and tries to avoid collapsing. She clings to Antonio, pleading with him for support, and eventually things escalate – or so Lenù claims. Antonio initially resists, as he harbors affection for her, but also understands that she’s using him as a means of proving her own vitality following Nino. However, he eventually consents, motivated by his own desires as well. While lying in bed together later, Lenù playfully taunts Antonio about being like other men who betray their spouses. Antonio defends himself by arguing that the incident took place in a world separate from reality and commitment: “At this moment, my wife doesn’t exist yet.
It’s some Olympics-level mental gymnastics, I know, but all this talk about the past and old desires would be sort of beautiful if Lenù could find a way to defend herself against Nino’s endless explanations without being cruel. “I just screwed Antonio. It wasn’t like with anyone before,” she says to Nino when he calls before slamming the phone on him. It’s enough to ward him off, at least for a time. Lenù lets herself get swept up in the rhythms of motherhood. She hires a new housekeeper, Anna, to help with the girls. Anna seems to be doing a great job — when Lenù gets home with the groceries, the house is quiet, and only at the sight of their mother do the girls start asking for things, crying, and fussing. Adding to the domestic chaos, Lila calls to tell Lenù that an apartment right below her, with a view of the stradone, has just opened up in her building. They could help each other with the girls, she says, at the very moment it seems as though help is all Lenù could use. But she hesitates. For an already fragile psyche, would a return to the neighborhood make things better or worse?
She will post the book, finished only yesterday, in the morning. Despite my general reluctance towards voice-over narration, this series effectively uses it, immersing us in Lenù’s viewpoint and highlighting Ferrante’s writing, as significant portions are derived from the novels themselves. In my opinion, a voice-over could be utilized here when Lenù chooses to excavate the novel she penned about the neighborhood years prior, which both Adele and Lila had disliked. This event is portrayed in the book as an unexpected burst of inspiration. It seems that the same force that can transport Lenù back to her past with Antonio could rekindle her self-connection — but not without risk. “Upon exiting the post office,” Ferrante writes, “and after sending the package, I leaped. I recalled my mother-in-law. Good heavens, what had I done … By attempting to stem one leak, I had created another. I could no longer manage, even within reason, the sequence of my actions.
In the TV adaptation, Lenù’s apprehension seems absent, as she boldly accelerates rather than pondering her path. Upon arriving home from the post office, Nino is present, disheveled. He’s reminded about his unpaid rent, and in response, he offers feeble excuses. He claims Lila is sabotaging their relationship; his irresistible attraction to women is beyond his control, a persistent habit, an affliction. Thankfully, our sensible Lenùccia has now realized this truth. He fails to sway her whatsoever; she doesn’t pity him, she doesn’t weep, she doesn’t falter. She remains unaffected when he attempts to twist their situation into a twisted game. In short, she evicts him and calls Lila to claim the apartment beneath hers.
Previously, Antonio shared that I held back on revealing Nino’s unfaithfulness because such knowledge needs a specific climate of understanding to hold significance. It would have been futile to disclose his actions when Lenù was still unable to distance herself from him. Now that the chasm between the boy she once adored and the man he has become is undeniable, she won’t be deceived again. It’s high time for Lenù to embark on a new chapter in her life, which she does by revising her critically acclaimed book about Naples’ crime-ridden landscape, offering a unique perspective that resonates widely across Italy. Back in the neighborhood, I resume my role as an observer and listener, tuning into every sharp-tongued insult, the Solaras’ moves, and any subtle changes in Lila’s tone of voice. We can tell that time has elapsed because Lila now sports bangs, while I let mine grow out. The other characters have also matured; Dede is now in early adolescence, Elsa is in her tweens, and Imma and Tina, Lila’s daughter, are toddlers. A new cast has been introduced to reflect this evolution.
There’s a noticeable improvement in Lenù’s and Lila’s relationship as well. They discuss everyday topics for a change, such as what gift Lenù plans to get for Elisa and Marcello’s wedding or their attire for the ceremony (an event that was once thought impossible). Imma and Tina share a strong bond too, and Lenù speaks highly of Tina; she is an outstanding illustrator compared to little Imma, who appears disappointed at being left out. Enzo and Lila make a conscious effort to involve Imma, allowing Tina to sit with her in front of Enzo’s new computer, which Tina seems to naturally excel at using. While the women are gathered around the computer, a man visits the Basic Sight office seeking more time for a payment, but Lila scolds him instead. Lenù reflects that despite Lila often positioning herself as a beacon of change in the neighborhood, she is still fluent in the language of violence and employs methods similar to those used by the Solaras to control people.
At Elisa and Marcello’s wedding, tensions between power dynamics in the neighborhood reach a peak. During his speech, Lenù’s father appears both vulnerable and thankful. He expresses joy about how pleased Immacolata must be that the day has arrived. However, things take a turn when Michele takes over the microphone. In a dress reminiscent of Lila’s red gown, Alfonso enters weeping, his eyes swollen. Upon seeing him, Marcello signals two associates, who forcibly eject Alfonso from the ceremony while the crowd watches. Lila provokes her own loyalist by meeting Antonio’s gaze. Michele persists with his speech, but Tina and Imma, seeking a reprieve from the monotony, start playing boisterously and running around. When Michele asks Lila to control the girls, she refuses; instead, she seems to indicate they are laying low by placing her hand on Enzo’s arm. Lenù is left handling the unruly children. After Michele proposes a toast, Lila storms away, and Elisa tells Lenù, “You see? My brother-in-law has transformed; he is no longer under Lila’s control.
Lenú steps outside with Lila to chat with Alfonso, who seems disturbed. He’s curious about Michele’s sudden change of feelings and wonders if there’s something wrong with him, if he doesn’t resemble Lila anymore, or if he’s gained weight. Alfonso wants Lenú to notice his sore backside. Lila appears frightened and guilty, as if she’s just realizing the danger she put Alfonso in by encouraging him to be truthful with Michele, someone from the Solaras family. Lila used Alfonso’s vulnerability as a strategy to outmaneuver the Solaras family. Her lower lip quivers slightly, and she seems lost for words; we can only guess what she might be thinking. The next day, Alfonso visits the Solaras’ bar, looking dazed, seeking answers. Michele prevents him from entering and publicly beats him, even using a stick. This is harsh to watch, yet everyone watches. Enzo wants to protect Alfonso, but Lila stops him. He stops when Tina asks him not to intervene. Lenú tries to speak with Alfonso, but he drives away before she can say anything, bloodied and injured.
Just moments after the whirlwind subsides, I find myself face-to-face with a magazine photographer, hunting for Lenù – an unexpected guest, as it seems they hadn’t even verified her arrival! Caught off guard, Lenù is taken aback. The shutter clicks, capturing Lenù in various corners of the house: the living room, her bedroom, the kitchen, and even with Imma and Tina, their playful moments frozen in time. Initially shy, Lenù covers her face from the camera, but gradually she warms up to it, savoring the attention it brings. She’s always craved the spotlight. Seeing her aunt holding a book for a photo, Tina follows suit, and the photographer immortalizes them engrossed in a shared read.
In a different version, they also connect with Imma, but the outcome isn’t as successful as it was with Tina, and unfortunately, it’s the one that gets featured in the magazine article, incorrectly labeling Tina as Lenù’s daughter. This misunderstanding surprises Lenù when Michele thrusts the magazine at her, questioning why she writes hateful things about his family, the community, and their beloved city in her books. Upon returning home with the magazine, Tina seems happy to be mistaken for Imma, while Imma looks disheartened; this is because she can now express emotions through her facial expressions. Lenù is furious at the magazine’s portrayal of Naples as a negative subject, but Lila finds it all amusing. After all, isn’t Lenù being overly idealistic? Doesn’t she expect everyone to understand her work precisely as she intended? Essentially, Lila advises Lenù to acknowledge and accept her mistakes. Although Lenù is considered the intellectual figure, it’s Lila who truly believes that literature has the power to be, indeed, a reflection of life itself. “There could be another powerful earthquake,” Lila states. “The world might collapse. And then, who is Michele Solara?
It’s the Solaras who are upset with Lila, not Lenù. Furthermore, the neighborhood has always viewed them as a unit, so antagonizing Lenù is essentially targeting Lila. Imma and Tina are uncertain which one of them is truly Lenù’s daughter. This doesn’t bother Lenù or Lila; they find it endearing. Lila explains, “We’re mothers to both of you, and we love you both.” They leave it at that. It’s no surprise Imma is puzzled about her family setup when on TV they see Nino speaking. Lenù and Lila confirm that he is her father, but she doesn’t recall him, and she doesn’t seem particularly pleased to see him, even though for now, he exists only on the screen.
In Più
It appears that some viewers have been disappointed by the reduced screen time for Lila this season compared to previous ones. However, I was thrilled to witness Irene Maiorino’s powerful intensity throughout this episode. Her portrayal in the scene with Alfonso was captivating, as she skillfully demonstrated a wide array of emotions beneath her frightened visage, reaching a climax when she acknowledged her role in a catastrophe. Moreover, Massimiliano Rossi, who plays Antonio, delivered an intense performance that truly stood out in this episode. His striking appearance certainly added to the overall impact of his performance.
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2024-10-22 05:54