My Brilliant Friend: Season 4 Episode 9 “Chapter 33: The Disappearance” – Recap and Review

Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.

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Originally Aired	November 4, 2024
Network	HBO/ Max
Director(s)	Laura Bispuri
Writer(s)	Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci, Saverio Costanzo
Character	ACTOR’S NAME
Imma	Aurora Grimaldi
Tina	Maria Vittoria Miorin
Elena	Alba Rohrwacher
Nino	Fabrizio Gifuni
Rino	Salvatore Striano
Gennaro	Alessio Galati
Michele	Edoardo Pesce
Marcello	Lino Musella
Lila	Irene Maiorino

Storyline Recap

The Star Of The Show – Imma, Nino, Tina, Elena

Being Elena’s daughter is inherently difficult for Imma, and add in that Tina is close in age and shares a lot of the traits expected of a daughter of Elena, and it makes it all the more difficult. Case in point, Nino makes his rare appearance in Imma’s life, and while doting and focusing on her, Tina shows she can write her name and more. This leaves Imma in a position she often finds herself in of jealousy, envy, and essentially being in the same position her mother has been in for most of her life, just without anything to compete with.

A Familiar Tale With A New Star – Tina, Elena, Lila, Nino

While Nino is visiting, he is, of course, chatting, and somehow, Tina wanders off or gets snatched up. It isn’t clear what happened to her, but we see Lila become mean, ghostly, and distant due to this loss since, with Gennaro in the state he is in, this was Lila’s second chance at proving herself as a mother. Sadly, months and years go by without an answer, and in the penultimate episode, we learn why this season’s subtitle is “The Story Of The Lost Child. “

Dropping Like Flies – Rino, Gennaro, Lila

Unfortunately for Lila, as she questions or mourns the disappearance of her daughter, her brother, Rino, dies of an overdose, and Gennaro, despite discovering his uncle, continues to use. Tina going missing was already a blow, but Rino’s death isn’t something she can avoid, so she decides to erase the worst parts of their relationship to heal.

The process doesn’t do much to help her but does push her to realize that even when people saw her at her best, she was in service to a man to keep them around, if not honor their fair treatment of her. Enzo being one of the modern examples.

Angels Visit Those Distraught And Give Hope – Lila, Elena, Michelle, Marcello

Throughout all of Lila’s mood swings, Elena tries to be a good friend. She establishes how much she loves Lila, feels challenged by her, and how necessary she is in her life. This makes Lila smile but doesn’t impede the sharpness of her tongue. What doesn’t help is Elena’s kids, sans Imma, all talking bad about Lila, embarrassing her as she does them, and showing how spoiled they are.

However, the turning point that may allow Lila to return to her form of normal is Michelle and Marcello being murdered, in broad daylight, in front of the church. Elena, who is always narrating/writing out all we see, pushes out some historical fiction to answer the questions she can’t.

For example, while she heard the gunshots, she didn’t see the shooters. However, she can imagine Pasquale being one of the shooters. This, being just for the book, isn’t told to Lila when Elena tells her the news, but Lila did feel a connection to the act. In her mind, the pain she has been going through recently was giving birth to Tina all over again, and the anger of her spirit was what was causing Lila pain. However, with this rebirth comes Tina’s revenge on her enemies, and while as painful as when Tina was born in the flesh, Lila is happy if it means the two who have made her life hell, and were once accused of doing something to Tina, have been brutally murdered.

Review

On The Fence

The Disappearances and Death

Again, as noted before in the season, there is a disconnect. The rush of new actors and not getting to settle in is making it hard to really experience the depth of any situation. Tina’s disappearance, you see, is hard on Lila, and when you consider how much Tina and Imma seem less like their father’s daughters and a mix of Lila and Elena, there is this feeling this should be bigger than it is and feel devastating, but it doesn’t.

Even with the Solaras’ death, it feels anti-climatic that the villains of multiple seasons, Lila’s greatest foes, just get killed in front of a church, with Elena seemingly filling in the blanks since she doesn’t know what happens but wants readers to think they most entertaining scenario happened. That this was perhaps revenge for Alfonso, among the countless other sins of the Solaras family.

Many theories could be thrown out there, but this all still gives you the feeling of watching a cliffnotes version of the book. Now, mind you, it could just be that the last book of the Neapolitan series was really meek and bland, as is what is being delivered. But, with those who read it using their imagination, it could have delivered far beyond what we’re seeing in the series, which doesn’t seem like it will end on a high note. A dramatic note or a fade to black, possibly. But it does seem the high points are behind us, and we’re just getting the main points of the book handled, with perhaps HBO and their partners finishing this series due to their love for the books or out of contractual obligation to get the rights in the first place.

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