'My Brilliant Friend' Season 2 Episode 2: Fans cheer Elena and Antonio's breakup, lament Lila's pregnancy
Spoilers for 'My Brilliant Friend' Season 2 Episode 2 'The Body'
Season 2 of the Italian series 'My Brilliant Friend', a tale of two best friends growing up in Naples, returns with its second episode titled 'The Body', in which tensions are running high in the lives of Elena (Margherita Mazzucco) and Lila Cerullo (Gaia Girace), now Carracci.
Elena's relationship is threatened when Antonio (Christian Giroso) finds out that she had asked the Solaras for help to keep him from doing military service. With his pride hurt, he immediately breaks up with Elena because she has now made it seem like he is the kind of man who asks his girlfriend to run favors. And you could disagree, but fans sure are glad that the relationship got over. For one, Elena never loved him.
"Wee Lenu, you free girl! I never liked Antonio for you anyway. All he cares abt is how you make him feel, he never cared abt your cares or feelings. #MyBrilliantFriend," tweeted a fan. "Amazing they found a guy to play Antonio on 'my brilliant friend' who looks exactly like the human equivalent of a sad trombone," tweeted another.
At the same time, Lila continues to rebel in her marriage to the often-violent Stefano Carracci (Giovanni Amura). She shows up at the Solaras' bar dressed in her best black bodycon dress. But this rendezvous doesn't end well for when she gets home, she provokes the violent Stefano, who doesn't care for a thing in the world. What disturbed fans the most was that after beating up Lila, Stefano explains himself to Elena — and while he managed to get her convinced, fans of the show thought otherwise.
"“But he loves you. Don’t exaggerate.” WTF, Lenū #MyBrilliantFriend," noted one fan, after Lila had expressed her suffering. "He beats & rapes Lila then complains abt HIS troubles to her best friend!! OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #MyBrilliantFriend" concurred another.
The much-talked-about photograph that is exhibited at the wedding dress shop in the center of the town is eventually taken down and brought home. But not in the way that Stefano proclaimed her would — the photograph is given to the Solaras. In the same breath, Lila delivers some very astonishing, immensely sad news to her best friend —she is pregnant with Stefano's child.
"I said the same thing last Monday but, poor Lila, being pregnant as a result of rape, and that the victimizer is your husband ... How strong. #MyBrilliantFriend" lamented a fan.
Having lost the bet to Lila, Elena must ensure that she gets straight As in school next year. But this incentive to do better only ever comes at a heavy personal cost to Lila. "I like how Lila is always teaching Lenú the hard lessons, making her work harder. I just hate that it’s always at her own cost" noted a fan. "That was a sad episode. #MyBrilliantFriend" echoed another fan.
'My Brilliant Friend' airs on Mondays at 10 PM on HBO.