'My Brilliant Friend' Season 2 Episode 3: Elena and Lila grow further apart from each other
Spoilers for 'My Brilliant Friend' Season 2 Episode 3 Chapter 11 'Erasure'
In the last episode, Lila Carracci (Gaia Girace) revealed to Elena Greco (Margherita Mazzucco) that she was pregnant with Stefano Carracci's (Giovanni Amura) child, an outcome of rape.
Now working at the Carracci's grocery store, she immerses herself in work, lifting heavy boxes, moving them from one corner to the other, spitting orders loudly. She works relentlessly, never pausing.
Her picture is now hung on the wall of the Solaras' new shoe store — the Cerullos might be making the shoes, but the shop doesn't carry their name. Lila, however, cuts up the picture making a picturesque collage akin to a magazine cover.
With only two out of the six people convinced, the others including her brother Rino (Gennaro De Stefano) disagree with what she created.
It is now that Lila makes an unusual discovery. After feeling a pang, she realizes she has miscarried — the scene shakes you out of your reverie as Lila pulls blood out from between her legs, grins to Lenu and says, "Does this mean the baby is dead?"
In Episode 3, Lila holds this grin on multiple occasions. Even when Stefano breaks into the house in a violent rage to break the news that his sister Pinuccia (Federica Sollazzo) is pregnant with Rino's child and now they must get married.
She holds the same grin when she is laughing at Elena later in the episode, mocking her and the people she knows.
What makes Lila angrier is working at the grocery store. She strongly hates her husband's business activities and their source of money. She calls herself a liar and a cheater and warns Elena to not trust what she says or does.
Yet, it looks like in her own way, Lila tries to make amends by giving away something back to those who were robbed.
Directed by Saverio Costanzo, the episode is a sore reminder that the two best friends now belong to distant worlds. The neighborhood where they came is constantly changing yet it remains the same.
As Lila remains in the neighborhood, Elena is taking a few more steps walking out of the gray of their rione. She is invited to a party by one of her teachers, and takes along Lila, the two friends dressed elegantly.
But once there, Lila is immediately struck with the stark differences in their lives. Throughout the party, she refuses to talk to anyone, barely even talks to Elena and sits by herself in the dark.
After playing witness to a particular discussion with Elena, Nino Sarratore (Francesco Serpico), her teacher and the others about war and violence, she mocks Elena berating her for an apparently newly-acquired demeanor - laughing at the subjects they spoke about, their mannerisms, their tones.
She calls Elena's teacher out for being born into wealth, for having big bookshelves lined with heavy books.
Props to Gaia Girace for playing the many moods of Lila's angst with ease and perfection. From when she is immersed in turning her picture into a fashionable to collage to finding out that she has miscarried her baby — Lila's eyes glint with a madness that worries Elena.
'Erasure' might point out to the best friends growing apart yet there are moments where their friendship shines, in particular, Lila's first time in an elevator. The scene is captured beautifully with a mirror play reflecting Elena and Lila laughing with glee, without worry.
'My Brilliant Friend' airs on HBO on Mondays at 10 pm.
