My Brilliant Friend Season 4, Episode 7 is called “The Return” and it’s about love, betrayal and the haunting memories of past relationships. Lenù ( Alba Rohrwacher) is still dealing with the emotional effects of her rocky relationship with Nino (Fabrizio Gifuni). Going back to her old neighborhood and making new friends brings her both hope and sadness. Will the past keep coming back to haunt her, or can she really move on?
Key Events of My Brilliant Friend — S04E07
• Nino begs Lenù for a second chance, which brings up old feelings.
• Antonio tells Lenù about Nino’s affairs and offers his support.
• Lenù seeks solace in an unexpected romantic encounter with Antonio.
• There is a lot of tension and unresolved feelings — at Elisa and Marcello’s wedding.
• Lenù faces public scrutiny as her writing is misinterpreted in a magazine.
My Brilliant Friend Season 4 Episode 7 Recap: “The Return”
In the heartbreaking first scene of the episode, Nino begs Lenù to think again about their relationship. There was a lot of tension in the air just a moment ago, and people are wondering why Lenù would even think about taking him back after everything he’s done, especially to her best friend Lila.
Lenù feels ashamed when she gets home after seeing Nino with Silvana. But soon, Antonio, her first love, comes to see her. Their past is full of unfulfilled desires, and as they remember the good times, Antonio tells Nino how much he hurt them by having many affairs while they were together. Lenù is scared by this news, but it also helps her understand things better. Antonio tells her how much he loves her, and when she is feeling weak, they have a private moment together, even though Lenù is using Antonio to help her feel like herself again after Nino betrayed her.
As Lenù works through her feelings, she hires Anna as a housekeeper to help her deal with the chaos of being a mom. Lenù has two daughters who need her full attention, which makes it hard for her to balance her personal and professional life. At the same time, Lila tries to get Lenù to think about moving back to the neighborhood so that she can get help raising their kids. But Lenù isn’t sure if going back to the past will help her feel better or make her already fragile mental state even worse.
Lenù’s editor, Enrico, is putting a lot of pressure on her to turn in a manuscript that has been due for a long time. She decides to send off the manuscript she just finished to relieve some of her stress. But through her writing, she thinks about what it means to go back to her past. She knows that telling the truth could set off a chain of events she can’t stop. so she feels risky during her moment of inspiration.
When Lenù gets home, she tells Nino that the rent is still not paid. People don’t care about his half-hearted defenses or attempts to control her. When Lenù feels strong, she kicks him out and promises to enjoy her independence. She then decides to move into the apartment below — Lila’s which is a sign that she is ready to start over without Nino.
As the episode goes on, we see how the neighborhood changes during the wedding of Elisa and Marcello Solara (Lino Musella). When fighting breaks out between families, the party turns dark. Lila’s caring side comes out when she steps in to help Alfonso, a weak character who is caught up in the chaos. As family ties get stronger the conflict between old loyalties and new realities gets clearer.
Alfonso confronts his insecurities, questioning his worth in a society that measures value by appearances. It is clear that Lila is having a hard time inside because she knows she has put —Alfonso’s life at risk by supporting him in this dangerous situation. Lenù tries to comfort him, but she can’t stop the violence that follows when Michele, a powerful person in the neighborhood, attacks Alfonso badly.
After the crazy wedding, a photographer from a magazine approaches Lenù and wants to take a picture of her. Lenù is nervous at first but she eventually relaxes in front of the camera and enjoys the short attention. It does cost something, though, to be seen now. The mistake in the magazine article calling Tina Lenù’s daughter shows how unstable Lenù’s public image is and how common misunderstandings are when someone is famous.
At the end, as Lenù deals with the chaos of her wedding and the difficulties in her relationships, the episode leaves viewers with unanswered questions about who they are, love, and the past. “The Return” is a powerful reminder that no matter how much we try to forget about our past, it always finds a way to come back to haunt us and make us face our decisions and relationships all over again.
Photos by Eduardo Castaldo/HBO
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