My Brilliant Friend (HBO)

TV-MA

2018

3 Seasons

Period Piece

Family Relationships

My Brilliant Friend (HBO)

: HBO series about two young friends whose stormy relationship evolves amidst the backdrop of post-WWII Italy.

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Episodes

The Dolls

1. The Dolls

Series premiere. The disappearance of her old friend causes Elena Greco to look ...

The Money

2. The Money

Elena and Lila fight to continue their education, and a death changes things in ...

The Metamorphoses

3. The Metamorphoses

Now teens, Elena and Lila struggle to connect as their futures diverge and young...

Dissolving Margins

4. Dissolving Margins

Elena enters high school as Lila ignores her many suitors. A promising New Year'...

The Shoes

5. The Shoes

Lila rejects two potential suitors at a cost. Elena prepares to spend the summer...

The Island

6. The Island

On the island of Ischia, a visit by the Sarratore family leaves an indelible mar...

The Fiancés

7. The Fiancés

Lila takes up with Stefano, despite the presence of Marcello. Elena encourages a...

The Promise

8. The Promise

Stefano goes to the Solaras for help with the Cerullos' shoe business. Elena pre...

The New Name

With Lila on her honeymoon on the Amalfi Coast, Elena struggles to handle school and her relationship with Antonio. When Lila returns with visible bruises on her body, the two girls revert to their natural closeness and Lila's will to take revenge against her husband grows. Elena continues to be bewitched by Nino Sarratore's charisma.

The Body

Elena's relationship is threatened when Antonio discovers she has asked the Solaras' help to keep him from doing military service, while Lila remains rebellious in her marriage to the often-violent Stefano. After a photo of her becomes the subject of much gossip, Lila makes a bet with Elena about how the whole affair will end.

Erasure

Upset that her picture is featured prominently in the new shoe shop Stefano is opening with the Solaras, Lila comes up with a creative solution to deal with the matter and enlists Elena's help. Though Lila begins working at the Caraccis' new grocery store, she continues to resent her husband’s business activities and the source of their income.

The Kiss

At Rino and Pinuccia's wedding, Elena accepts Lila's invitation to go on holiday, provided the destination is Ischia, where she knows she'll find Nino. On the island, Elena, Lila and Pinuccia begin to spend more and more time with Nino and his friend Bruno and Lila starts to take a strong interest in Elena's summer reads.

The Betrayal

As Pinuccia returns to Naples, a new secret excites Lila and numbs Elena. Subdued by Lila's charisma and indifferent to Bruno's flattery, Elena finds herself the keeper of a far darker clandestine series of events involving Donato Sarratore. After the girls encounter Michele and Gigliola, Lila seizes the opportunity to throw the whole truth in Stefano's face.

Rage

Following her summer on Ischia, Elena throws herself into her studies and looks towards a future outside of the neighborhood. After a brilliant finals performance, Elena happens upon Lila, who is working at the shoe store and has grand plans for a fresh start. Lila decides to leave Stefano and moves into a modest apartment, but the failings of her plan soon emerge.

Ghosts

Three years into her time in Pisa, Elena has developed into an elegant and cultured young woman--but still feels like an outsider. After a consequential breakup, Elena falls ill and is visited by her mother, who has come to nurse her back to health. During the night, Elena takes to reading Lila’s diaries, which were entrusted to her for safekeeping.

The Blue Fairy

Elena pens her first novel, which she entrusts to her new fiance, before returning to Naples to find Lila.

Indecencies

After Nino's unexpected appearance at her book presentation in Milan, Elena realizes her childhood crush never really abandoned her -- and doubts begin to form about her fiancé Pietro. Later, a scathing review leaves Elena questioning herself as a writer.

The Fever

A nervous Elena introduces Pietro to her family, and though he instantly charms his future in-laws, Immacolata rejects their plans for a civil wedding ceremony. Months later, Lila falls ill due to the deplorable conditions at the Soccavo factory and makes Elena promise to take care of her son Gennaro if anything happens to her.

The Treatment

Concerned about Lila's worsening health, Elena seeks advice from her future mother-in-law Adele, who encourages her to write an exposé on the Soccavo plant and the mounting unrest between rival unions. After several doctors' visits, Lila becomes determined to move back to the neighborhood despite being viewed as a pariah.

Cold War

After a tense argument about plans for a family, Elena and Pietro marry in town hall, and later, are surprised with a reception organized by Adele. Though she had hoped to concentrate on her next book, Elena gives birth to a daughter and struggles to find time to write.

Terror

Following news of a murder in Naples, Pasquale and Nadia turn up unannounced at Elena's house in Florence, further fuelling discord with her husband. Meanwhile, Elena suspects all is not right with Lila when she's asked to take Gennaro on their summer beach trip.

Becoming

On holiday, Elena grows increasingly exasperated with Gennaro and after receiving shocking news about her sister Elisa, she cuts the family trip short to travel back to Naples. Later, tensions mount at a dinner with the Solaras, and Pietro shares his unvarnished opinion of Lila with Elena.

Try Again

Elena rushes to Naples to see Franco and Silvia after they are violently attacked. When she returns, Elena is thrown when Pietro brings Nino to their house for an unexpected visit, further destabilizing her rocky marriage but compelling her to start writing again.

Those Who Leave, Those Who Stay

Elena receives positive feedback on her latest manuscript from Mariarosa, Adele and Nino -- who cannot believe Pietro doesn't read his own wife's work. As Nino becomes increasingly passive-aggressive toward her husband, Elena's lingering doubts about her life grow.

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My Brilliant Friend (HBO)

Genres

Period Piece, Family Relationships, Drama

Episodes

3 Seasons Available (24 Episodes)

Release Year

2018

Rating Information

TV-MA

About This Series

Adapted from the first book in Elena Ferrante's acclaimed "Neapolitan Novels," this drama series follows Elena Greco, a now-elderly woman who discovers the most important friend in her life, Raffaella "Lila" Cerullo, has disappeared. An author immersed in a house full of books, Elena starts writing the story of her and Lila's tempestuous friendship.

Cast and Crew

Starring: Elisa Del Genio, Ludovica Nasti, Margherita Mazzucco, Gaia Girace, Annarita Vitolo, Antonio Buonanno, Tommaso Rusciano, Dora Romano, Valentina Acca, Vincenzo Vaccaro, Elisabetta De Palo, Francesco Serpico, Pina Di Gennaro, Immacolata Greco, Luca Gallone, Alessio Gallo, Gennaro De Stefano, Imma Villa, Eduardo Scarpetta, Sarah Falanga, Fabrizio Cottone, Elvis Esposito, Giovanni Amura, Federica Sollazzo, Ulrike Migliaresi, Giovanni Buselli, Antonio Milo, Rosaria Langellotto, Francesca Pezzella, Christian Giroso, Miriam D'Angelo, Gennaro Canonico, Alba Rohrwacher, Saverio Costanzo, Max Richter

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