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My Brilliant Friend season 4 is the fourth and final season of the Italian coming-of-age drama franchise, which made its premiere back in 2018. My Brilliant Friend is an adaptation of the Neapolitan Novels, written by the anonymous author Elena Ferrante.
The story revolves around two young girls—Lenu and Lila—and the development of their tumultuous and passionate friendship over the years, starting from early childhood in Naples, Italy, during the 1950s.
After three successful seasons, My Brilliant Friend season 4 adapts the story of Ferrante's final book in the series named The Story of the Lost Child. With 10 episodes, the fourth season premiered on HBO on September 9, 2024.
The final episode of My Brilliant Friend Season 4 titled, Restitution ends on a deeply touching note years after Lenu and Lila have parted ways. Years later, on a random day, Lenu finds a mail package wrapped with a newspaper outside her house.
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When she opens the box, she finds Tina and Nu, the same dolls from childhood that she had always thought she had lost at Don Achille's house. Those two dolls were never lost, and Lila clung to them. Lenu rushes outside to see if she is still nearby, but Lila is long gone. These dolls become Lila's final tribute to their friendship, symbolizing that they will never meet again.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from My Brilliant Friend Season 4. Reader's discretion is advised.
My Brilliant Friend season 4 takes the story back to the beginning
The story of Lenu and Lila goes back to Naples, Italy, during the 1950s where the two children were brought up in an impoverished neighborhood. Ever since childhood, the two girls were deeply attracted to each other, because they shared the same similarities, as well as differences.
Ever since childhood, the two were deeply fascinated by the intellectual gift they shared. But as years went by, this became one of the primary factors in their split. Lenu came from a more privileged background than Lila ever had. Hence, despite having the same intelligence, Lenu could pursue her higher studies, while Lila had to leave everything and help in her family business.
Lenu starts retelling their story as a way of showing her fury at Lila, breaking her promise of never immortalizing their tale. Lenu now in her sixties, gets a call in the middle of the night from Lila's son Gennaro, informing her that his mother is missing. In the darkness of the night, Lenu begins to see an apparition of a little girl, who changed her entire life.
This disappearance of Lila has its roots traced back again to the sudden disappearance of her daughter Tina. In My Brilliant Friend Season 4, the viewers encounter a gradual degradation of Lila's mental health, which leads to her breaking her closest ties.
This news of Tina's disappearance adds up, with the shocking news of Rino's death due to a drug overdose. Lila is clearly not in her best spot and decides to give up on her business. Her relationship with Enzo also quickly fades away, as she leaves him, to never come back.
Tina's disappearance leads to Lila's mental breakdown
Realizing her friend's situation, Lenu encourages Lila to involve herself in different activities. But Lila expresses her desire to just let go of everything, which drains Lenu for the connection she shared with her. Lenu finds it hard to cope with her own family struggles, meanwhile, Lila pushes both her and Carmen away isolating herself. This creates a big crack in their friendship.
Lila begins to distance herself away even from her family and begins behaving increasingly brutally even to Lenu's kids. She spends her time walking around the streets of Naples and studying the historical myths and legends of the buildings. Lila thinks her daughter is alive still, which continuously deteriorates her mental health. Lenu's numerous attempts to console her only aggravate their bonding.
The disappearance of Tina shatters Enzo completely, believing that the Solara brothers are responsible for the abduction. But the Solara brothers arrive to provide support to Enzo and Lila, and their guilty conscience seems to be authentic.
The brothers end up getting assassinated by masked men while going to the church and their killers also remain anonymous. Lila in the end, starts shifting the blame of Tina's disappearance on Lenu.
What happens at the end of My Brilliant Friend Season 4
In the final episode of My Brilliant Friend Season 4, the viewers can see Gennaro finally overcoming his drug addiction. He gives Lenu a bracelet that Marcelo had repaired for her, asking for forgiveness. Lila, with her deteriorating mental health, doesn't approve of the relationship between Gennaro and Dee.
Carmen informs that Nadia is arrested by the cops, while Pasquale is running from getting captured. What she fears the most is that Pasquale's arrest will lead him to a harsher punishment as compared to Nadia, due to wealthy privilege.
Even after Pasquale's arrest, he is not charged with the murder of the Solara brothers. Nino is elected as a member of the Parliament, and Lenu asks for help in dropping the charges on Pasquale, but he shows no strong interest in helping.
Dede informs Lenu that Elsa has fleed with Gennaro, taking away the money and jewelry. She and Enzo trace them all the way to Pietro's family home. Elsa is allowed to stay with Gennaro, and Dede moves with her father to America. After two years, Elsa breaks up with Gennaro and moves to America.
Over the years, Lenu focuses on her career, while Gennaro stays at her house. After Imma grows up, Lenu moves with her to Turin, and Lila finally stops blaming Lenu for Tina's disappearance. The two part ways on a heartfelt note, where Lila wishes her brilliant friend to live her life.
The finale of My Brilliant Friend Season 4 ends right where it started when she receives a call from Gennaro hearing about Lila's disappearance. This is the point when she starts writing her story, their story. Finally, Lenu receiving a mail package with the two dolls from her childhood implies that this was Lila's farewell to her. It can be concluded that she will never meet her again.
Follow us for more articles on My Brilliant Friend Season 4. All the seasons of My Brilliant Friend are available for streaming on HBO.
