Has HBO’s ‘’My Brilliant Friend’ Finale Left You Wanting More?

I just watched the final episode and am already impatient for season 2! This production was gorgeous in every way. I agree with Barone that the switching between dialect and formal Italian is an integral part of the way this plays, so if you can’t catch that you miss something. But the acting is so pure and the lilt of the language so delicious that I was on the edge of my seat throughout. It’s true that Lenù sometimes comes across as insipid, but she is the observer (whether reliable or unreliable narrator). She is the stable, quiet counterpart to Lila’s sparking, angry luminosity. Unlike one contributor to the discussion group, I thought the sexual tension in the bathing scene was fully evident. I’m not sure that including her fervid, clandestine encounters in the park (in the book) would have added anything to the production. It’s clear that Lenù is confused about her feelings, or lack of them, for boys. It’s clear that she feels the outsider. That’s enough. I was initially disappointed in the choice of actress for teenage Lenù, after watching the remarkably engaging girl who played her as a child. But teen Lenù grew on me. The mid-teens are such awkward years, especially for bookish girls who develop awkwardly. I remember being bookish and awkward myself, and watching my more confident girlfriends shine so much brighter than I. They got that dynamic right. It was hard to watch the violence of the male players. Almost all of the males (not just men) are horrid!

HBO has done a wonderful job of bring Ferrante's first book to life. It is a real pleasure to see a long form TV series adapt such a cerebral book. Lila and Lenu are compelling characters but my heart went out to Marcello. The scene half way through the series when he danced with Lila and lost himself was heart breaking.

I'm not a fan of recap/review by committee, though Sehgal's response to the series vis-a-vis the novel is quite similar to mine. I wondered whether the perceived vacancy of the teenage Lila and Lenù is a sign of their lack of acting experience or is instead a means of showing how guarded they have learned to be, in response to their environment. And the sense of defeat in the older women -- and the hint of that resignation in the girls -- is well observed. The TV series did aim a little too hard to be likable, in contrast to harshness of the novel. And one aesthetic observation: I found the vintage film treatment (as the bridal couple and guests were leaving the church) to be a bit forced and precious.

It's a wonderful example of the different and sometimes competing powers of cinema and prose. As someone who's worked in film for decades I'm fascinated and at times transfixed. Yes, I, too, miss elements of the books, but this is no longer a book and Sehgal must get over that. A single shot here carries so much weight. The shot of the sea as seen for the first time by Lenu has a more power than the novel because we see it for the first time, too. The face of the utterly brilliant actress playing the teacher is like a map. So are many of the faces of the characters. Yes, there are scenes more compelling than others and scenes in the book more moving than in the show, but this is the trade-off. The language is like musical accompaniment.

I agree that the first episodes were more mysterious, captivating and neorealistic like the the movies of DiSica and Rosellini. However, I find this program extraordinary in every way. The acting, photography, and the intimate portrait of this neighborhood and the people of Naples. It's one of the most intelligent, moving productions that I've ever seen. I can't wait for the series to continue. I hope they produce the other three books as well. ,

I was born (10 years older than the main characters) and raised in a small farming village in central Italy ,a mere 100 miles from the Naples outskirt neighborhood where Lila and Lenu were born and raised.I can related to the violence(fortunately not in my family),to the dedicated teachers working under very difficult environment,the stark difference among those who had some,and those who had very little,other struggles and some joys.I firmly believe the author lived in that environment in order to catch the essence of the times the way he/she did.Beautiful writing beautifully depicted in the series.Cant wait for the next series

Aside from almost breaking my heart, especially the final scenes, it was wonderful. The loveliness of the girls, both young and younger, the scenery, sometimes bleak but never boring, and the Italian language, lyrical as music, made the season unforgettable television. I can't wait for more. Ciao.

As someone who grew up watching Fellini films and post-war Italian cinema this series is a godsend. Everyone should watch it. It offers a timeless lesson on what it is to be objectified as a woman and marginalized by poverty. Beautiful acting, direction, cinematography. There is nothing like it. It really is a testament to how great television can be.

Loved this series. Delighted we will be seeing more of Ms. Ferrante's work. Bravo!

I read the books three years ago and was astonished at how well this series captured the book. I enjoyed the expressiveness of the older Lenu and Lila. The way they communicated their inner thoughts and emotions with their eyes really worked especially in capturing the difference between the two girls. Definitely looking forward to the next season. Nice to see such an excellent depiction of strong female characters. The best thing I saw on TV this year.

The final scene of the finale, Shoes, at Lilia's wedding was the best part of the series. The show set you up to know Stefano would not honor his promise to Lila, but how it was performed in the final minutes of the show was captivating. Watching Lenu and Lila look at one another, speaking without speaking, a friend warning a friend and to see the sheer horror on Lila's face was beautifully done. Watching Marcello's smug and arrogant stare and Lila as she sees her families shoes on his feet, and her looking at Stefano who instantly knows he made a grave and irreversible error left me with many emotions. I was angry for Lila, proud of Lenu for coming back to warn her and sad that Lila seems to be losing herself. It felt like an answer to her question regarding why "teacher" didn't come to her wedding. As if in that moment Lila knew the answer which is, she is losing herself in the process of trying to save herself. She is now bound to someone who puts himself and his interests above her own. All her talent, intelligence and bravery is being lost to men who control a world she can never break free from. I enjoyed watching Lila's interaction with Rino as she approves of his work on the new shoes. The pride he feels in hearing her praise was touching. His relationship with his father is so heartbreaking he needs praise. Also, he is the only one who stood up for Lila and tried to give her a voice. All of which made it sad to see him welcome Marcello at the wedding.

I’ve been in the grip of Ferrante Fever since 2013, have read all her novels at least three times and wrote a book, In Search of Elena Ferrante, to help me better understand why these books have had such a hold on my imagination and that of millions of readers worldwide. Given this history I expected to be hypercritical of the film, but have loved it and am eagerly looking forward to season 2. True, we don’t have Elena’s narrative voice in all its complexity. Complicated, contradictory thoughts, deeply felt but sometimes barely understood—this is the province of the novel. The film doesn’t fully portray the complexity of Elena. What makes Elena such a fascinating character is that she can present one face to the world, the impression of a “good girl,” while often seething with resentment and jealousy that she cannot fully acknowledge. She is also capable of callousness —e.g. her treatment of Antonio whom she uses and disposes with casual cruelty. My most serious concern: Costanzo explained his choice of a romantic soundtrack as a backdrop for a scene of sexual violence: he “didn’t want the scene to be realistic and therefore intolerable to the viewer. We decided to use a soft piano tune in contrast with the violence to allow Elena’s surprise to emerge in addition to her horror.” I think Costanzo’s concern for the viewer is misplaced here. The soundtrack has the impact of minimizing the reality of sexual assault. http://karenbojar.com/in-search-of-elena-ferrrante/

One of the best series - great acting, great directing. We want more. The look on Lila's face as she realizes she has been betrayed of the promise literally of what marriage will be. The only promise kept is that Lenu will continue to study, and be able to negotiate her own destiny. Lenu shows the only way a female of working class 1960's can be free through education. A true feminist in the making. Not one male from any of her world gets that smart women wanted independence and freedom to make a choice about their destiny. It is a look into the world before the Women's Movement took place in many so called civilized societies. What I recall is how similar this world was in my working class neighborhood in Boston where young females struggled during the early 1960's to choose their destinies, the same old patriarchy. Only education was the way to struggle out of the dust, and even then the teachers like the Maestra made the call of who would be recognized to go forward. Lila was too rebellious, too dangerous, too sexual, too uncontrollable for any guidance counselor so she would be thrown to her own devices to try to struggle by marrying to be rich and therefore, get to make her own path. Lenu was quiet, studious, and on the surface willing to play the game of being an obedient girl, apologetic only if she gets the last word in publishing her thesis of what subjugated women in a so called Marxist newsletter, it is thwarted by the editor who she secretly craves.

My husband and I have been enthralled by each episode. And I actually had a hard time with the book. The series made the book come to life for me. I've started reading the first book again and am more engaged this time. Can't wait for the new episodes.

This is beautiful and brilliant television. Achingly so. I was and am entranced.

Read the books, and all of the other books by Ferrante as well. Watched the series in Italian with no subtitles, on RAI, and will continue until the end, although I did not like the ending. The shows actors are wonderful, although it's often more heartbreaking to see most of the males in the film versus reading about their terrible exploits in the books.

Not wanting more.

The show stayed as close to the book as it could. I liked the insertion of Ferrante' voice to clarity Lenu's thoughts and feelings, which is the heart of the book. The acting fabulous. Can't wait for next installment.

I've been singing my praises for this series to everyone who will listen, and many who refuse. Give me one example of a TV series that gives the time and love and artistry to the meanings and travail of childhood female friendships that we get in "My Brilliant Friend" and I will agree to squirm through one full season of "Thrones' or "Cards" or "Hunger Games." Sentiment without sentimentality, intelligence that emerges naturally, and even cars that are important but do not chase each other's bumper tails. Please tell me that HBO is planning to follow through and present the TV adaptation in its entirety. Please tell me this masterpiece is finding a great and perceptive audience. Please tell me it is garnering the awards it deserves. And thank you NYT critics for giving "My Brilliant Friend" the thoughtful, critical analysis every classic-in-the-making should find.

While I agree that Lenu can be a bit too vacant- this series has grown on me. Maybe , as a reader from years ago, it took time to reorient to all the characters and find them brought to visual 'life.' Clearly, Lila has the fire; her crumbled last look at the wedding was profound. And I think the complaints about insufficient sexual activity shown with Antonio is misguided- there was enough in the cabana to suggest more. And the bathing scene also alluded sufficiently to a kind of eros that should not be muddled with homosexuality. I look forward to more, although I did not find the last of the trilogy as strong as the first.

I haven't yet read the books but I look forward to doing that. This is a wonderful series and most of the acting has been superb. If this is a true depiction of life in a neighborhood in Naples in the Fifties, what chance did those girls have? To grow up in the dust-choked milieu of a patriarchy made even more claustrophobic and confined by the presence of the Camorra and the Catholic Church, what was there to reach for? To have come as far as they have and to have formed this lifelong frienship is what shines like a beacon for me. But their parents and teachers: what fatalism and lack of empathy they demonstrate! They seemed robbed by their dreary lives of even enough energy to care about what their children might want for themselves. Of their daughters' dreams and hopes they know nothing. It's unbearably sad yet I still watch.

This is the only show worth watching on HBO.

We're a household of reader and non-reader (yet) of the books, but we were both entranced with the production. For me, the reader, the show was always going to be constrained by time to make choices in terms of emphasis. While I didn't always agree with all their choices, they did create a different context to think about the book and the characters. For the non-reader, I agree that its hard to get that deeper sense of the characters of Lila and Lenu from the production, but for both of us it still was incredibly powerful and resonant. And speaking of acting, thanks for calling out Eduardo Scarpetta's brilliant Pasquale. A magnetic performance, which will likely be missed in season 2.

Yes, more please. All along I thought the brilliant friend referred to Lila, as Lenu was the narrator, and always was a bit jealous or envious of her. The entire production was illuminating.

OK; haven't watched the final yet but I am transfixed by the series: the mood; the colors; the actors (props to whoever was involved with the casting). will read the novels.

I thought the wedding scene was brilliant. So much said without one word! I also like the way the girls do not act like modern teenagers. When not involved in violent emotions they are quiet, restrained and cautious - just as girls in a repressive patriarchal society would have to act to survive. Lila of course breaks that norm frequently, but in-between those violent emotions she is a still as Lenu. Both of them are always surveying the landscape cautiously, looking for signs of trouble. Their behavior is more evocative of the time and place than anything else.

I binge-read the books - once I read "My Brilliant Friend" I could not stop there. I read the English translations but imagine the originals to be more than brilliant. I am watching the HBO series now and am glad - even with some of the important scenes missing as pointed out - that the adaptation tracks the mood, dilemmas, oppressiveness, and joys of the books. I love that Ms. Ferrante is involved in the adaptation so that the course is true. Thanks for the reviews.

I have read all four books and I am enjoying the series on TV. It is difficult to put such a complicated narrative on the screen and to do justice to the original novels. By and large they have succeeded more than I expected. I am hoping that the next episodes will maintain this high standard. One minor let down for me is that many of the auxiliary characters and families are not developed enough in the narrative. This, of course, is to be expected otherwise one would need many more episodes to fully flesh out these personalities Another little peeve is the characterization of Elena as she develops into adolescence. I feel that, as played, she is too passive and nonreactive to people and events.

Would someone help me with not understanding the enthusiasm about girls education in a world that is so confining of women? Did the teacher prejudge the fate of the girls from the start?

great to hear more episode are coming...soon, I hope!...terrific show all around...wonder how it was received in Italy?

I was completely unfamiliar with the books - and was captivated by the first episode. I need time to process it all. Yet much of what keeps me glued to the screen is that the visual presentation, the feel and the flow of the place, of the families, of the girls - is so finely wrought. It does have the feel of a post war Italian film. Costanzo seems to have a feel for when to compress or even dispense with dialogue in order to make the viewer engage more with the main characters.

For the purists it may be interesting to note that the original book text is almost completely in Italian with hardly more than a half dozen sentences in dialect, whereas in Italy the TV version is spoken in Neapolitan dialect with subtitles for the rest of the country, probably because an Italian would find it absurd to hear two Neapolitans trying to sound Tuscan. Although the Italian prose style of the books is unmatched for its psychologically modern sensitivity, the dramaturgical development of the story as a parable of coming of age in an imperfect world, where every reader can find him/herself, doesn't necessarily require a perfect ambient for the viewing experience in order for it to be powerful in ways quite different from the book. How lucky we are to have the TV series!

I understand what Parhul is complaining about, especially in the bathroom scene where Lenu is bathing Lila, and instead of having Lenu looking at Lila, I felt the male gaze instead of the director. It is a very tricky thing to pull off, and because it is essential, it misfired. But the great difficulty in adapting this story to the screen is in the main idea of tracing a writer's development from early desire to great success. Movies about writers' triumphs are always tricky. Think of Jane Fonda throwing her typewriter out the window in the adaptation of Lillian Hellman's Julia. The filmmaker has to come up with a visual equivalent for the inner thoughts of the narrator. It is boring to have endless voiceover, so choices are made. I think what the season gets right is the essential struggle of girls to overcome the patriarchal society they live in without any preachiness. Lila thought she had a firm promise from Stefano to bar Marcello Solara from the wedding. Men do not have to keep their promises. So women have to come up with their system of honor. The series is true to that, in showing the deep bond the two girls have, and their faithfulness to each other. The first book, the first season, only sets up what is to come later, which shows if that is possible in the long run.

I am loving every moment of every episode, amazed at how quickly I found settings as I'd imagined them in the novels, and what has been gleamed and beamed from the novel to TV screen in 8 too-short episodes by outstanding actor characterization and language couldn't have been better. Amazing.

I read all the books and have been riveted to the HBO dramatization. Even if it is imperfect the show is so worthwhile and incredibly well done. Hope they do all 4 books.

The series is marvelous. From time immemorial, adaptations have been different from source material. There are time and money constraints as well. They have to create a series that needs to be sold internationally and be palatable enough to get green lit for the next season. What Costanzo and company have done under the circumstances is miraculous. They have retained the language, and recreated the time and place. The faces and movements of the actors are perfect. It’s a drama, so I appreciate the performances. It’s an interpretation. Take it or leave it.

After a rocky, reluctant start with My Brilliant Friend, the book, I found the rest of the books unputdownable. I haven't seen Part 8 yet, but I don't mind the spoilers because the show tracks the novels fairly faithfully, so there's nothing to spoil. However, I find the character of Lenu being played differently from how she was portrayed in the book; for me, she was relentless in her desire to leave the Neighborhood, self-absorbed, calculating and willing to compromise honesty for success. She had none of the innocence and modesty with which she is portrayed in the show. Lila's character seems more consonant with the character as drawn in the book: brilliant, ambitious and both fearless (in confronting the criminality of the Camorra and also the violence against women in her world) and fearful (of leaving the claustrophobic confines of all that corruption and danger). Gaia Girace nails it, for me. I'm not faulting the actor Margherita Mazzucco, but perhaps the director, who seems to ask her to play the role as an innocent instead of a schemer. One thing about the books is that the characters are neither wholly likable nor wholly admirable; they are real girls and women and entirely believable. Lenu, in the show, seems to be made to be more likable than she was in the book.

Haven’t read the books but loved the series. Very much looking forward to next season and to rewatching season one.

The books and the show are different things from the same source material. I love both, especially the ancillary characters in the show. Such perfect casting! If you have spent time in the non-coastal, non-tourist villages around Naples or further south, the look of defeat on the faces of women in their 50's and older will seem familiar. Very limited options.

I actually agree with this. I still have to watch the last episode of first season but I've felt since chapter 3 or 4 I think that something is lacking. I can't put my finger in it but I know something is lacking. The series is pretty, well done, but the spirit is not the same. I know Elena has done her job in being part of the writing in the series but still, it's not the same. I might still watch the next season because A story of a new name is my favorite book of the series so maybe next season will be better.