Episode Recap
In Enrico’s absence, Lidia takes her clients as episode 2 of Law According to Lydia the Poet begins. They are under the impression that Enrico has arrested the Marquis of Clermont. Gaetano’s sister Anita was the one arrested in the opening scenes of the chariot. A body was found in the carriage along with anarchist leaflets. His wife intervenes and says it’s a conspiracy by the owners of the De Santis chocolate factory where they work to blackmail Anita, who is the smartest of the bunch. The dead woman is Yelena, the owner’s wife. Lydia gets a signed power of attorney and tricks the prison guard into seeing Anita.
He explains what happened that night. He took the wagon from Gaetano and collected leaflets from the place by the river to print. Anita left him unattended. When he returned, he saw the body in the carriage. But he was still breathing and Anita was taking him to the hospital. A few weeks ago, Elena helped raise the wages of the workers during the strike. Anita was fired by her owners, and Elena helped her get a job at a tobacco factory. At the morgue, Lydia suggests that the judge allow Anita to undergo a voluminous glove test (equivalent to a polygraph) by the prosecutor. The judge wants Enrico’s written motion.
Mr. Poet returns from his trip and admonishes Lydia for taking the job on his behalf. He says he can’t take the anarchist’s job, but Lydia says he’s already forged her signatures twice. He agrees and also informs her that his glove test request was denied.
Marianna comes to Lydia’s room to tell Lorenzo that she loves him because he is the only one who knows. He sees Lydia as a mature person with a different outlook. Lidia says she will think of a plan to spend time alone with Lorenzo. Jacopo takes Lydia to the factory the next morning. A message is being sent from the owners through Fumigi that they believe in the judicial system to stop class hatred and bring justice. Lydia talks to the host’s son, Leone. Elena’s death did not affect him much. Lydia looks into the office and leaves when Leo’s father appears.
He believes that Elena is actually in charge of the factory, given how the office is decorated. He suggests that Leone might have been threatened by him. Marianna spends time with Lorenzo as Lydia tricks Teresa into going shopping with her. Jacopo takes Lydia to a bar where they smoke opium. In a flashback, we see Lydia’s mother forcing her into marriage. Even then, she was a strong feminist who stood up for herself. At the bar, Lydia sees Leona and goes to her. He admitted that Elena was his friend. He introduced her to his father.
Leone dropped the suggestion that Elena’s rejection made her miserable. Enrico tells Lydia that the judge accepted the prosecutor’s request for a glove test. There, Lydia learns that Anita lied to her because she didn’t call Elena at night. The prosecutor submits a note of testimony by Anita. The needles stop when Lydia asks Anita if she killed Elena and confirms that she wasn’t lying. But Enrico does not accept this as evidence. But why did Anita lie?
Lydia suggests that Elena and Anita are romantically involved. Anita accepts this in front of Enrico and Lydia. The printing house was their meeting place. But he prevents the lawyers from revealing this truth. We see Jacopo making a deal with a forger to prepare two transit documents to cross into Uruguay. Jacopo is also an anarchist and plans to escape with Nicole. That night, Lidia enters De Santis’ office with Jacopo. He asks her to look for letters or any evidence that could prove the connection between Elena and Anita. Maybe Jacopo found the murder weapon and Lidia found the dismissal letter.
They barely escape before being spotted. Jacopo pretends to kiss Lydia when the guard approaches to see him off. The pair share an awkward moment. He meets Andrea with Jacopo, but leaves the latter alone. Although Lydia and Andrea are having love, he is distracted. Andre is focused on the letter as he talks about the United States and how Lydia can be free there. Enrico and Lydia take the dismissal letter to Leone. It says that Yelena gave the order to remove Fumigi from the factory.
Lydia claims that Fumigi burned the original. But the copy Elena kept was still on the printing press, the copy she had picked up last night. He confesses that he killed Elena because he thought she was ruining Commander De Santis’ legacy. He discovered the affair with Anita and decided to kill her after the Commander said he was fine with it. Fumigi is arrested and Lydia solves another case. Jacopo discovers that Andrea is an escort. The prosecutor forbids Lydia from going to court and warns Enrico not to delegate his duties in the future.
Episode Review
The legend of Lydia Poet continues to grow! His exceptional powers of observation, penchant for the law, and fearless outlook on the world make him a fascinating hero. She can sometimes seem immature and very determined. But the complete package should be taken at face value. His quick wit is impressive, and the little bits where he bends his finger to get what he wants are especially amusing.
The revelations about Jacopo add an interesting layer to the narrative. Anarchism was a prominent feature of the period in Italy explored in the series. Episode 2 introduces a vein of social bias through the factory workers. Something big is definitely brewing in the shadows and will emerge when the end is near. For now, we have Lydia Poet’s heart, and her wonderful love-hate relationship with Enrico makes for good television.