Episode Recap
A woman is wheeled out in a wheelchair and through a crowd shouting “Murderer” begins Acts 4 by Lydia the Poet. Her name is Margherita Sangiacomo, a well-known university professor. We return to Enrico’s house. At the dinner table, Jacopo feels that Lydia is blaming him for something. But he doesn’t know what it is, which shows that he didn’t confront her about dating Nicole in episode 3.
Lydia does not think that Margarita committed the murder. She becomes an easy target because she doesn’t behave like a normal lady and goes to university. Jacopo feels that he has a strong motive for stealing the research of his victim, Professor Braschi. And he had access to the poison that killed him.
Lydia is present at the trial as Margherita shocks everyone by pleading not guilty and abandoning her lawyer. After being released on bail, he is placed in a monastery. Margherita developed a type of fever that put her in a wheelchair. Lydia visits him. He suggests his brother’s name as the new attorney. Lydia finds many paper swans on Margarita’s desk. The professor claims that he did not stay with Braschi all day, despite the claims of the caretaker, who said that he and Margherita met with Braschi at 7:00 p.m. He left just after dinner, and Braschi was killed around 8 p.m.
The head mother could testify in Margarita’s favor, but according to the pursuer, she was “too involved.” He also tells Lydia that her mother was a prostitute and that Margarita grew up in a convent after her mother died. Enrico is against taking the case, but when Teresa speaks in favor of Lydia’s cause, Lydia is able to convince him. This is in return for the time Lydia helped convince Marianne to buy the new dress. While talking to the caretaker at the convent, Lydia notices something strange in her drink.
Seeing that he can’t write names in the notebook, she takes a sip and confirms that he is drunk. He threatens to report her and she tells them the truth, that Margherita might not be there with Braschi until 7pm. Lidia suspects that Professor Manganelli may have a strong motive after the caretaker says she heard him fighting with Braschi. Manganelli casually admits that he doesn’t like the victim, but has a solid alibi. Andrea teases Lydia about Jacopo, saying that maybe if work really is the most important thing in her life, now she’s having doubts.
Jacopo gives Lydia her notes on her appeal to the Court of Appeal. He says the judges are seven men and they don’t need to be told what to do, especially by a woman. He offers Lydia to tell her story in the appeal. Lidia meets Manganelli’s student Ferrero, who asks about substances that can stay in someone’s body for a while and have an effect, not during consumption. He tells her about plant carbon, which is toxic when dissolved.
He takes this theory to Enrico, but he calls it confusing. He’s right because it weakens their strategy, since Margherita could have handled him just as easily as Manganelli. Lydia gets an idea that the gardener saw her that day, and she can provide an alibi. Lydia looks at the swans and discovers they are all old news articles. One of them is about Professor Antonio Borghese, who took his own life a few years ago. His mother also died that year. Lydia feels a connection.
He goes to Atilla and Jacopo to look over their previous crime reports. They find that several prostitutes died of unusual poisoning at that time. That night, Jacopo visits Lydia’s room and they have love. Then he brings up the woman and Jacopo tenses up. He asks her to go back to her room and apologizes for disturbing her. The next morning, Lydia confronts Margherita in court. His theory is that Margherita killed Braski. A few years earlier, Braschi and Borghese had worked together on an antidote for scarlet fever.
They were testing it on prostitutes like guinea pigs. And as a result, several of them died. One of them was Margarita’s mother. He admits the theory is correct. Lydia urges him to tell the truth, as “there is no justice without the truth.” If Margherita is acquitted, those who killed the prostitutes will never answer. But when Margarita has a chance to talk, she listens to Lydia’s suggestion and exposes the cartel.
While working on her appeal at night, Lydia sees Jacopo burying something in the yard. He goes down to check. Teresa finds out when she sees Lorenzo and Marianne kissing. In a buried bag, Lydia finds a rifle, a pistol, and a pocket watch with Nicole’s picture on it.
Episode Review
Matilda de Angelis displayed a remarkable ability to cry. Oh my god, can the lady do the waterworks? How she mastered the character of Lydia the Poet is really not easy. Her exploits in Turin’s legal world continue to impress, with the episode giving her an early jolt with Margherita’s profile, but Lidia remains professional throughout. The final touch of the phrase “there is no truth without justice” was a highlight of this episode.
It shows that some things in life should be done without consideration of personal gain or loss. The scene with Jacopo in bed ensures that their relationship remains a mystery. He is one step closer to uncovering Jacopo’s secret plan that has been going on in the background. We know he’s an anarchist, but how will this character impact his arc or the show as a whole?
For now, it remains a fascinating mystery. We also got to see how Teresa reacts to Marianna and Lorenzo. From how he describes himself, it can’t be a good thing. Let’s hope Lydia doesn’t get dragged into it; because if he does, things can get ugly very quickly from here.