Bread and Brine

Episode 5 of From Scratch starts with a 1 month time jump. It is the Christmas season but no one is feeling festive. Lynn and Amy are at the airport to pick up Giacomo and Filomena, Lino’s parents. As soon as they get to the house, Giacomo starts fixing the garden and Filomena initiates “mama bear” mode. She wants to take care of her son and as a mother, I can understand her.

She cooks a meal for him but Amy tells her that Lino can’t have any heavy food as he is going into surgery the next day. Filomena thinks Amy is not feeding Lino well but Amy patiently explains Lino’s condition and the doctor’s orders. Meanwhile, Giacomo refuses to see Lino and only vents about how he messed up the garden.

The next day, Lino goes to the hospital for his surgery. Everyone is worried about the outcome and is trying to cope in their own way. Amy is happy her family is there to help her. Lynn is hoping some holistic lavender oil will help calm everyone and Lino’s parents turn to prayers to find some solace as they wait for an update on the surgery.

The doctor soon gives them the good news that they have successfully managed to remove the tumor. Everyone is happy to hear this and is thankful that Lino will be okay.

After the surgery, Giacomo finally decides to see his son and it seems he has had a change of heart.

After they get home from the hospital, Amy finds herself putting off little fires. First, Giacomo cuts all the rose flowers in the garden, he is also frustrated that he can’t find good bread in the supermarket, and Filomena wants Lino to eat more than bananas.

Lino is upset after hearing his dad congratulate his friend on his son. He shares his frustrations with Amy telling her she will never know what it feels like.

Amy heads over to a friend’s house, Preston and he understands how hard it has been for Amy as a caregiver. He has been in the same position before with his first love. He tells her to be prepared for what may lie ahead but Amy believes it will get better soon.

Amy, Giacomo, and Filomena take Lino for his first follow-up visit to the doctor after the surgery. The doctor informs them that the surgery went well but Lino will need further treatment. This is to make sure his cancer doesn’t recur. Lino has two options, he can choose to continue with chemotherapy or be part of a clinical trial.

As for the clinical trial, there is a chance that he might not be given the real drug as it is a double-blind trial. He might end up getting a placebo drug and Giacomo doesn’t think the trial is a good idea.

Amy is forced to talk to him outside the office of the doctor. She asks him to allow Lino to make the decision as he fully understands what the risks are. She urges him to trust his son to know what is best for him. She assures him that she will always be on his side but if he can’t respect his choices, he can go back to Sicily. Lino decides to enroll in the clinical trial. The family decides that they will support the couple through every decision.

They celebrate the new year with a family dinner and Zora announces that she is engaged to Ken. Everyone is ecstatic and happy for the couple but none more so than Giacomo. Lino can’t help but marvel at the irony of the moment and the hypocrisy of his father.

Lino confronts him and his dad tells him the one who should be ashamed is him. He says Lino left his family and everything else behind as if it was nothing. Lino argues that he was following his dreams and he didn’t want to be another version of his dad. His father says he doesn’t understand him and Lino says that is okay as long as Giacomo can accept him.

He tells his dad that he is tired of fighting his disease and him. He asks him to choose if they can be father and son or two angry men.

Before his parents leave to return to Sicily, Giacomo tells Lino that he is happy that his son is a chef in America. He gives Lino his hat and calls him his son. Meanwhile, Filomena asks Amy to consider having a baby because it will give Lino more spirit to fight and survive.

At the end of the episode, Lino starts feeling sick which means he got the real drug from the clinical trial.

The Episode Review

Initially, I was worried that Giacomo would still let his ego rule him. Thankfully, he was able to put it aside and be a father to his son when he needed him the most. It was a surreal moment to see them make up and it felt healing when he gave him his hat.

Caregiving is not easy so it is only understandable that Amy is feeling overwhelmed. I am in awe of the woman that she is because she has so much faith and strength.

I am not sure if she will take Filomena’s advice about having a kid. Let us wait and see what happens in the next episode.