The Law According to Lidia Poet – Season 1 Episode 2 Recap & Review

Episode 2

In Enrico’s absence, Lidia takes his clients as episode 2 of The Law According to Lidia Poet begins. They are under the impression Enrico got the Marquis of Clermont arrested. Gaetano’s sister, Anita, was the one arrested in the opening scenes from the horse carriage. A body was found in the carriage, along with anarchist pamphlets. His wife intervenes and says it is a conspiracy by the owners of the De Santis chocolate factory, where they work, to frame Anita, who is the smartest of the bunch. The dead woman is the owner’s wife, Elena. Lidia gets a power of attorney signed and tricks the prison guard into seeing Anita.

She explains what happened that night. She borrowed the carriage from Gaetano and collected leaflets from the riverside place to print them. Anita left it unattended. When she came back, she found the body in the carriage. But she was still breathing and Anita was taking her to the hospital. Elena helped the workers get a pay raise during a strike a few weeks back. Anita was fired by the owners and Elena helped her get a job at a tobacco factory as well. At the morgue, Lidia proposes to the judge to allow Anita to undergo a volumetric glove test (the equivalent of a polygraph) administered by the Prosecutor. The judge asks for a written request from Enrico.

Mr Poet is back from his trip and admonishes Lidia for taking the case on his behalf. He says he cannot take the case of an anarchist but Lidia says she has already forged his signatures – twice. He agrees and also informs her that the request for the glove test has been rejected.

Marianna comes to Lidia’s room to talk about her crush on Lorenzo, as she is the only one who knows. She sees Lidia as an adult with a different worldview. Lidia says she will think of a plan to get her alone time with Lorenzo. Jacopo takes Lidia to the factory the next morning. A message is passed from the owners through Fumigi asking the class hatred to stop and that they have put their faith in the judiciary to do justice. Lidia talks with Leone, the son of the owner. He is not affected that much by Elena’s passing. Lidia looks around the office and leaves when Leone’s father shows up.

She believes that Elena was really the one in charge of the factory, given how the office was decorated. She proposes Leone might have been threatened by her. Marianna gets her time with Lorenzo as Lidia tricks Teresa to go shopping with her. Jacopo takes Lidia to a bar where they smoke opium. In a flashback, we see Lidia’s mother forcing her into marriage. Even then she was a stout feminist who stood up for herself. At the bar, Lidia sees Leone and goes over to him. He concedes that Elena was a friend to him. He introduced her to his father.

Leone shrugs off the suggestion that Elena’s rejection left him bitter. We learn that Nicole Greimas was a militant anarchist before she disappeared. Enrico informs Lidia that the judge has accepted the Prosecutor’s request for the glove test. There, Lidia learns that Anita lied to her about not calling Elena in the night. The Prosecutor produces a note by Anita testifying to it. The needles stand still when Lidia asks Anita if she murdered Elena, confirming she is not lying. But Enrico does not admit this into evidence. Why did Anita lie, though?

Lidia suggests that Elena and Anita shared a romantic relationship. Anita accepts it in front of Enrico and Lidia. The print house was their meeting spot. But she bars the lawyers from revealing this truth. We see Jacopo striking a deal with a forger to make two transit documents for passage into Uruguay. Jacopo too is an anarchist and plans to run off with Nicole. That night, Lidia breaks into De Santis’ office with Jacopo. She asks him to look for letters or any evidence that could prove the relationship between Elena and Anita. Jacopo might have possibly found the murder weapon and Lidia a dismissal letter.

They barely escape before being spotted. Jacopo pretends to kiss Lidia as the guard approaches to send him away. The couple shares an awkward moment. She meets Andrea with Jacopo but leaves the latter alone. Lidia and Andrea have sex but she seems distracted. Her focus is on the letter, as Andre mentions the US and how Lidia can be free in that country. Enrico and Lidia take the dismissal letter to Leone. It says that Elena passed an order to remove Fumigi from the factory.

Lidia alleges that Fumigi burned the original. But the copy kept by Elena was still in the copy press, which she retrieved last night. He admits to killing Elena because he thought she was destroying Commander De Santis’ legacy. He discovered the relationship with Anita and decided to kill her after she said the Commander was fine with it. Fumigi is arrested and Lidia has solved another case. Jacopo discovers that Andrea is an escort. The Prosecutor bans Lidia from the court and warns Enrico against delegating his duties in the future.

The Episode Review

Lidia Poet’s legend continues to grow! Her exceptional talents for observation, penchant for law, and fearless outlook on the world make her a charming protagonist. She can come across as immature and too adamant at times. But one must take the complete package at its face value. Her quick wit is impressive and the little bits where she bends the finger to get what she wants are especially fun.

The revelations about Jacopo add an intriguing layer to the narration. Anarchism was a prominent feature of the period in Italy being explored in the series. Episode 2 introduces that vein of social disposition through the factory workers. Something big is definitely brewing in the shadows and will come out when the end comes near. For now, Lidia Poet has our heart and her wonderful love-hate relationship with Enrico makes for good television.