My Brilliant Friend Season 4 reveals the ramifications of Tina's (Maria Vittoria Miorin) disappearance from Lila's life.
The final season of the Italian drama HBO series mainly revolves around Elena and Lila's friendship as they navigate their ups and downs through the years.
A huge chunk of Season 4's story (which is based on Elena Ferrante's novel, The Story of the Lost Child) focuses on Lila's mental breakdown mainly focused on how and why her daughter, Tina, vanished.
Tina's Disappearance & Impact in My Brilliant Friend Season 4 Explained
My Brilliant Friend Season 4, Episode 9 reveals that Tina's sudden disappearance took a toll on Lila's mental health, with her spiraling out of control as if she were in a dream-like state.
No one knows what truly happened to Tina aside from the fact that she simply vanished. Still, the effects of her disappearance sprinkled throughout the show's final season, especially on Lila (Irene Maiorino) since she has become distant from the rest of her friends and family.
Lenu/Elena (played by Alba Rohrwacher who leads the cast of My Brilliant Friend Season 4) tries her best to keep her best friend, Lila, in check as she deals with her missing daughter.
Tina's disappearance is only the tip of the iceberg as the penultimate episode of My Brilliant Friend's final season revealed that Lila's brother Rino died from an overdose while Gennaro continues his drug use.
All of these are more than enough to set the stage for Lila's eventual disappearance in the show's finale.
What Really Happened to Tina in My Brilliant Friend Season 4?
The truth behind Tina's disappearance has long been a mystery in both the series and Elena Ferrante's novel. Still, there are some theories tied to her being missing.
Some have theorized that Tina was kidnapped and presumably killed by the Solaras as an act of revenge against Lila.
Others have assumed that the one who abducted Tina is a random child kidnapper who just wants her in exchange for something nefarious like abuse or money.
While the series didn't really address what truly happened to Tina, all of it is left for interpretation in the minds of the viewers. Still, the show's ending offered a silver lining for Lila.
The final moments of My Brilliant Friend Season 4, Episode 10 revealed that Lila left two dolls (named Tina and Nu) at the house of Lenu/Elena, which is set years after she disappeared.
This moment suggests that Lila could've either found Tina after all these years or she is simply at peace with the idea that her daughter is forever gone, with the two dolls potentially serving as a way to let her former best friend know that she is off to restart her life without her.
My Brilliant Friend Season 4 is streaming on Max.
