If you’ve been following the saga of Elena Greco and Lila Cerullo since those first grainy scenes in 1950s Naples, you know that saying goodbye is never easy. We’ve watched them grow from scrappy children to competitive teenagers and eventually to complicated adults. Now that the fourth and final season has arrived to adapt The Story of the Lost Child, everyone is asking the same logistical question: how many episodes of My Brilliant Friend Season 4 are there to wrap this whole thing up?
The answer is exactly 10 episodes.
It’s a bit of a departure if you’re used to the rhythm of the previous seasons. Seasons 1, 2, and 3 all stuck to a strict 8-episode format. For the grand finale, HBO and Rai decided they needed a little more breathing room. Honestly, thank goodness for that. If you’ve read the final book in Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan quartet, you know it’s a massive, sprawling piece of literature that covers decades of history, political unrest, and some of the most heart-wrenching plot twists in the entire series. Eight episodes just wouldn't have cut it.
Why the Episode Count for Season 4 Matters
The decision to go with 10 episodes instead of eight wasn't just a random choice. This season has to cover a tremendous amount of ground. We’re moving from the late 1970s all the way through the 2000s. We see Elena (Lenù) return to Naples, the crumbling of her marriage to Pietro, and the toxic, whirlwind rekindling of her relationship with Nino Sarratore.
Then there’s Lila.
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Lila is navigating the chaos of the neighborhood, the rise of the Solara brothers' drug trade, and her own business ventures with Enzo. Ten episodes allow the show to linger on the atmosphere—the "smell" of Naples that Ferrante describes so vividly in the prose.
The Full Episode List and Titles
If you're planning a marathon or just trying to pace yourself so the story doesn't end too quickly, here is the breakdown of the season. Each episode title gives a little hint at the emotional wreckage or social upheaval coming your way:
- The Separation – Elena deals with the fallout of leaving her family for Nino.
- The Dispersion – Life in Milan and the widening cracks in Elena's new reality.
- Compromises – Pregnancy news and a return to the roots.
- The Earthquake – A literal and metaphorical shattering of the world (based on the 1980 Irpinia earthquake).
- The Fracture – The birth of new life and the death of old certainties.
- The Cheat – Nino being, well, Nino.
- The Return – Elena moves back to the neighborhood.
- The Investigation – Taking on the Solaras.
- The Disappearance – The central tragedy that defines the end of the series.
- Restitution – The final goodbye.
The finale, "Restitution," is notably longer than your average episode, running over an hour to ensure every thread of this 60-year friendship is tied off—or left intentionally frayed, as is the Ferrante way.
New Faces for a New Era
One reason the 10-episode structure feels so vital is the massive cast change. Because the characters have aged significantly, Margherita Mazzucco and Gaia Girace passed the torch. We now have Alba Rohrwacher playing Elena (who has actually been the narrator's voice since season 1!) and Irene Maiorino as the adult Lila.
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It takes a couple of episodes to get used to the new faces. You've spent years looking at the younger actresses, so the show needs that extra runtime to let you bond with these older versions of the characters. Maiorino, in particular, captures that "sharpness" of Lila so well it’s almost spooky. She has the same feral energy Gaia Girace brought to the role, just weathered by years of living in the Rione.
Is 10 Episodes Enough for the "Lost Child"?
Some fans on Reddit and across the book-loving corners of the internet have argued that even 10 episodes feels rushed. Book four is dense. It’s about the "dissolving margins"—that feeling Lila has where the world loses its edges and everything becomes terrifying.
While the show moves fast, especially in the middle section, it hits the major historical beats. You get the 1980 earthquake, which is a massive set-piece, and you get the gritty, terrifying rise of the Solaras. The extra two episodes compared to previous years really help the "neighborhood" feel like a character again. You see it change from the post-war poverty of the 50s into the heroin-slicked danger of the 80s.
Where to Watch the Finale
In the US, the season aired on HBO and is currently streaming in its entirety on Max. If you’re in Italy, it’s a Rai 1 production. Because it’s a co-production, the release dates sometimes vary by a few weeks depending on where you live, but the content remains the same.
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If you haven't started yet, you're looking at about 10 hours of television. It’s a commitment. But for a story that has spanned four books and nearly a decade of production, it’s a relatively small price to pay to see how it all ends.
What to Do After the Credits Roll
Once you finish the tenth episode, the "Ferrante Fever" usually doesn't just go away. It lingers. If you've only watched the show, the most logical next step is to actually go back and read the books. Even with 10 episodes, the series can't capture every single internal monologue Elena Greco has.
The prose gives you a much deeper look into her jealousy and her "brilliant" friend's psyche. Also, if you’re curious about the real-life locations, there are plenty of "Neapolitan Novels" walking tours in Naples that take you through the actual Rione Luzzatti, where the story is set.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Check your Max subscription to ensure you have access to the "Story of the Lost Child" (Season 4).
- Watch the "Making of" featurettes usually found in the "Extras" tab; they show how they aged the neighborhood sets.
- Clear a weekend. This isn't a "background noise" kind of show. You need to read the subtitles (or listen to the Neapolitan dialect) to really feel the weight of it.
The journey of Lenù and Lila is officially over on screen, but with 10 episodes to digest, there's plenty of brilliance to go around.