From Scratch – Season 1 Episode 2 “Carne e Ossa” Recap & Review

Carne e Ossa

Episode 2 of From Scratch starts with a time jump to November 2002 and we are no longer in the beautiful cultural city of Florence but in Los Angeles, the home of the rich and famous. Amy and Lino are having dinner in bed and Amy is happy Lino is finally in L.A with her. She insinuates that for the past year and a half they have been having a long-distance relationship.

It also seems like Lino is thinking of opening a restaurant and this reminds him of the rift between him and his dad. His dad was not happy when he chose to be a chef and stopped talking to him.

They are currently staying with Zora and things are not going smoothly as Lino has reorganized Zora’s kitchen. It is around Thanksgiving and it will be the first time their parents will spend the holiday together after 12 years.

Zora is excited to see if the drama will unfold while Lino is feeling the “meeting the whole family for the first time “pressure. On the other hand, Amy is nervous about her job interview and hopes to have a new job by the time her parents arrive for the Thanksgiving celebrations. Lino is working at a restaurant as a waiter and is dismayed that Americans are not eating “real” food.

Zora aces her interview and gets the job and Lino remains frustrated about working as a waiter. He shares his frustration about working in a new country and Zora asks him to be a little patient. Zora asks her boss, Chloe, to help Lino get a job at a 5-star hotel known as Massimo’s. The interview goes bust as the chef is a piece of work and Lino is annoyed by the way he treated him.

One evening, Lino gets off work early and offers to help Zora do the Thanksgiving shopping. He plans to reinvent Thanksgiving even though Zora doesn’t think it is a good idea. He cooks up a storm for Thanksgiving dinner but it is moved to the side as the family opts for a traditional Thanksgiving meal instead.

The conversation at the dinner table is also not enriching as Amy’s dad thinks Lino is not trying hard enough to get a better job. Her mother, Lynn announces that she hopes Zora will bring home a “chocolate man.” She wants brown grandchildren. Is she serious? She also is planning to move to L.A much to Zora’s and Amy’s surprise. Amy’s family is also curious as to why Lino is not close with his family. Her dad forcefully offers them money to get through the rough patch and this frustrates Lino more.

Lino leaves to get fresh air and Amy follows him to check up on him. Lino tells her he is finding it hard in L. A and he didn’t appreciate her taking her dad’s money. He feels like it is a sign that she thinks he is not good enough for her. He also was hurt that her family didn’t even try the meal he worked so hard to prepare. He leaves her after telling her that maybe it was too much to think they can be happy in L.A.

Amy visits Lino at work but he has already left early so she talks to his colleagues and  discovers a way to give Lino a little bit of Italy in L.A, along with new Italian friends. After this, Lino feels a bit optimistic that they can be happy in L.A. Amy proposes to Lino and he says yes, he excitedly calls his family to tell them the good news and his dad picks up. He tells him the good news but his dad is indifferent and refuses to congratulate him and disowns him instead.

The Episode Review

I think it is a testament to their love that they managed to keep a long-distance relationship for 18 months. It must not have been easy. It is frustrating for Lino being in a new country, with no friends or family and a job he hates but has to do. I wish Amy’s family treated him much better. I was shaken to my core that Amy’s mother said something so wrong with no ounce of respect.

Amy should have asked her family to at least try out the food he made. She knew it meant a lot to him and she had seen how he poured his heart into that meal. Luckily, they have good communication and they were able to move past this.

My heart breaks for Lino, he wanted to share a happy moment in his life with his family and his dad selfishly ruined it. I get family honor and legacy but what happened to letting your child be happy? I am beginning to get a deeper understanding of what bi-racial couples go through when their families oppose their relationship.

The haters aside, I can’t wait to see them say their “I do.”