Gomorra La Serie, episode 105

“The Roar of the Lioness”

Musi finalizes his purchase of a company, Salba, with help from Pasquale de Vivo, his puppet, for 20 million euros. Salba has won an important contract, so Musi owns 90 percent of an otherwise-bankrupt company that is worth 200 million euros. Elsewhere, the Savastanos bond at a maximum-security facility. At night, Musi tells his pregnant wife about his purchase. The next day, he basks with his wife and stepdaughter Perla on their rooftop.

Ciro visits Genny at the gambling parlor. Genny says that his father is unfazed in jail, but Ciro says that the gang is struggling: they’ve been forced to sell low-quality cocaine that pales in comparison to Conte’s cocaine. Ciro tells Genny to assert himself as a leader. Elsewhere, Musi and his family visit an empty nightclub. As they plan a party for Perla’s 18th birthday, Imma calls Musi to set up a meeting.

At their usual meeting place in a never-opened resort, Imma tells Musi to cash the Finnish bonds that he has claimed to buy for them. Musi tries to convince them to let him do otherwise, but Imma re-affirms her husband’s order. She later tells Genny about her distrust of Musi, and Genny echoes the idea about assuming power in the interim. Imma makes Genny admit that the idea comes from Ciro, and she dismisses the man.

Musi visits a financial representative who explains that the man’s firm can’t redeem the Finnish bonds because of stricter laws. Musi offers Salba as collateral, but the representative balks, so Musi leaves in a huff. Genny presents Noemi with earrings when they’re alone, but Imma calls and says that they need to go to Milan on the next day. Genny takes Noemi to a self-proclaimed love nest. She’s annoyed that he has to leave, but they make love.

The next day, Imma and Genny surprise Musi in his apartment. Musi says that time is needed, and Imma says that she and Genny want to understand everything. After they meet Perla, Imma declares that they’ll be in his office tomorrow. The next morning, Musi provides reports to Imma and Genny in a conference room. Musi leaves them while they study and calls a colleague, Federico, to make a proposal.

Musi meets Federico in a restaurant and offers Salba for 20 million euros, Musi’s purchase price, even though the company is now five times as much. Federico eventually accepts the deal pending due diligence. Imma and Genny visit the sites of buildings that they own, but instead of appreciating the real estate that his father has collected, Genny is focused on buying a gift for Noemi.

Back in his office, Musi tries to convince Imma to convert the Savastanos’ property assets to financial investments. Imma asks about the status of the Finnish bonds, and Musi claims that they’ll eventually be redeemed. Musi later visits Goletti, the Salba CEO who has been trying to call him throughout the day. Goletti reveals that an audit has put the lucrative contract on hold. He names the auditor, Luigi Sivieri, and Musi leaves in a hurry.

Musi is waiting at a train station when he gets a call from Federico, who has learned about the audit and ends their proposed deal. Musi gets an envelope from another colleague and later finds Sivieri at a Japanese restaurant. He discretely tries to bribe Sivieri with 100,000 euros, but the man leaves in disbelief. At night, Imma finds a new handbag that Genny has left in her hotel room. They talk on the phone as Genny drives back to Naples.

In Naples, Genny and Noemi are resting poolside when Ciro arrives and tells Genny that they need to cut their business ties with Little Baron. Genny echoes Ciro’s newest idea to Imma, but this time, Genny claims the idea as his own. In Milan, Musi fails to get an answer from Sivieri. Desperate, Musi surprises the man as he leaves his workplace at night. Pleading and threatening at the same time, Musi tells him to accept the bribe and leaves.

The next day, police officers arrest Musi at his home. Imma fumes as she tells Genny about Musi’s actions. While detained, Musi pleads with the Savastanos’ lawyer, who reassures him, and he is soon released and met by his family. Later in Naples, the lawyer tells Imma and Genny that the Swiss government has found Musi’s laundered accounts and hints that the money needs to be moved.

In a quiet restaurant, Imma tells the distraught Musi to give control of the accounts to his wife, who will get them unblocked to enable the Savastanos to recover their money before it’s seized. Imma states that their business relationship is over, but Musi’s family will be financially secure. Musi and his family later celebrate Perla’s 18th birthday with guests in their apartment, but Musi sneaks to the balcony and intentionally falls to his death.

Genny is lounging with his friends when Ciro arrives and scolds him for not taking his mother to visit his father. Fed up with their demands, Genny orders Ciro to take Imma. Because of the facility’s usual policy, only Imma sees Pietro. Among other things, Imma voices her concern about Noemi as a potential wife for Genny. Pietro says that Genny decides his love life and adds that Ciro will help their son because Ciro “knows women.”

Resentful of Ciro’s influence on the men in her life, and presumably not knowing about Genny and Ciro’s recent dispute, Imma falsely tells Ciro that her husband has given an order: Ciro must go to Spain and make peace with Conte.

Thoughts

In no particular order, here are my opinions and predictions.

1. Musi is every bit the arrogant and conniving businessman he seems to be, but I root for him in this episode. The actor portraying him and the writer(s) who blueprinted his fate did well. I knew that his dealings were going to backfire when he convinced Genny to let him buy government bonds in episode 103. His suicide wasn’t surprising and his backwards fall over the balcony was fitting of his character.
2. I was right about Conte returning at some point. I didn’t expect his return to the show being set in Spain, though.
3. Imma rolls her “r”s when she’s angry. I don’t know if it’s a character trait or a regional trait, but it’s a little funny.
4. Based on the next-episode preview, Ciro will face danger in Spain; that is to say, he will board Conte’s yacht and be thrown overboard or he will abandon ship. In any case, he ends up in the sea.
5. I predict that Ciro will ultimately kill, or at least orchestrate the death of, Genny to assume control of the gang. Or, he will somehow seduce Imma.