Gomorra La Serie, episode 108

“The Whit Card”

Genny shows post-traumatic stress as he is chauffeured to the new cocaine-dealing spot. He gets a hero’s welcome and is met by Ciro, who expresses his dissatisfaction and insists that they talk later. Genny implicitly agrees and leaves. He visits Michele Casillo at a nightclub, dismisses his companions, and tells him to run for mayor. Michele notes that Luigi Fabbretti, the incumbent, is both collaborative and established, but Genny promises victory.

The next day, Genny dismisses Imma. He later meets the gang at a beach-side resort where Little Baron praises his work in South America. A former schoolmate, who works at the resort, interrupts the meeting to ask Genny for help and mentions his embarrassing nickname. Genny promises that they’ll talk later and hears Malamo make a case for Ciro. Genny taunts the silent Ciro and then focuses on a project to build a transportation hub.

Zecchinetta assures him that Fabbretti will give a cut to them, but Genny states that he doesn’t want to share. Zecchinetta then argues for keeping the status quo, but Genny leaves and fatally shoots his former schoolmate. The others run to the scene. Genny gives his gun to Malamo and tells Ciro to dispose the body. Ciro confronts Genny outside of the resort and reminds him of their promise, but Genny declares his unilateral leadership.

At night, he meets with Michele and tells his friends to distribute campaign posters that Michele has produced. The next day, Ciro takes his motorcycle for repair and gives it to Daniele, a young employee at a shop. Genny and Michele go to an empty construction site and meet with Gateano Salerno, a developer who is disgruntled with Fabbretti and weary of promises. Genny promises exclusivity for Salerno with victory for Michele.

Genny shows more post-traumatic stress before he visits a doctor. Genny gets advice for his wound, which had been inflicted by Imma’s dog, and notes that the doctor is an influential mayoral candidate. Genny offers an alliance, but the doctor implies that he knows about the Savastanos’ criminality and refuses the offer. Genny leaves the office, but later that night, he waits outside of a gym and introduces himself to the doctor’s daughter, Jessica.

The next day, Daniele rides Ciro’s motorcycle to a run-down park. One of Genny’s friends soon takes the motorcycle and crashes it. Michele brings the required signatures of residents to city hall, but Fabbretti confiscates them. Michele tells Genny, who confronts Fabretti and smashes the man’s desk until he surrenders the signatures. Ciro returns to the repair shop. Despite the crash and Daniele’s coverup, Ciro recruits him as a courier.

At night, Genny makes out with Jessica in his car while parked outside of her family’s home. The doctor scolds Jessica as she goes inside. Genny reveals himself and apologizes. He leaves and goes to a secluded area to meet with a government official. The official explains that he will ultimately control the fate of the transportation hub and urges Genny to reconsider the plan to unseat Fabbretti. Genny threatens the official and leaves.

Daniele rides a scooter to an apartment building where a gang member is waiting. Daniele gets a backpack and rides away. Genny and Jessica have sex in his bedroom, but Genny is haunted by his trauma. He takes her home and is cordial to the doctor, who remains skeptical. Genny then goes to the campaign office where Michele is having a town-hall meeting. Michele is encouraged by the increasing support, but Genny demands victory.

He and Imma later visit a country club where he blames her for his trauma: by withholding their payment, she had made him a hostage to the Honduran suppliers, who forced him to dismember an American man. Imma counters that she had sent him to learn to negotiate and asks if the trip had been valuable. At night, Genny meets with the doctor, who offers to sway his loyal voters if Genny stops dating Jessica. Genny is noncommittal.

In the Savastano home, Imma prepares for a soirée. She watches Genny, as he passes without saying a word, and smiles to herself. Elsewhere, two of Genny’s friends confront the man who is in charge of a polling station. They tell him when and where to drop an unmarked ballot, and one of them assaults the man to further convince him. Genny reconciles with Imma at the country club while they host a campaign dinner that she has organized.

At the polling station, the man in charge sneaks an unmarked ballot out of the room while staffers prepare for the election. As instructed, he drops the ballot out of a window to Genny’s two friends. The next day, Fabbretti disregards protocol and greets voters at the polling station, but Ciro and Genny force him to leave. Ciro acknowledges Genny’s vision and pledges loyalty regardless of the outcome, but Genny is adamant that he won’t lose.

Voters gather outside of the building, where one of Genny’s friends facilitates electoral fraud. He marks an otherwise unmarked ballot and gives it to a conspiring voter. The voter smuggles the pre-marked ballot into the polling station, gets an unmarked ballot from a staffer, and submits the pre-marked one. The voter smuggles the unmarked ballot outside and trades it to Genny’s friend for cash. Another voter repeats the process.

At night in the Savastano home, Genny watches a news report that forecasts victory for Michele, who calls him to join the celebration at the campaign office. Genny mentions that he has business to handle and meets with Jessica. They have sex in his car, but Genny is alone when he later he calls the doctor and bluntly declares that he has ended his relationship with Jessica.

Genny finally goes to the campaign office to join Imma and the others as they celebrate. Ciro congratulates Genny and then watches the celebration from a distance.

Thoughts

1. Stoic Genny and Fuming Ciro are too one-note for me to take the show too seriously. I’m not sure about the intentions of the showrunners, but sometimes Gomorrah unintentionally borders on the realm of parody.
2. Imma subtly glares at Ciro as he walks away from Genny at the end. I’ve already seen all of Season 1, but after re-watching this episode several months later, this interaction, though missable, is telling.