'The Durrells in Corfu': Season 3 Episode 5 Recap
In the last episode of The Durrells in Corfu, Larry invited home two very different houseguests who had Louisa torn between drunkenness and enlightenment. Gerry was dangerously close to returning to a traditional classroom and Leslie had to make a decision between the law and his loyalty to Daphne’s family. Meanwhile, Larry went missing at sea only to be rescued by some unexpected new friends. All the quirky details can be found in the episode recap here.
The theme of this week’s episode seemed to be infatuation - be it puppy love, a girl crush or that perceived perfection that makes you take a look at your own imperfect life.
We find Mrs. Durrell enjoying a leisurely weekend breakfast with her children though Leslie tells her she doesn’t need them anymore since Frank (the sloth) came along. She insists her hobby will always be her children which she refers to as “my own darling sloths.” The lately absent Spiro shows up at the Durrell abode and gets a big hug from Margo. He informs them he’s been chauffeuring a new family from Italy who, like them, have come to the island to start a new life. The Ferraris live in the expensive villa across the way. And according to Spiro, they are charming, perfect and the Durrells will love them. This seems highly unlikely, however; as Louisa already looks a tad jealous..
The New Best Foreign Family on the Island
Spiro’s news of the “perfect” Ferraris piques Louisa’s curiosity, so she attempts a reconnaissance mission only to find herself caught by Mr. Guido Ferrari (Luca Calvani) himself. He graciously invites her and her family for a meal where they will meet his son and two daughters.
As the Durrells set out for the Ferraris' house, Louisa worries about the impression they will make on the posh Italians. She wishes they had smarter clothes and tells Leslie not to mention Daphne’s pregnancy.
At lunch, her children appear uncouth next to the polished Ferrari brood. Leslie begins eating before Mr. Ferrari sits down, Larry talks politics and Margo is instantly captivated by the oldest Ferrari daughter, Clara (Antonia Desplat) which inexplicably causes her to gush about her physical appearance. Mrs. Durrell tries to distract from her children’s behavior by complimenting the Ferraris on their perfect English. For his part, Mr. Ferrari explains that his children aren’t accustomed to helping out because they had staff in Italy. Louisa says assures him that his attractive and delightful offspring will learn in time. Louisa’s obvious admiration of their new neighbors prompts Gerry to call out his mother on her unfair comparison between the animal-free Ferraris and themselves. Louisa assures them they are special and she just wants people to know that.
Upon the occasion of the Ferraris first visit to the Durrells' modest abode, Louisa tries to impress them with the fact that she’s expecting an inheritance and will fix up the house soon. But when Lugaretzia accidently drops something while she’s serving cake, Guido openly complains that she, and the Greeks in general, are clumsy. The Durrell children are taken aback by this slur but the normally silent Paolo (Sebastiano Kiniger) backs up his father’s assertion. Lugaretizia meanwhile mutters in Greek that she will spit in the teapot.
After tea, Guido compliments Louisa on being a charming host and excellent cook and asks if she would consider helping out with the education of his children.
