Season 3

Giulio and Lucia Cesaroni organize the ritual barbecue that marks the end of summer. Among those in attendance are Giulio's ever-present brother, mechanic Ezio Masetti, and his wife Stefania, a friend of Lucia's and the principal of the school where they both teach. Lucia's mother, Gabriella, is also present, of course, while the youngest member of the family, Mimmo, remarks that this year the doors to middle school are opening for him. Alice and Rudi, always a cat and dog, are instead opening up the far more terrifying doors of high school! Their eldest children, Marco and Eva, are far away: he studies music in Milan, while she's in New York majoring in journalism and living with her chef boyfriend, Alex. Their friend Walter, Stefania and Enzo's son, has remained hanging around Garbatella, drooling over Carlotta, his beautiful girlfriend from the upper-middle classes.

Giulio takes a dislike to Tamara, whose unusual habits have disrupted the Cesaroni household and, more importantly, driven his son Marco away from expensive music school. He also discovers she isn't even his girlfriend. Lucia tries to mediate, but the situation becomes untenable, and Marco is forced to ask Walter for help: can they rehearse the pieces they're preparing for their date with Criscuolo in his warehouse apartment, among Cesare's demijohns of wine and Barilon's plants? Cesare and Lucia are very worried: they've had the same nightmare, which they interpreted as a grim omen. Lucia is worried about her daughter Eva, who has been responding curtly or not contacting her at all for days. The girl actually returned from New York in a state of confusion but hasn't informed anyone in the family. She's staying with her friend Carlotta, to whom, however, she hasn't revealed the real reason for her return to Rome.

Finally safe within the walls of the Cesaroni household, Eva calmly reflects on the last difficult period: the terrible scene Alex made, her sudden departure from New York, her return to Rome. Carlotta seems intent on finding her a new boyfriend, while she herself dawdles without much concern for Walter. Eva tries to give herself some perspective by studying for the university entrance exam. Mimmo philosophizes about strength and cunning, observing his father Giulio's crisis, as he fears being supplanted by the vigor of his eldest son, Marco. Ezio makes matters worse by proposing a generational bowling challenge with his son Walter and Marco as opponents. Matilde, who witnesses the match, suggests her stepfather bribe the two boys who are overwhelmingly winning against Giulio, Cesare and Ezio, once known as the "Garballeros," the champions of Garbatella, with some vile money.

Rudi is worried about Ulrico's reported attack and enlists the help of the high school janitor, Son-sei, a crippled martial arts instructor. Marco seems to have his big break with Criscuolo: a prime-time debut on a show hosted by Pippo Baudo! At the last minute, however, the record producer announces that he will have to replace one of the missing musicians from the well-known band he promoted, Cugini di Campagna. Disgusted and disappointed, Marco refuses. To improve his relationship with Matilde, Cesare has decided to buy a new, larger house. The girl will start school, and her teacher will be none other than Lucia. Giulio urges his brother not to embarrass Matilde when he drops her off the next day: for once, she should dress appropriately.

Marco, feeling neglected by Criscuolo, decides to leave. However, the record producer warns him that if the musician terminates his contract, he will have to pay a penalty of thirty thousand euros, representing the expenses he has incurred up to that point for his promotion. And, to spite him, he entrusts him with the task of creating the jingle for a toilet paper commercial. Lucia points out to Giulio that it's partly his fault: Marco, before signing the contract, had asked his father for his opinion. Eva gets an opportunity: she's called to the editorial office of the trendiest magazine of the moment, the famous Up To You. She's welcomed by Cinzia, assistant to the newspaper's fearsome editor, Iva Zavattini, who never shows up in the editorial office. In such a competitive environment, the apprenticeship is brutal: Eva is tasked with organizing the archives.

Lucia and Stefania, longtime friends and rivals, this time compete to see who has the best husband. Unbeknownst to either of them, they draw up a list of four subjects to compete on: willingness to help, post-love cuddles, attention to detail, and finally, romance. The battle is fierce, and despite their promises not to cheat, Lucia is the first to be unfair! Eva's first article is published and gets some attention, at least in the Cesaroni household. Marco congratulates her and invites her to listen to him at Franco's club, where his songs are having great success. Walter goes to pick up his friend, but at the last minute Eva, feeling unwell, cancels, citing too much work.

Walter seems to have finally found a "serious" job: he's a debt collector, handling the most difficult cases, clients of finance companies who refuse to pay, disappearing into thin air or making the most unlikely excuses. With the astute intelligence of someone who grew up in Garbatella, he's a natural fit for his new job. His father, however, continues to avoid work at the new garage, which would otherwise be busy, to frequent Cesaroni's wine shop. The director of Up To You commissions Eva to conduct an investigation that touches her deeply: why do men today reject fatherhood? In the office of a well-known gynecologist, Eva spots the dancer Esmeralda. When she confronts her, abandoned by her partner Sandro, Eva relives her own drama and the painful rejection of her ex-partner Alex and discovers that, in reality, it's the girl herself who resists her own motherhood, much like her.

Matilde accidentally meets a colleague of Pamela's, the prostitute Godiva, who has just been released from prison. Naturally, the young girl doesn't know what her beloved mother's profession was, believing her to have been a noble benefactor. When Matilde comes up with the idea of organizing a memorial in her honor, Cesare and the Cesaroni family are shocked: no one dares tell her the truth. A man with a seductive yet disreputable air shows up at the Cesaroni wine shop asking for news of Pamela's daughter. His name is Lojacono and he claims to be Matilde's father. Cesare puts up a fight, but Ezio, with his clumsiness, even takes the stranger home to avoid him! A debate erupts at the Cesaroni family: what if Lojacono is really Matilde's father? What right does Cesare have to prevent them from meeting?

At home, they debate whether a new maid is really necessary, and ultimately decide on the beautiful Teresa, a Venetian woman separated with children, excellent and desperate for work. When Barilon sees her, it's love at first sight. Meanwhile, Germana is complaining to Lucia about having argued with her husband, as has often happened lately. Lucia consoles her and, lying under Stefania's astonished gaze, admits that things are going badly with Giulio too. Rudi, increasingly hurt by Fabiana's behavior, stops going to school. He starts working in the wine shop, welcomed enthusiastically by his uncle Cesare. Giulio, however, disagrees and, as is his wont, becomes angry with his son, who refuses to offer any explanation and withdraws into himself. Meanwhile, Marco and Simona, increasingly in love, are working tirelessly on recording their first album, he as a musician, she as a producer.

Lucia's mother, Gabriella, hits Fernando with her car. Instead of getting angry, the school psychologist is struck by her voice and suggests she dub an animated film he's written. She'll play the role of Leprottina, destined to die. Gabriella demands a happy ending, and in the dubbing room, she changes all the dialogue. The same morning of the accident, Stefania confides in Lucia that she's the author of the month's bestseller: an erotic manual she's signed under the pseudonym Leida Fantasy, with a title that says it all: "I Married Eros-Ideas to Never Lose Passion." The book is the talk of the town. Barilon, who's complaining about his relationship with Germana, reads it secretly: since Teresa entered his life, things in bed haven't been the same. Ezio mocks him, but when he leafs through the book, his face blanches: the Eros described is too similar to him, and the ideas it suggests are the ones he and Stefania have put into practice.

Iva Zavattini calls Eva: she assumes she's in Friuli for the investigation she's entrusted to her and recommends she return to Rome immediately to interview the famous athlete Tiziano Marrese. The child prodigy of Italian track and field has never given an interview because he's dependent on a controlling mother, and the "stolen" meeting could prove to be a real scoop. It's Giulio's birthday, but tensions are palpable in the Cesaroni household. Lucia remains conflicted about the country house, even though Sergio, her ex-husband, has denied her the loan. She'll be met by Sonsei, who received a large inheritance following his wife's death. The former school janitor, who was never lame, now wants to settle all accounts with his past. He shows up at Stefania's house, telling her he'll help the high school renovate the gym. He also wants to repay the Cesaronis, who helped him when loan sharks were harassing him.

The athlete's lawyer, Tiziano Marrese, appears before the editorial office of "Up to You," warning the magazine against publishing Eva's interview. He will also file a complaint against the journalist for moral damages and assault, recommending Eva Cudicini's disbarment. Editor-in-chief Iva is shocked and asks her assistant to investigate. Cinzia shows her a hotel recording showing Marco and Simona escaping from the athlete's room. Iva is forced to admit that her trust has been betrayed; furthermore, she must pay Marrese a considerable sum to hush up the scandal. Meanwhile, Eva complains to Marco about her mother's coldness, hurt by the late revelation. The two women engage in a heated confrontation, and soon afterward, Eva receives a call from her boss, firing her on the spot. Marco, in turn, tries to speak to Simona, who avoids him.

Eva knows that sooner or later she'll have to face Alex, who has returned to Rome with the intention of caring for her and their unborn child. But for now, she refuses to see him, so much so that the boy turns to Marco for help. Her stepbrother painfully puts aside his own feelings and, for Eva's sake, advises her to think about what she's doing. Alice "enters" Stefano's world. He takes her to lunch where they meet some of his colleagues; the girl doesn't notice, but the three tease Stefano, who hasn't had a good idea in a while and has an important project to present the next day. He finally admits to his young friend that he hasn't done anything for the competition.

Eva discovers that Alex has been lying to her: he isn't the head chef at the restaurant where she works, but merely an assistant. By chance, she encounters Selvaggia, a spoiled and overbearing teenager who, blinded by jealousy, stalks her boyfriend Daniele. Eva encourages Alex to never settle and pushes him to accept a catering job for a birthday party, which turns out to be Selvaggia's mega-party! Eva receives a visit from her father Sergio, who still doesn't know Alex. The two hit it off, and Sergio suggests that Alex work at a restaurant in Milan where he will be a partner. Eva urges him to accept, but Alex wants to be with her as much as possible, so overworking isn't a good idea. Jolanda decides to celebrate her fifteenth birthday in style and asks Alice for help organizing the party in Walter's warehouse.

In the wine shop, people are discussing the timid Arduino Mandelli's candidacy, when Barilon enters triumphantly, announcing his upcoming election as mayor of the town. Faced with his attack on "Romanity," Giulio rises to the challenge and immediately takes to the field to defend his people and Garbatella from the barbarian invasion from the North. Lucia disagrees; politics isn't something you can improvise. Only when Germana provokes her does she become convinced: her husband will win, and she will help him in any way she can! Meanwhile, Marco has been selected for an important competition, but Simona and Franco tremble when they discover that the missing juror is their old enemy Criscuolo, who must cast the decisive vote to get Marco through. Walter makes matters worse by beating up the record executive for daring to insult his wife. In the end, Franco resolves matters by giving Criscuolo 50% of the producer's profits from Marco's album.

Lucia and Giulio aren't speaking; this time, the crisis is serious, and tensions in the Cesaroni household are sky-high. Eva and Alex decide not to announce their impending wedding for the time being. The couple leaves for a farmhouse where Alex is invited for an important catering event. Marco is also leaving for the press conference in Milan, but he's hesitant: his brothers urge him to go. His world tour is about to begin, and it's an opportunity he can't miss: he'll be supporting the Arctic Monkeys! Lucia realizes she's hurt her husband with her story of wanting to change him for the elections.

Mimmo wisely comments that the fate of exes is truly unpredictable. Cesare is in crisis because his relationship with Pamela becomes more complicated day by day, while the rift between Giulio and Lucia deepens. And inevitably, suitors appear for both of them. Eva and Marco are also suffering from the mutual distance while preparations are in full swing for her upcoming wedding and his first Milanese concert in front of thousands of people. Eva has asked Walter to be her best man, while James, Alex's friend and best man, arrives from the United States. Marco successfully presents his new song from Milan, meanwhile Cesare faces a grave threat concerning Pamela and Matilde. On the wedding day itself, Lucia and Giulio, who have decided to separate immediately after the ceremony, find themselves feverishly searching for a new apartment each. Yet fate will surprise them once again.