Domenico is back from cold Canada. He goes to see his friends at Cinecittà to catch up.

Mimmo is very happy to be back in Italy, and with Franca. His next task is to audition for Gramitto in Milan.

This visit to Gramitto is a bit different from the others. Mimmo has a big surprise for Franca.

Domenico hears some tragic news on the radio and it inspires him to express his grief in a song: Vecchio frac (old tuxedo), which later became a hit. He shares his mourning and memories with Franca.

Mimmo is describing the moment in which he and Franca take their relationship to another level and when he also finds the rhyme he'd been looking for in the song he'd been writing. Later, during the recording session of Vecchio frac, he finds out the censors have been at work and want him to change the lyrics.

Mimmo begins telling about his honeymoon, which was very short and simple and included his friends Riccardo and Rosi. A flashback takes us to the Modugno living room in Rome, where they all watch a little black and white TV where the famous presenter Mike Bongiorno is hosting a game show. Conversation turns to work and they talk about the future.

In Paris, Mimmo and Franca are having a rough time getting by. But that doesn't stop Mimmo from wanting to have a good time. They don't agree on the right path to take.

Domenico gets an impromptu chance to sing in Italian for a French audience, and it goes well. Not well enough, however, and he is still depressed and feeling uninspired.

Mimmo is stuck at home taking care of household matters, trying unsuccessfully to write new songs, and Franca is getting work and is out and about. This situation of dissatisfaction and imbalance leads to harsh words.

It's coming on Christmas, and Mimmo is strolling through the street market. He spies an old friend who is clearly not doing so well. Domenico has been in that situation many times in the past and doesn't hesitate to "pay it forward."