After the enthusiasm of the morning when they arrived, Paolo can't sleep because he thinks he's a failure and wishes he could change his life. Maura tries to comfort him, but she also has some news.

Paolo enjoys composing songs with his friend, Fabrizio, to distract himself, while Maura, pregnant with their second child, puts little Elisabetta to bed. When the baby is born, at the hospital, friends joke about the heir and Paolo's steady job.

Paolo skips work because he wants to dedicate himself to what he really likes to do. When Faber invites him to perform, at first Maura seems annoyed but in the end she supports him.

Paolo, after a show, receives a proposal from an impresario to perform in his theater. Later, at the company Christmas dinner, he is given the task of organizing the exchanging of gifts, but he uses the occasion to tell those gathered what he really thinks.

After the company Christmas dinner is over, Paolo returns to Maura, who seems almost relieved that it went badly. For Christmas Eve dinner, the two join the children at the grandparents' house, but an inevitable conversation awaits Paolo.

While Paolo's parents are yelling at Paolo, Maura enters the room to defend her husband's creativity and ask her in-laws to encourage him. They are not having any of it. Paolo does go back to work, but with a new attitude.

Paolo and Maura go to the theater to see Jannacci's show, but he has suddenly fallen ill and has a very high fever. Chiesa looks into the audience and sees a possible solution.

Paolo briefly improvises to announce Jannacci's absence and, between jokes and banter, gets a surprisingly positive response from the audience. After saying goodbye to Chiesa backstage, he is approached by a well-known figure who makes him a proposal.

Paolo is worried about the future and dissatisfied with his job at Cosider. Maura is by his side and together they decide to go to Rome to see how things evolve.

Paolo enjoys great success during his performances in Rome. The newspapers praise the brilliance of his comedy and, finally, he decides that the time has come to resign from Cosider.

As Paolo prepares to go on stage, he is approached by a well-known television writer who presents him with an interesting proposal, assuring him that Maurizio Costanzo is also in favor. Back in Genoa, Paolo rushes to see his children, but discovers they are at the carnival rides.