A colleague of Marioni's chides him for having treated Matteo as he did. He tries to justify his actions, and then goes to have a word with Rosario, a percussion student.

Marioni puts Matteo to the test, asking him to play first violin in the Brahms symphony, together with the entire orchestra. Later, Domenico tells him about someone who had crumbled under Marioni's harsh treatment.

Matteo is having a violin lesson when Marioni passes by in the hall and hears him. Matteo's lesson ends early and he is about to learn more about the orchestra conductor everyone thinks of as il bastardo (the bastard).

A teacher reads a passage from one of Shakespeare's sonnets and asks the class to interpret it. Matteo speaks up. Here is the original English: "Mark how one string, sweet husband to another,
Strikes each in each by mutual ordering;
Resembling sire and child and happy mother,
Who, all in one, one pleasing note do sing:
Whose speechless song being many, seeming one,
Sings this to thee: 'Thou single wilt prove none."

Matteo arrives late for class and is told, to sit next to Sara who begins asking him questions. It turns out she is almost blind. After the lesson, Matteo meets some of his classmates.

Matteo makes his way to his uncle's apartment. Never mind that his uncle was supposed to come to the station to get him... They agree that there is no point in worrying Matteo's father with the truth.

We meet a few of the musicians attending the conservatory and the orchestra conductor, who is no-nonsense and stern.

A young man is departing by train and says goodbye to his two parents in different ways. In another scene, a little girl is going to school very reluctantly and her brother has to practically drag her there.

Professor Capuana is one of the judges of the lasagna contest. He notices right away that two of the dishes look an awful lot alike. Later on, at the park, the JAMS have an uncomfortable discussion.

Joy has trouble sleeping. Max isn't sleeping either because he is reading! At the cooking contest, Alice notices that Melissa is making the same recipe as the JAMS team.

Max meets up with Gianmaria to give him the recipe, but is Gianmaria being straight with him? Joy and Alice have their pyjama party, but it's not much of a party.

Joy and Stefano have a brief conversation in the park. He doesn't push. Michelino shows up wanting to go over to the lawyer's house with Joy. The cooking team practices their new recipe at the bistro.

Alice is concerned about Max. Gianmaria knows very well that Max is in trouble and makes a proposal. In cooking class, Joy
decides she doesn't feel well and leaves.

Poor Max is called on to talk about the Iliad. Whatever he doesn't know, Gian Maria does know and raises his hand constantly.

The Halloween party has come and gone, and it's time to focus on other things, like school, including oral quizzes. L'interrogazione is the word for the teacher asking students questions about what they have learned in class and what they have studied at home. There are students who want to be called on and others who try to hide, and pray they won't be called on.