adjective plus infinitive
Dead body.Luca · 2021 — Chapter 4 of 9 · 6'25" · B1
Giulia Recruits the Underdogs, Explained: underdogs
A five-time cup winner mocks two out-of-towners. A delivery girl who's sick of losing to him steps in and offers the pair a spot on her team. "We underdogs have to look out for each other," goes one line — part pep talk, part recruiting pitch, and the moment this stops being her private grudge.
What happens
In the town square of Portorosso, Ercole, the five-time winner of the Portorosso Cup, taunts two newcomer kids while showing off his Vespa. Giulia, the local delivery girl, interrupts, trades insults with him, and then invites the boys to join her as a team for the summer race.
Listen for
underdogslook out for each othergood talkharpoon
00:00 / 06:25Space play · ← → lines · R repeat
Now
Phrase of the scene
underdogs
the contestants expected to lose
卢卡听错这个词，把它理解成狗下面的位置，朱莉娅只好解释它指不被看好的人。
Everyone loves a final where the underdogs win.
Also in this scene
- look out for each other
to watch over and protect one another
- good talk
a polite closer that hides how little was said
- harpoon
a whaling spear; here, a weapon of retaliation
Everything marked in this scene
33 notes across 156 lines
How do you think I paid for my beautiful Vespa?The little guy can't even get a word out.Sorry, sorry. I'll make it up to him.flap
Sorry, sorry. I'll make it up to him.Wow. That's how you're training for the race?-coming to an end! -ERCOLE: "Coming to an end."When you quit in the middle of the race?I think that is worse. Now, go away.Hop on. I could use the extra weight.liaison
Maggiore! Another sighting. In the harbor, this time.I know. We are setting up a reward.which he shouldn't even get to do anymore, 'cause he's too old and too much of a jerk!to watch over and protect one another
You know, we underdogs have to look out for each other, right?have to for obligation
Underdogs.a polite closer that hides how little was said
Well, good talk.Can we turn the money into something else?First of all, get in line!Every summer, that jerk makes my life miserable.So, no one's taking him down unless it's me!Second, this isn't any old race.any old for emphasis
So, you'd need a teammate.Well, we'll figure it out. Thanks, human girl.liaison
Grazie! Arrivederci!But we could be under the dogs, too.Let's see what you got.What if an old lady crosses your path?I mean, where are you even from?My life's great. I'm just helping him out.Just give me one more chance.You guys want it just as bad as I do.as ... as comparison
I'm definitely hungry.Perfetto! You eat, you bike, and I swim.Giulia Recruits the Underdogs, explained
What's really going on
Ercole's needling isn't really about the boys' clothes; it's about keeping the square his. For years the Cup has been his trophy and his leash on the town, and he can't stand new faces getting attention. Giulia has watched him win every summer and knows exactly what he is. When she says, "We underdogs have to look out for each other," she isn't being sentimental — she's recruiting. Two outsiders with nothing to lose are the only weapon she has left against a champion she can't outspend. Her invitation is genuine and selfish at once: she wants the win, and she needs them to want it too. The line "You have the hunger" is her real test, checking whether their desperation matches hers. The boys aren't chasing a trophy; they're chasing freedom.
Theme
Coming of ageTwo sheltered sea monsters taste human rules, friendship and a race, and start choosing who they want to become.
FriendshipGiulia's offer and the boys' loyalty turn a private grudge into a shared bid for freedom.
Listen for
- get a word out — flap
- Hop on — liaison
- figure it out — liaison
You know, we underdogs have to look out for each other, right?The underdog plea: outsiders should stick together. Here it doubles as a friendly pitch to join her team.
But if we win this race, well, we can be free.Winning the Cup isn't about the trophy; it's the ticket to a life away from home, hidden identities and fear.
You guys want it just as bad as I do.She tests their hunger. The same desperation means the same willingness to train and take risks for her.
Every summer, that jerk makes my life miserable.Her blunt summary of Ercole's yearly reign — why beating him means more than a race to her.
Questions about this scene
Why does Ercole bully the two newcomers?
He wants to stay the town's champion and can't stand new faces getting attention. Mocking outsiders keeps the square and the Cup feeling like his.
What does "underdogs" mean here?
The people nobody bets on. Giulia uses it for herself and the two boys — kids who are different, poor or shy, and written off before the race even starts.
Does Giulia actually want teammates, or is she just being kind?
Both. The race needs a team, and beating Ercole is her own grudge. She sizes the boys up and decides their hunger is the one thing she can use.
Why do Luca and Alberto agree to race?
A Vespa is the dream, and the prize money can buy one. For Luca it's also an escape from being sent away, so the Cup becomes a way out.
Why does Ercole tell them to go start a club for losers?
It's a parting insult after the boys side with Giulia. He frames their friendship as something only losers would want — exactly the crowd Giulia is recruiting.
Luca · 9 chapters
All chapters →
Up next · Chapter 5Money is tightLuca and Alberto's Dinner with Massimo
Chapter 1if I ever saw oneMom Bans Luca From the Surface
Chapter 2catch yourselfLuca Learns to Walk on Land
Chapter 3Silenzio, BrunoAlberto Teaches Silenzio, Bruno
Watching · Chapter 4underdogsGiulia Recruits the Underdogs
Chapter 5Money is tightLuca and Alberto's Dinner with Massimo
Chapter 6eat someone for breakfastSigning Up for the Portorosso Cup
Chapter 7too muchGiulia Shows Luca the Stars
Chapter 8bossing him aroundLuca Wants to Go to School
Chapter 9worried half to deathSea Monsters Revealed at the RaceChapter 4 of 9 · about 17 min to go