Two tissue boxes later, we’ve finally been able to reach the end of the new Netflix hit, From Scratch. The limited series starring Zoe Saldaña and Eugenio Mastrandrea has to be one of the best stories about loving someone for better or worse we’ve ever seen, yet as a viewer, the eight-episode drama takes a big emotional toll. Even those that pride themselves on being in complete control of their emotions and aren’t used to wet salty discharge rolling down their face, can’t help but be a sobbing mess.
With that being said, we’ve managed to pull ourselves together to recap the most tear-jerking moments of the series.
If you haven’t yet finished From Scratch, consider this your warning for spoilers below.
1. Amy proposing to Lino
When Lino (Mastrandrea) found himself disheartened by his circumstances in the US, having just moved to the country and feeling further than ever from his dream of being a chef of his own restaurant, Amy (Saldaña) swoops in and tries to cheer him up. She takes him to a bar to meet with friends and watch an Italian soccer/football match, in an effort to remind him of good times back in Italy. The sweet gesture is only topped as the two were leaving to go home.
As they hop in the car and Amy starts the ignition, Otis Redding’s "Try a Little Tenderness" begins to play on the radio. That prompts Lino to tell her to get out of the car and dance with him. The two sway back and forth holding each other before they both actually move to get on one knee to propose. However, Amy convinces him to stand up and confesses her desire to spend the rest of her life with him, to which he happily says yes.
2. The blowup between Amy and Zora
Outside of the relationship between Amy and Lino, the close relationship between Amy and her sister Zora (Danielle Deadwyler) is also incredibly touching to watch. It’s clear they love one another and Amy relies heavily on the support and guidance of her older sibling. That’s why when the two get into a heated discussion about Amy being "selfish" and not being there for Zora, it’s a gut punch.
It's particularly sad to watch as Zora recaps all the times Amy would forget her lunch money when they were in school and Zora would give her sister hers, only to then go hungry herself. That leads into the bigger conversation about Zora feeling no one is ever there to have her back. Once Zora dismisses Amy and the latter leaves, Zora breaks down crying and so did show fans.
3. Lino's cancer diagnosis
Lino’s desire to be the chef of his own restaurant is a big thing for him. That’s why when he finally gets investors to help him achieve his goals viewers are thrilled to see all his hard work and dedication pay off. Then in the blink of an eye, his dream is snatched from him.
After experiencing pain in his knee and Amy convincing him to seek medical attention, Lino goes to the doctor to be eventually diagnosed with a rare soft tissue cancer known as leiomyosarcoma. There’s a brief moment that you think somehow he’ll be able to power his way through treatments while keeping his newly opened restaurant. Unfortunately, the treatments were just too strenuous on his body. Not only did Lino find himself in a fight for his life, but he saw his professional aspirations become a memory.
4. Lino’s dad getting his son coffee
A big plot point in From Scratch is the complicated relationship between Lino and his dad, Paride (Giacomo Ortolano). The two aren’t on speaking terms for the first three episodes and don’t find a path to reconciliation until Lino gets sick.
Once Lino’s parents arrive in Los Angeles to support their son in his first bout with cancer, Paride doesn’t initially speak to Lino. In fact, he doesn’t talk to him until after Lino’s surgery proves to be a success. That’s when he hesitantly goes into his son’s room in an attempt to make peace.
As the father and son talk, Paride asks if Lino needs anything and Lino asks for coffee. It’s sweet how fast the dad bolted out of the room looking for coffee in the hospital. When he finds someone able to understand his Italian and grasp what he’s looking for, he tells this stranger the story about Lino asking for coffee when he was little. (The stranger has no idea what Paride is saying, but she appears moved.)
This scene caused more happy tears. They later turned into the sad variety when Lino called to tell his parents he was cancer-free, and his mom in turn told him his father died.
5. Lino dying at home
Although the audience knew it was coming, Lino’s death is probably the saddest part of the entire series. To see him in the days prior ask Amy to lay him to rest in Sicily and witness him tell Zora how frightened he was to leave his daughter behind, it’s all just a lot to take in. When he passes, Amy collapsing in the kitchen and her family having to literally bathe her, talk about a time when your eyes become a never-ending faucet.
6. Idalia dealing with grief
Idalia (Isla Colbert) trying to cope with the loss of her father definitely tugs at the heartstrings. It’s hard enough to watch a young child deal with the loss of a parent. However, one moment, in particular, makes you fall apart.
After Lino has passed and Amy takes her daughter with her to Sicily to spread Lino’s ashes, Idalia is caught off guard by the fact they are actually leaving Lino there. She wasn’t prepared to say goodbye to her father in this way and she makes the point about her own grief and not being asked about this plan by saying with tears in her eyes:
"Everyone remembers he’s your husband, but nobody remembers he’s my dad."
7. Cooking in Filomena’s kitchen
By the end of the series, just as you think you have no tears left to cry, Lino’s mom Filomena (Lucia Sardo) opens up her kitchen to Amy and her loved ones to cook as a blended family. Viewers remember that upon Amy’s arrival to Sicily, Filomena is adamant that no one helps her in her kitchen. However, after the two are able to move past their differences, see one another in their grief and realize they are forever bonded as family, Filomena’s invitation to welcome her new family into her domain is simply beautiful.
From Scratch is now streaming on Netflix.
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