Saagar Kote
‘My Two Cents’ or ‘Due Spicci’ is an Italian animated comedy series that revolves around the spectacular misadventures of Zerocalcare, AKA Zero. He is a middle-aged man, a resident of Rome, who leads a mundane life, worrying about nothing. He often finds himself in hilarious situations with his friends, Sarah, Wild Boar, and Secco. This seemingly ordinary life, which Zero hopes will always be his reality, is shattered when Wild Boar makes a terrible blunder. Due to his financial problems, Wild Boar gets involved with a dangerous local mob, which starts to control his friends’ lives in different ways.
As Zero and his friends try to handle the situation and somehow get their lives back on track, unexpected challenges and unlikely threats arise, forcing them into awkward encounters with the wrong people. With everything seemingly working against them, the group of friends may have to put their egos aside and fight together to survive. The fates of Zero and his loved ones hang in the balance towards the end of the narrative. SPOILERS AHEAD.
My Two Cents Plot Synopsis
Zerocalcare, AKA Zero, is a directionless 40-year-old living in Rome, wasting his days playing video games and drifting through life alongside his eccentric friends. His inner thoughts are represented by Armadillo, an imaginary animal only he can see and hear. Zero spends most of his time at a café owned by his friend Wild Boar, whose wife, Christine, has grown frustrated by his increasingly shady behavior. Sarah, Zero’s longtime friend, has problems with her girlfriend Stella. Secco, a chaotic but loyal friend with a child of his own, is also part of this group. We are introduced to Montini, a former schoolmate of Zero, still scarred by years of bullying.
Things begin spiraling when Sarah asks Zero to temporarily house her friend Smeralda, who is fleeing an abusive relationship. Smeralda arrives with her dog Macchiato, and Zero quickly realizes he still has feelings for her. Despite his awkwardness and lack of confidence, he tries to reconnect with her while learning more about her violent ex-boyfriend, Massimo. At the same time, Wild Boar’s financial troubles grow dangerous. It is revealed that he borrowed money from the Tartallegra family, a feared mob clan from Dicksville, and involved Imram, a Bangladeshi immigrant, in a failed cheque-cashing scheme using money originally given to him by Zero. Imram’s frozen account leaves him indebted to the mob as well, while Wild Boar becomes a target of Tripwire, the Tartallegra family’s brutal debt collector and enforcer.
As the pressure builds, Zero desperately searches for solutions, even offering Wild Boar a share of his limited savings. Sarah tries helping emotionally while dealing with her deteriorating relationship with Stella, and Secco becomes increasingly involved in protecting the group. Zero’s fear intensifies when Tripwire directly summons him for a meeting. Secco accompanies him into Tartallegra territory, where tensions explode after a scared Montini leads Tripwire to Zero. When Tripwire demands money, Secco attacks him with pepper spray and beats him up before escaping with Zero. Their actions suddenly make both of them targets of the mob. Meanwhile, Zero’s romantic hopes collapse when Smeralda chooses to return to Massimo despite his abusive behavior.
The situation becomes even worse when Massimo is revealed to actually be Tripwire himself. After Tripwire violently attacks Zero for housing Smeralda, she rescues Zero and drives him away. Realizing they are all in danger, Zero, Secco, Wild Boar, and Smeralda retreat to the Oberbunker, a hidden safe house beneath a restaurant. There, Wild Boar admits Christine has finally left him. Everyone’s desperation deepens as they wait for the inevitable confrontation with Tripwire. Soon after, Smeralda’s aggressive brothers Carlo and Emilio arrive and decide the best way to handle the situation is to use Zero as bait to lure Tripwire into a trap. Zero reluctantly agrees and sends Tripwire a message asking for a meeting.
Elsewhere, Christine quietly investigates Wild Boar’s disappearance through local contacts like Lemur and Carlito. Believing he may soon die, Zero visits his mother for what feels like a final goodbye. Sarah, meanwhile, writes Stella a heartfelt letter confessing she still loves her. As everyone gathers once more in the safe house, Carlo and Emilio reveal that the Tartallegra family has unexpectedly lost interest in Wild Boar’s debt. The conflict is no longer about money and has become deeply personal for Tripwire, who is now completely unstable and has been violently attacking random people in the streets, seeking revenge against everyone in Zero’s group. On the morning of the potential final confrontation, Zero, Secco, Wild Boar, Sarah, and Smeralda prepare for battle against Tripwire.
My Two Cents Ending: Who Killed Tripwire? Why?
Zero, Secco, Wild Boar, Sarah, and Smeralda get ready for the battle against Tripwire. Zero even wears protective gear to protect his belly against Tripwire’s potential attacks as they all step outside, scared about what’s going to happen. However, something shocking unfolds, rendering the fight over before it even starts. Many police cars turn up on the streets, and it is shockingly revealed that Tripwire has been stabbed to death in a particularly gruesome manner. Zero sees Carlo and Emilio looking on from a distance and deduces that they are the ones who may have killed Tripwire and dumped his remains on the street. Despite the equation she shared with him, Smeralda is shocked to see Tripwire dead and breaks down.
For a moment, it looks obvious that Carlo and Emilio killed Tripwire to save their sister from further abuse. Wild Boar, Zero, and Secco immediately leave the scene. Though Zero is relieved that Tripwire is dead, he feels guilty about experiencing this relief over someone’s death. Zero struggles with his guilt and sits with Secco, Wild Boar, and Sarah at Wild Boar’s café to talk. Sarah tries to call Smeralda, but she doesn’t answer. Meanwhile, Christine arrives at the café, and Wild Boar is happy she’s there. Zero reveals that the real killer is someone else. In a flashback sequence, we learn that though Zero saw someone holding a bloody knife at the scene, the pure shock he felt at the moment scrambled his brain for a while, making it difficult for him to accept the truth.
It is actually Montini who is behind Tripwire’s killing, and Zero is the one to see him holding a bloody knife at the scene of the crime. Montini does so because Tripwire brutally injured his dog, Giulio. Though Tripwire hurting Giulio is the final trigger that motivates Montini to kill him, it is just the tip of the iceberg. He suffers because of Tripwire’s constant bullying. Since he is someone who has been bullied throughout his life, his rage only gets worse whenever he tries to contain it. When Tripwire harms innocent Giulio, he provokes Montini to the point that Montini can no longer remain passive. In a fit of rage, Montini kills Tripwire by brutally stabbing him, bringing his life to a shocking end.
Do Zero and Smeralda Get Together? Why?
Zero and Smeralda go through the ups and downs of mutual attraction and constant denial of their feelings. Towards the end, Smeralda is a broken person, still dealing with the horrifying death of Tripwire. Despite being a victim of abuse, she still feels some love and empathy for Tripwire, making it difficult for her to think about loving anyone else. However, she tells Zero that he has been a great source of strength for her during a difficult time in her life. She also thanks him for making her feel different about herself. Zero expresses regret for failing to keep her safe, but Smeralda says that he has done everything he could for her. She chooses to leave the house, but kisses him goodbye before doing so. Smeralda then goes on a drive with Sarah to get her mind off things.
Later in the narrative, Smeralda and Zero cross paths again, both bringing their pets to the mall. Smeralda is shocked to see Zero caring for a dog. The two of them have a hilarious fight about each other’s dogs being too loud, and end up sharing a laugh. She says she can’t scold or stay angry at Zero for long, suggesting she may have romantic feelings for him. We see a montage of possible scenarios in which the two of them might end up together. However, the narrative doesn’t explicitly confirm if they become lovers. Smeralda is also seen laughing with another man at the end, signifying that she may have moved on. While Zero and Smeralda feel mutual affection, they might not get together due to the complexities of their bond.
What Happens to Montini and Giulio? Do Sarah and Stella Get Back Together?
After killing Tripwire, Montini is immediately arrested by the police. Following this, he is imprisoned for his crime and will likely serve a long sentence. Though he is going to spend the majority of his life alone, he still receives letters from Zero. Giulio faces the risk of abandonment after Montini is jailed. But Zero steps in and adopts the dog. Towards the end of the story, Zero takes Giulio on an overseas trip, proving that he will always take care of him. As for Montini, he will likely get over his fear of people and learn to live with dignity, even if it is behind bars. Montini’s family members make time to visit him, ensuring that he will not feel lonely or abandoned.
Sarah and Stella go back and forth in their relationship. Though the story only presents Sarah’s perspective on Stella, it is conveyed that their relationship is prone to constant disagreements and fights. Sarah has a conversation with Zero during their flight to a foreign country. She tells Zero that she hasn’t spoken to Stella for nearly six months. Sarah refuses to believe that she and Stella have broken up. Even though this is the reality, Sarah still thinks that Stella will contact her soon. The show hints that Stella has probably moved on and will no longer be a part of Sarah’s life.
What Does the Storytelling Scene Signify? Does Wild Boar Repay His Debt?
Sarah and Zero head to a country in South America to meet Wild Boar and his family. Wild Boar has left Rome after the Tripwire situation. Earlier in the story, an important revelation is made. According to Christine, the Tartallegra mob decided to waive Wild Boar’s debt. The situation involved a middleman named Carlito, a Cuban man who acted as a link between Imram and Wild Boar. When the Tartallegra tracked down Imram, he directed them toward Carlito, who was subsequently interrogated. However, the Tartallegra backed off upon discovering that Carlito worked as a driver for Don Diego Crocodritto, the leader of a rival mob. To prevent a full-scale feud with the Crocodritto family, the Tartallegra abandoned their pursuit of Wild Boar’s debt.
Instead, the Crocodritto mob settled the outstanding balance. This means that Wild Boar owes a debt to the Crocodritto and has a month to pay it, failing which Carlito will be sent to collect it. In a mid-credits scene, a Crocodritto gang member takes charge of Wild Boar’s café, with help from Carlito. This signifies that Wild Boar probably transferred the café’s ownership to the Crocodritto mob to pay his dues. Following this, he moves to a country in South America with his family and opens a small food truck there. However, Wild Boar is still scared of the Crocodritto mob and what they might do to him, which means that he may have even escaped Rome to avoid paying the debt.
Ultimately, Wild Boar manages to escape the wrath of the mob, even if it means that he may not return to Rome anytime soon. Wild Boar’s son asks him to read a story, but Zero chooses to read it instead. Zero then narrates a profound life lesson. He talks about how kids often perceive their parents as indomitable adults. But the adults have their own issues to deal with and are not as strong as kids believe. Living is about accumulating every bad element and still hoping to be happy.
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