Learn Hardcore Italian: Gli ultimi episodi, li recupero nel weekend. - The last episodes, I’ll catch up on them on the weekend.

In masculine plural, you use gli when the word immediately following the article starts with a vowel or with z-, s+consonant, ps-, gn-, x-, y-. Here, the next word is ultimi (vowel), so you get gli ultimi episodi. Compare:

gli ultimi episodi
i nuovi episodi (because nuovi starts with n)
gli zii, gli studenti, gli psicologi

Is this gli the article or the pronoun “to him/to them”?

It’s the definite article (gli = the). The clitic pronoun gli means “to him/to them,” as in Gli ho scritto (“I wrote to him/them”), but here it’s just the article before the noun phrase.

What does li mean here, and why does it come before the verb?

Li is the direct object pronoun “them” (masculine plural), referring back to gli ultimi episodi. Direct object clitic pronouns normally come before a conjugated verb: Li recupero. With an infinitive/gerund/imperative they attach to the end: devo recuperarli, sto recuperandoli, recuperali!

Why is there a comma after Gli ultimi episodi?

It marks a common spoken structure called left dislocation: you front the topic (Gli ultimi episodi) and then resume it with a pronoun (li) before the verb. The comma mirrors the brief pause you’d make when speaking.

Can I front the object without repeating it as a pronoun? (Gli ultimi episodi, recupero nel weekend.)

In standard Italian, no. With a left-dislocated object you normally repeat it with the clitic pronoun: Gli ultimi episodi, li recupero…. Omitting the clitic sounds odd or dialectal.

What are some natural alternative word orders?

All of these are fine, with slight shifts in emphasis:

Recupero gli ultimi episodi nel weekend. (neutral SVO)
Li recupero nel weekend. (focus on “them”)
Nel weekend recupero gli ultimi episodi. (time first)
Gli ultimi episodi, li recupero nel weekend. (topicalizes the object)

Is recuperare the right verb for “to catch up on” episodes?

Yes. Recuperare (le puntate/gli episodi) is idiomatic for catching up on missed content. Other options: mettermi in pari (con la serie), guardare gli episodi arretrati. If you simply mean “watch,” use guardare; for “re-watch,” rivedere.

Why nel weekend and not al weekend or di weekend?

Nel = “in the/during the” (in + il). So nel weekend means “during/over the weekend.” Al weekend and di weekend aren’t used for this time meaning. For habits, use nei weekend, ogni weekend, or il fine settimana in general statements.

Is weekend good Italian? What about fine settimana?

Both are widely used. Weekend (also written week-end) is common and invariable in the plural: un weekend, due weekend, i weekend. Fine settimana is also correct (more neutral/formal): nel fine settimana; for the plural: nei fine settimana.

Does the present tense li recupero mean a future plan?

Yes. Italian often uses the present with a time expression to indicate near future: Li recupero nel weekend = “I’ll catch them up this weekend.” You can also use the future: Li recupererò nel weekend, which can sound a bit more formal or emphatic.

How would I say it in the past?

With the clitic: Gli ultimi episodi, li ho recuperati nel weekend. Note the past participle agrees with the preceding direct object: recuperat-i.
Without the clitic: Ho recuperato gli ultimi episodi nel weekend.

What if I use puntate instead of episodi?

Then it’s feminine plural: Le ultime puntate, le recupero nel weekend. In TV talk, puntata and episodio often overlap; puntata is very common in everyday speech.

Why is ultimi before the noun? Can I say episodi ultimi?

Ultimo almost always precedes the noun: gli ultimi episodi. Post-nominal episodi ultimi is rare and marked, typically avoided in everyday language.

Does li ever mean “there”? What about lì with an accent?

Different words:

li (no accent) = direct object clitic “them.”
lì (accent) = “there.” So lì is a place adverb, not a pronoun.

Could ultimi be ambiguous between “latest” and “final”?

Yes. Gli ultimi episodi can mean “the latest/most recent episodes” or “the final episodes,” depending on context. To be explicit, say gli episodi più recenti (latest) or gli episodi finali (final).