“Sweetbitter” Review Season 2 Episode 2 (Equifax & Experian) by Melissa Sloter
July 21, 2019 8:46 am |
**This review contains spoilers through Season 2 Episode 2 of Sweetbitter.**
The Starz restaurant drama “Sweetbitter” returns with an extended second season, boasting eight episodes opposed to last season’s six. The two extra episodes will hopefully prove to be worthwhile now that Tess (Ella Pernell) has passed her trails and become a full member of the family at the high-end restaurant in which most of the show takes place. Through the first two second season episodes the show takes time to move focus from the main characters we spent the first season with and briefly explore the point of view of Howard (Paul Sparks), the restaurant’s inscrutable manager, and Santos (Rafa Beato), the undocumented kitchen staffer who got Tess in a bind with Manny (Gabriel Gutierrez) last season over the cashing of his check. With a longer season, even more of the Sweetbitter characters will hopefully get room to breathe.
Throughout the first season Tess is a fish out of water, both new to the city and to fast-paced restaurant life. We watch as she works to adapt and expand her horizons; enticing Will (Evan Jonigkeit) to teach her a three-plate carry (and sleeping with him), doing drugs with Ari (Eden Epstein) and Sasha (Daniyar), and flirting with but never outright chasing the elusive bad-boy Jake (Tom Sturridge). Being familiar with Welcome to the Big City stories I was waiting for The Thing to happen (think apartment break-in in Coyote Ugly) but Sweetbitter creator Stephanie Danler avoids that crutch instead letting Tess explore her new world with genuine wide-eyed enthusiasm throughout. When Tess finds out her mom has stolen her identity and racked up substantial debt it serves not to prove Tess’s naivete but solidify her place amongst her found family.
The first episode of season 2 opens with the restaurant gang reluctantly meeting Howard on a pig farm where he subjects them to watching a hog slaughtered; he tells them the more they know about where the food comes from the better they can sell it. The entire staff, but Tess, turns away in shock and disgust but she stands riveted later describing the scene “the realest thing I’ve ever seen”. Later in the episode when Tess laments the other staff’s dismissal of her excitement for exploring her new life Simone reassures her with a touch on the wrist in a spa. Even though Tess breaks the contact she’s emboldened to drop her towel and soak in the complete sauna experience. Episode 2 sees Tess trying to buy a leather jacket and become a true New Yorker and while the jacket doesn’t work out Tess does gain the experience of letting someone in and accepting help from her community.
As a self-proclaimed sucker for a good will-they-won’t-they story, one of the best sources of drama continuing from last season is Tess’s simmering connection with damaged and dangerous Jake. Tensions mount between Jake, Tess, Simone and even Howard after Simone demands Howard keep Jake employed and in return Howard ignores Simone’s recommendation to not hire Tess in last season’s finale. What does it mean that Simone can’t explain Howard’s behavior? What is behind Jake’s proclamation that he doesn’t want Tess even after he kissed her and tried to help her with Sasha? What will come of Simone’s fondness for Tess?
PCL Rating: High Taste It
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: FRESH 🍅
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Tags: Melissa Sloter, pop culture leftovers, Sweetbitter 2019, Sweetbitter Equifax & Experian, Sweetbitter Season 2, Sweetbitter Starz
Categorised in: Television Reviews
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