The third episode of season 2 of "Sweetbitter" offers a surprise to its audience: Howard is not the owner of the restaurant. Sandra Bernhard is. Well, actually, the character that she plays owns it. The prodigal chef Maddie Glover returns and she's ready to stir things up. And she starts by having Scott, the current chef of 22W, fired. Yeah, I did not see that one coming either.
I loved that this episode was set in one night at the restaurant, during one shift, where everything happens and nothing happens. That's how I would describe this show; it seems like nothing relevant is going on, but it's not true. As viewers, we have to pay attention to every single line and every single moment, because everything, at the end of the episode, turns out to be important, to matter for the storyline. We did not get as much information as last week's premiere, but we got to see Tess explore solitude in a way that she didn't find possible and Will decided to accept a couple's weird proposition to pleasure himself in front of them. Yep, you read that right. I tried to be as prude as possible when writing that sentence, but that's what happens. He gets paid, too, and he leaves the mystery for the others, who don't really believe he can do such a thing. Ah, thoughtful Will!
Tess meets Omar, a very handsome architect, who asks her questions about space and how she likes to feel when in a building. Tess is really intrigued by this guy and I'm actually thinking something might happen between them. He also gives her advice on where to go to find a quiet place in New York, a city which can be really overwhelming sometimes. I liked her and Omar's conversation, it was subtle and yet so intense. I love all these hushed moments that the show offers.
Unsurprisingly, Simone was the one who called Maddie. Howard figured it out, and he didn't seem pleased. What's Simone's agenda? I still don't know whether to trust or not, because she's been so kind to Tess. I'm going to be cautious and wait for a while. Howard then tells Maddie that he's going to hire Scott back and give him a raise. The menu has always be the same since 1987, but Scott gave it the upgrade it needed. Maddie gave it prestige, Scott worked on it and elaborated it a little bit. I think that's what food is: constant research and innovation.
I loved the last scene of the episode. I feel like we are all like Tess: we all need a quiet place for ourselves.
Favorite line:
Howard: "There is a subtle art to staying relevant. That is what I do".
Simone: "And yet it doesn't say your name on the menu, Howard".
What did you guys think about the episode? Let me know in the comments below!
