finally started the new season last night, and my god was that a good episode. the score was perfect as well
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“Bottle” episodes should be used to explore characters. That’s what makes the fly a great “bottle” episode.
S3e1 isn’t a bottle episode it’s a great “character” recap.
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Nine Inch Nails - Together from Ghosts V
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I know it’s been said a million times but the music in this show is perfection. Very few shows could go back to something as many times as they have with New Noise without it feeling repetitive, tired, or cheap but the rest of the show is so good that it holds up every time. I think the mix of niche and deep cut tracks along with mega hits makes everything feel so much more intentional.
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S3 E8 semi spoiler comment below.
Summary
New Noise cutting in when Sugar has to call her mom made me legit laugh out loud. Such a perfect use of that song.
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That was such a great moment. It worked so well in that moment to keep it fresh without deviating from the original emotions.
well said
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I’m likely going to sound like a twat here, but like golf holes I really struggle to remember dishes I have had unless they really stand out (either by being exceptional or being incredibly bad). I rarely go for a wine-pairing, it’s not the booze. It’s just that there is a hell of a lot of distraction at fine dining restaurants: so many plates (small and large). I’ve been fortunate enough to go to quite a few Michelin starred restaurants. Stand out, exceptional, dishes (most of which are desserts(??) s/o pastry) are:
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an omelette I had for breakfast(!) at Le Manoir Quat Saison;
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the Black Forest Gateau at the Fat Duck (which takes them four days!! To make);
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the cheese board at The Waterside Inn. The thing was groaning under the weight of cheese and could barely move;
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a white chocolate and peach dessert at L’Palm d’Or;
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a passionfruit soufflé at the Ledbury;
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the roast chicken at Eleven Madison Park (back in 2009); and
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the Turbot AND the scrambled egg / anchovy on flat bread at Brat.
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Could be a situation where you’ve had so much of a thing that helps to sort of even things out and overwrite what you remember and leave behind the stuff that’s not simply outstanding.
Meanwhile, I’ve had exactly one fine dining experience in my life and can recall each dish with fairly good clarity. But I can also remember many of the golf holes I’ve played as well because I play just over 10 times a year.
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Just finished season 3.
I started not enjoying it as much, but as it went on began to love it as something totally different and for completely different reasons than I loved S1 and S2. Maybe just took me a bit longer to tune in/get it.
Just a wonderful collection of episodes. Feels very much like s3 part 1 than a fully finished thought. Felt slightly disjointed at times, disconnected, but each episode in their own vacuum was beautifully made, sounded incredible and had my absolute full attention from start to finish.
The show just does something to me, makes me feel things that scripted/drama tv doesn’t make me feel. Not one piece of it feels acted. Nothing feels shoehorned in for exposition or to advance plot points. It feels utterly real. Leaves me inspired and in equal parts depressed that I’ve never felt as passionate and worked as hard at something as they are (both those making the show and the characters in it).
Enjoyed would watch again
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S3 Thoughts
After the brilliance of S2 I had very high expectations for S3, and it didn’t live up to them for me. It didn’t go over my head. It just didn’t make me feel as much as I did in S2, and overall I thought it needed more cohesiveness.
S2 had amazing character exploration and development while also moving the story forward in a gripping and tension-filled way with the opening of the restaurant. I felt like this season needed something to tie everything together more. We didn’t get to see the team interacting all together very much. There was too much individual focus. The music is amazing, but how many montages do we need. Carmy is damaged. I get it.
My other beef is with the Faks. Neil Fak was my favorite character in the first two seasons, but pairing him mostly with Ted in S3 and adding that unfortunate Cena cameo knocked him down my list. If I never hear the word “haunt” again it’ll be too soon.
Richie was the brightest spot for me in this season, and he and Jess better go for it in S4.
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S3 thoughts
I liked the focused character episode structure.
Ice Chips may be my favorite ep of the season, non-E1 division. Jamie Lee Curtis is acting her fucking face off. Just amazing stuff. I also really enjoyed Sugar this season.
Tina / Napkins was also very enjoyable. The reveal of that moment with Michael and the photo was really good.
Still waiting for the Cicero deep dive. (Favorite Cicero insult S3: Pretty sure he called Carmy a “bong hit” when he was dropping off the golf clubs?)
I didn’t mind the Cena cameo, mostly because John Cena is a fucking national treasure and how dare you.
I found the Ever funeral a little tedious. But the speech about “what it’s really all about” and nurturing people, friends, family, etc was definitely a stark contrast to all of the damaged people we just spent 10 episodes deep-diving into all their shit.
I realize they’re the comedic release valve but please keep revealing Fak family members.
Sorry, but Syd’s dad is a terrible actor. I always feel like he’s playing a parody commercial version of her dad. Is it because he’s supposed to be playing someone older? Or trying to make it seem like he’s older? I can’t figure it out but he makes me mad when he’s on screen and I would like him to leave town.
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Summary
I think the lack of a singular point tying this entire season together was very intentional. Life doesn’t move in a series of points along a singular track. The first two seasons has clear focus and narratives but life isn’t always that clean. In the final episode when Carmy is talking to to Chef Terry about how he feels like he’s always starting and the finish line is constantly moving is the perfect encapsulation of what people are feeling about this season but also what the characters are feeling. There’s no guardrails on this anymore, no one path to follow, that’s just life sometimes.
I also think we don’t see more of the crew working together in this season is because they’re not together. The staff is being pulled apart at the seams. In Next Richie and Carmy can’t even speak to one another without screaming and Carey drops a bomb on everything everyone had worked so hard to build. In Doors the entire episode is spent watching this pressure literally and figuratively start to tear the place apart. This is put in to clear contrast with the cohesion of the staff at Ever that you saw during Forks and again in Funeral. They’re playing the superbowl every night and the team is getting into fist fights in the locker room.
The last thing I picked up on in season 3 is Sydney’s tension between leaving and staying is being foreshadowed to repeat her experience at the Bear in a very slow burn. In Forks you see Chef Adam come out of the kitchen with last minute menu changes and screaming about a smudge that cost them 47 seconds in the kitchen. He than picks out Garrett for seemingly no reason and tells him to go fuck himself. In Next when all the servers quit Syd says it’s because they “don’t want to work in a dysfunctional kitchen” and Carmy and Ritchie both respond “show me a functional one”. Syd is looking for a relaxed and calm work environment but I think in season 4 her struggle will be realizing that doesn’t exist. All of the chefs talking around the table in Funeral about their first days, their worst moments, and why they love it shows you can’t run from the chaos, pain, anger, and dysfunction of a professional kitchen. You have to fall in love with it and be the kind of sick bastard who wants more of it.
P.S I realize I wrote a novel but the shows just that good
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Summary
As I’m rewatching the season watching Tina sit through the MLM direct sales pyramid scheme pitch is like so funny. I am wondering why the flashbacks in this show to the mid 2010’s look more like the late 90’s early 2000’s.
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This article sums up more eloquently how I felt about S3
I forgot to say that even though I thought most of the Cena cameo was unnecessary, I did love the Computer scene he was in with the duck moment. That whole scene was one of my favorites of the season.
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Extremely well said. You should be a TV critic.
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The contrast between the dread I get trying to slog through a new Boys episode this season vs how engaged and curious I am when I start a new Bear episode is the best way I can sum up both shows this season.
Cena was unnecessary for sure. Should have taken Joel McHales characters advice and done some editing there. It was slightly distracting and I think ruined the Fak element a bit in those scenes.
But man this is a fun season of TV. I like when creators take chances.
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This is such a huge compliment. Thank you for that. You made my day!
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S.3 was “fine”. I found myself zoning out on occasion. A few things:
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there was too great a reliance on “flash backs”. Just tell the story. It’s like the show runners don’t have the confidence in themselves - like Carmy’s etc imposter syndrome is rubbing off on them.
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Chicago is a culturally and musically diverse city. The music selected is too “samey” for my liking.
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Similarly, the storytellers seem to be hiding behind the music in some scenes. On occasion it does too much heavy lifting.
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There’s not a huge amount of character development compared to S.2. They’re still aiming for a star and feeling like they’re not good enough. That said, they don’t HAVE to develop if the story develops instead, which I suppose it did.
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The use of hand-held extreme close ups to convey stress/confusion etc again is over used and detracts from the performances.
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The amount of wastage in the R&D process made me a little circumspect, that would be a huge cost IRL and, I know Computer flags it as an issue, but I would have thought donating the unsuccessful dishes to a nearby Fak would have been more appropriate/realistic.
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