Greetings, Treat-A-Weekers,
If ever there was ever a need for bursts/breaks of escapism in our lives, that time is now….which brings me to my recommendation of Sweetbitter. Premiering on the channel, STARZ, only 1 season of this 6-episode show has been released (but I am fairly certain a second season will follow) and it’s based on the national bestselling book by the same name by Stephanie Danler. Danler is one of the executive producers of the show as anyone who has read the book, which was a juicy, engrossing read, can tell. This is one of the few instances where the screen version of a book maintains as an enticing a look and feel as was conjured by one’s imagination when reading the novel.
So what is the novel/show about, you ask? Youth, food, freedom, danger, beauty, sensation, pain, exploration and lust. Sweetbitter is the story of 22-year-old Tess who leaves her unremarkable life in Dayton, Ohio behind (NB: what’s with all bored female protagonists being from Ohio?:)) to move to the heart of New York city with no friends and no plan save to find a job and create an interesting life for herself. She finds both when she accepts an entry-level job as a back-waiter at one of Manhattan’s finest restaurants, where the food that is served is sublime perfection, and the patrons who dine there match the fare in that they appear to live similarly perfect lives. But the biggest draw to Sweetbitter is not the cool food porn imagery or “the-way-the-other-half-lives” voyeurism; uniquely it is the multilayered, flawed characters of those who work at the restaurant. From the controlling, restrained immaculate owner who inexplicably takes unexpected risks – like hiring the unexperienced, fumbling Tess, to the highest ranking server in the restaurant, Simone, who lives an authentic life on her own terms to its fullest but underneath the bravado appears to long for the security of a conventional life. As the protagonist, Tess, is perfectly cast — doe-eyed, open to experience, beautiful, naive yet quick and likeable but mistake-prone, the viewer easily gets caught up in her story, particularly her unhealthy fixation on the broody, not-so-nice bartender Jake (who appears to have some an unusually close yet unclear connection to the enigmatic Simone).
Not sure this sounds like your cup of tea? Fair enough, but there is something in this show for everyone. For people like me, who love structure and stability in their lives and genuinely wouldn’t want to ever throw our lives into the walk-on-the-wild-side mayhem that simply following one’s desires unchecked almost assuredly produces, this show is an unexpected treat. Through it, one can explore what young adult life in its opening phases could have been like if lived by a protagonist who jumps head and heart first into living out the questions before thinking them through ad nauseam. And if you are that rare soul who has always lived out the questions in order to answer them without the fear of getting burned or burning someone else, you will feel right at home while reading or watching and will likely find someone in this story who reminds you of what you were like when you were young, wild and free.
Enjoy! And until next week, I remain, truly yours,
M
