TV Review: Sweetbitter Season 2 Gets Vicious
Knowledge is power, ignorance is bliss, and trust issues are what happens when you realize both of these truths. At times, in our relationships, we have to decide between trusting ourselves and trusting the ones we love/ want to love. For the new season of Sweetbitter, this seems to be Tess’ biggest upcoming lesson.
The first episode begins with A DISGUSTING pig scene that, truly, made me vegetarian. I AM SO SERIOUS! Yet, the killing of a pig launches Tess (Ella Purnell) into an episode/ season where she has to analyze if she has the “guts” to slaughter another in her way or the “kindness” to let herself get sliced. Yes, “baby monster,” as her co-workers call her, has gotten her stripes in an exclusive, high-end restaurant, but the season begins with Tess realizing she might care more for those around her than they do her.
Sweetbitter | Season 2 Official Trailer | STARZ
While the first episode of Sweetbitter’s Season 2 is about planting “storied seeds,” it promises major character growth for the young Tess: with a burgeoning confidence and, maybe, a slight malice. For her, in Season 1, ambition and sweetness felt like two forces that could not always align. She could only either care for others or care for herself, but, from the beginning of Episode 1, with a few revelations, Ella Purnell makes Tess see that self-care is a survival mechanism. It helps weed out those that will love you versus those that will not, and, as in Stephanie Danler’s book, there is a lot of viciousness, or rather bitterness, in the restaurant field.
If you like Sweetbitter, Season 1, then you are going to welcome seeing its characters return. They are coming back with extra snark and bite. Daniyar’s Sasha is, everyday, embracing the recklessness of being an emotional wreck. Paul Sparks’ Howard is still elegantly plotting to see who is “strong enough” for his restaurant, I will never trust Caitlin FitzGerald’s Simone or Tom Sturridge’s Jake. Meanwhile, Evan Jonigkeit’s Will is still kind, and Eden Epstein’s Ari will always snap at Tess. Frankly, no one is changing but Tess, and I like that. Season 2 of Sweetbittter premieres this Sunday on Starz at 9.
