As season three of comes to a close, my reaction is as mixed as that dang review. To borrow descriptors from Carmy’s speed read, some episodes were “excellent,” “innovative,” and “brilliant,” while others felt “sloppy,” “safe,” and, above all, “tired.” I’m sure it’s equally overwhelming to run a TV show as it is a restaurant, especially when expectations are impossibly high.
was immediately absorbing, drawing us in with its frantic pace, quick humor, and the sense that we were entering a lived-in world right in the thick of things. from that fast-paced rhythm, stepping back to explore who its characters were outside the kitchen, eschewing brash comedy in favor of downbeat character studies. This year, tried to combine both into a single dish.
Unfortunately, it wound up being a recipe with—as Joel McHale’s asshole CDC said in the season premiere: Way too many components. You’ve made nachos.” I hate to agree with the guy (whose name we finally learn is David Fields), but he’s got a point.
Thus we arrive at “Forever,” a season finale that feels like patting itself on the back, buzzed on its buzz, topped off with a non-ending that makes you want to throw your hands in the air. Storer’s heavy-handed script hammers home themes that he already made crystal clear earlier in the season. That said, it’s also a pretty absorbing 40 minutes, mostly because it’s a blast to watch our beloved fictional chefs rubbing elbows with a who’s-who .