Gifted opinion piece from The NYT
Finished watching the second season this weekend. Very different than the first season. Lots of character development beyond Carmy. I thought some of my family holiday meals got tense. I was so wound up watching that episode. Amazing performance by Curtis. Destroyed the vision I have of her from my youth in Trading Places. A lot of damaged people in the Berzatto clan. Still a very compelling series. Canāt imagine what season 3 will be like.
*Richie, not Jeri. I donāt think thereās even a Jeri on the show 
the official cast list refers to the character as āRichard āRichieā Jerimovichā
Ah. Phew 
Well, I still donāt understand the hype over the show, and the glowing reviews, so maybe itās just me.
Barely got through the first two episodesā¦ at least they finally moved on to some food-related things like their menu planningā¦ which I found comical. Two chefs, one of whom had been awarded a 3rd star, and they donāt know how to use salt in a marinade? Their food creations are so disgustingly awful they have to literally spit them in the trash?
Iām no starred chef, but I probably spat out my own food no more than once or twice.
Might save the rest for Berlin for rainy days or when weāre really, really desperate.
If I recall that episode it wasnāt a marinade but a pickle. And yes you can use too much salt in a quick pickle and I think the spitting out was for dramatic effect. I have spit out stuff when I was making a quick pickle and used too much salt too. The excess was probably 1/4 to a 1/2 teaspoon too much but it made it inedible. Had to start over. If youāve ever gotten a mouthful of sea water, your immediate reaction is to spit it out. A 3% salt solution is vile. Which is why I have said many times that anyone who writes a recipe that tells you to salt water until it tastes like the sea has never been in the ocean and gotten a mouth full of sea water. The more likely real life event would have been tasting the pickled veg first and spitting it out before constructing the whole dish. But again it was for dramatic effect so Iām not too bothered by the scene.
I would love to try that cannoli though.
On the other hand I am puzzled by the events of the opening. The decision was made to cut some courses out of a tasting menu as Carmy and Syd concluded it was too much to do. But then when the restaurant is doing the soft F&F open, it appears people are ordering dishes, not doing a tasting menu. There no way a giant t-bone steak as appears in pass is being served as part of a tasting menu. Continuity break for me.
Iāve not watched beyond the 3rd episode. As I said, weāll probably continue watching bc it doesnāt completely suck - although I wish Richie didnāt exist, and they didnāt try to create energy by everyone screaming or talking at the same time.
I just donāt get the hype. I mean people are praising this show as the second coming 
I actually like cuz. Donāt mean to provide a spoiler but his character development is quite interesting and the stage he does a little over the top. Donāt make any firm conclusions about him just yet.
ETA: I also love the irony in have Matty Matheson play someone inept in the kitchen. I really enjoyed his show on Vice. The Big Dog recipes were always a hoot to watch him do.
Iāve now watched the first three episodes, and I like it a little less than the first season, mostly 'cause itās (especially in the third episode) gotten very montage-y. Still good, though. I love the soundtrack! And all the guest stars. And the Booksmart actor.
Watched Sea2Ep7 and not buying a 180Ā° personality shift in a week. Weāll see.
Itās a television show. The short term conversion of a person based on a singular eventful awakening is a tried and true staple of films, tv, literature and biblical tales - see Ebenezer Scrooge, whose conversion took only one night.
This. Also, Richieās rapid evolution isnāt really that hard to believe when you consider that for some time heās been feeling somewhat useless and left behind by the rest of the crew. I think itās set up pretty well that heās ready to change, and the Ever stage just nudges him over the edge.
Yeah that was not really believable, but still fun to watch though.
Agree with @small_h that the whole season was too montage-y. Still watched and mostly enjoyed it, though.
Ummmmmā¦ā¦.sure. Not my first television show. Itās just how I reacted to it. YMMV.
To @smallā¦h - he just didnāt seem like he had it in him to me.
Have you seen the last episode then? If you donāt think cuz Richie had it in him before, wellā¦
I enjoyed the show. Now waiting for season 3.
I havenāt watched it yet.
