Julia: Season 1/ Episode 8 “Soufflé de Chocolate” [Finale] – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

As Julia looks over all she has done and accounts for all the praise and criticism, so comes the question of what is next?

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Aired (HBO Max)	5/5/2022
Director(s)	Scott Ellis
Writer(s)	Christopher Keyser, Daniel Goldfarb

This content contains pertinent spoilers.

Summary

It was supposed to be the end of an era. Betty Friedan got to Julia, took her down a notch, and after filming one more episode, Russ and Alice would be free to explore other ventures. However, a phone call with Simca, who downplays Julia’s work and influence on television, begins to cause a shift. That, combined with Paul knowing what he knows, supporting his wife, and telling the truth about being fired, leads to Julia committing to a second season.

However, she does want changes. While she loves television and getting people to cook, she doesn’t want a breakneck schedule. Julia wants to enjoy life, keep her team, and not have to finance everything. If she is a star, she wants to be treated like one and have the privileges that go with it. Which, of course, between WGBH/Hunter, is all approved.

But, while Julia is celebrating, Blanche is not. Her eyes are going, and with losing her ability to do the work which gives her life purpose, she is losing it a bit. Thankfully, having a confidant like Judith helps ease her mind enough to not see the future as not worth living for.

Collected Quote(s)

If every critic could silence every artist, how dull would the world be then?
— Paul

Review

Highlights

A Satisfying End

While, unfortunately, Alice and Isaac may not have the whirlwind romance that some may hope for, we get a satisfying ending when it comes to most of the other characters. Julia, as history shows, will continue her show on her terms and will be fresh and reborn for her second season. Also, she and Paul are stronger than ever since they have let their skeletons out of the closet and now have total honesty between them again.

Also, while it is sad Blanche is losing her sight, Judith may find this to be an opportunity to really step into her own and move beyond being the one molded in Blanche’s image and become the new Blanche. Which, when you consider how she looks down on those like Julia, it could mean many under the Knopf label getting what they need in backing to become next levels stars.

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