Sweetbitter: Season 2, Episode 1 “The Pork Special” [Season Premiere] – Recap, Review (with Spoilers)

[Unless Said Otherwise] Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.

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Sweetbitter returns, picking up from where the finale left off, and Tess continues to push to be seen beyond everyone’s perceptions of her.

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Network
Starz
Director(s)		Augustine Frizzell
Writer(s)		Stephanie Danler
Air Date		7/14/2019
Introduced This Episode
Becky	Katerina Tannenbaum

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Recap

We All Have Our Secrets: Becky, Howard

Remember Becky? The one who made a huge stink and then was courted off like an angry protestor? Well, Howard is back in her life and seemingly never left. In fact, it seems her whole blow-up may have been for appearances, for now, they share a tub together, and while still a secret, they don’t have to hide to the same extent as before.

The Return Of Sasha Fierce: Sasha, Tess, Jake, Sasha, Ari, Heather

After Sasha’s suicide attempt, Ari and Heather, alongside Tess, are trying to cover for him as much as possible. Problem is, Sasha is still miserable and isn’t making it easy on them. What also doesn’t help is Tess confiding in Jake and him betraying her trust. Then following that up with saying he isn’t into Tess because she is a child. Making the formerly adorable nickname of “Baby Monster” no longer appealing to Tess for she wants to be taken seriously.

Some Pig: Simone, Will, Tess, Howard

Which, by Simone, she is. Granted, as Will puts out there, things are perhaps not what they appear with Simone, but Tess is wide-eyed and trying to absorb everything. So as much as she is warned not to trust Simone, she doesn’t want to cut off all she can expose her to. And maybe this curiosity, this maintained zest for life, is what Simone is fearful of. For, like everyone else, she is a bit jaded, comfortable even. Hence why Howard has a big slaughtered in front of them. But Tess, she watches and shows a further appreciation for the pig when it is fed to people.

Also, to make things clear to Simone, she notes she is not the pig to her farmer and does not blindly trust her. A sentiment noted.

Collected Quote(s) & .Gifs

[…] when the job stops giving [you] freedom [it] starts to feel like a trap.
— Simone

Review

Highlights

Simone Recognizing Tess As Her Equal Or Potential Equal

One of the best things about this show is the relationship between Tess and Simone. For you can see, while there is some sense of being threatened by Tess, there is also this intrigue. She is new, not from the city, and allows Simone a new sense of eyes to take things in all over again. Then for Tess, Simone is older, sophisticated, maybe not everything she wants to be, but someone to place on a pedestal and consider a role model. Making this idea she may not like her difficult to grasp since it doesn’t always match how she is in person. Especially considering she takes time with her away from everyone else. Sort of like a pet.

A Community Doesn’t Fix A Mess

While you have to love Sasha, you have to also recognize the quarter-life crisis going on. Like nearly everyone else, he has hit a wall and, I wouldn’t say he is being overdramatic about it, but is certainly frustrated to the point of doing something drastic. Which for those in their 20s or 30s is an understandable feeling. You’ve been on this path for years, realize you aren’t happy but don’t have the safety net to quit and finding something new is immensely difficult. For the longer it takes, the more interviews you don’t get, or get but not the job, it pushes you to feel stuck. Perhaps even trapped and coerced to either accept your fate or, like Sasha, try to escape it by any means possible.

Venturing Into Howard’s Personal Life

While Howard seems better stoic and like someone who would have an interesting double-life, it is always nice to peer behind the curtain. Maybe not be fully invited and allowed to touch things, but just getting to know he has a life, secret or not, adds to the allure a bit. Specifically to erase the idea that he has any romantic interest in Tess.

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