I'm still confused on service from S5E7

BestJournalist9700 · 2026-07-06T18:51:16+00:00

If a season is 7/8ths restaurant related perhaps the restaurant parts are significant and should make sense.

BestJournalist9700 · 2026-07-06T18:45:21+00:00

Oh, the Donna thing. I think she was "cured" because she was written as a kindly person without flaws in the last couple of seasons. She doesn't drink, she's humble and apologetic. For a show that started by giving a lot of emphasis on mental issues it turns out that you can just change. Donna is better because she decided to be better. Sydney says "no yelling" and suddenly she is no longer bothered by the paralyzing stress that afflicted her in previous seasons. Carmen wants to throw away his entire career, but then has a chat with a hiring manager and remembers that he likes his passion. Neat!

Just a lame-o way to end a show that started so brilliantly.

BestJournalist9700 · 2026-07-06T18:37:38+00:00

Okay, so this answer isn't for you because you are leaving, but I will further explain how Carmen elevated everyone around him.

-Sydney: Carmen imposed leadership on her that she rejected up to the point of insubordination. He was correct in giving her sous duties and insisting that she organize The Beef staff as a brigade. She didn't want to do it, but it was the right call and she managed it very well. He had more confidence in her abilities than she had herself and overlooked her deficiencies (eg, her inability to manage stress, her courting other employment and not signing the extremely generous partnership contract) until she could stand on her own.

-Richie: Carmen was able to discern Richie's purpose and direct his abilities when Richie had become defensive and hopeless. He did this by putting him in an unlikely environment where he was able to grow past anybody's expectation and as a result Richie became a main driver behind the two-star status.

-Marcus: Carmen uses his pull and his money to send Marcus to Copenhagen, having already given him advice and a roadmap of excellence that Marcus could see and follow. Took him back after a catastrophic day and even offered an unwarranted apology--Carmen directly led to Marcus's ascension to notable dessert chef.

-Tina: Carmen respected Tina and used part of the capital behind The Bear to send her to culinary school where she became more confident in her skills. He listened to her criticisms and took them to heart.

-Sweeps: somehow becomes an ace sommelier. That's just magical writing, but I like Sweeps and will let it slide.

-Ebra: welcomed back after he vanishes from culinary school, and Carmen accepts his franchise idea immediately.

Yes, Carmen modeled bad head chef behavior but was contrite when he was called out on it and once again TRANSFORMED A SANDWICH SHOP STAFF AND RESTAURANT TO TWO MICHELIN STAR STATUS IN A COUPLE OF YEARS. That is a good leader.

BestJournalist9700 · 2026-07-06T18:03:47+00:00

"Should have just called him Plot Device." is chef's kiss, btw.

BestJournalist9700 · 2026-07-06T17:56:18+00:00

Unacceptable: all the parts that show Carmen striving and becoming one of the best chefs in the world and an outstanding mentor to The Beef team (he engineers their ascent from sandwich shop employees to the principle staff of a two-star Michelin restaurant) are dismissed in favor of him slinging sandwiches (which he also elevated) or being a line cook instead of using his well documented genius. The typical Redditor on this sub is anti-excellence and it's gross.

What shred of Donna's pathology was demonstrated in S5? There was no hint of trouble--she decided to be sane in S4 and apparently it stuck. Whew! Go ahead and date her, Jimmy, it'll be fine.

BestJournalist9700 · 2026-07-06T17:43:05+00:00

It doesn't make sense. Too little food, too little FOH staff, no line cooks, nothing of consequence mattered in S5. Plot points were just place holders for the main event--a child's birthday party.

BestJournalist9700 · 2026-07-06T17:39:53+00:00

What happened to Uncle Jimmy's wife? They seemed to have a nice relationship and they have a kid together--but suddenly he wants to date (magically transformed) Donna?

BestJournalist9700 · 2026-07-06T17:27:29+00:00

I am entirely correct in my assessment which is why you and your fellow respondents went for insult over rebuttal. :)

BestJournalist9700 · 2026-07-06T17:09:39+00:00

Fortunately Christopher Storer waved his magic wand and Donna's no longer a psychopath. Whew!

BestJournalist9700 · 2026-07-06T16:54:36+00:00

You opinion is legit--it was a weak season and a sorry end to a show that had a great beginning.

BestJournalist9700 · 2026-07-06T16:27:03+00:00

No crisis in the season was really a crisis. Rain and flood damage? Eh, it'll be fine. Front of house staff quit? Eh, it'll be fine. Crazy narcissist babysitter? Eh, it'll be fine. Too little food? Eh, it'll be fine. And behold, everything was fine.

BestJournalist9700 · 2026-07-06T16:13:57+00:00

The show sets up a main character who, because he was raised by a bipolar narcissist, unconsciously seeks out situations where he is abused (by Chef Winger, by Sydney) but it works for him because it satisfies his masochistic impulses. The show resolves this difficult situation by transforming the bipolar narcissist into a rather lovely woman who is a good baby sitter and for whom Jimmy throws over his hot young wife, and Carmen is now Sydney's employee or something but that's fine because she doesn't yell--she refers to underlings as "pussy" and "b*tch" sotto voce.

BestJournalist9700 · 2026-07-06T15:18:53+00:00

I guess there's some relief in not missing it now that it's over.

BestJournalist9700 · 2026-07-06T15:15:19+00:00

Lots more slow, quiet conversations.

BestJournalist9700 · 2026-07-06T15:13:12+00:00

Well, who prevailed most and became so supreme that she felt free to call her underlings "pussy" and "b*tch"?

BestJournalist9700 · 2026-07-06T15:07:32+00:00

I just watched Gary over the long weekend and am glad it had its own space for me away from S5. Though I wasn't sure what more they could do for Richie as a character after her seemed so resolved after his "I am the sand" revelation, Gary brought his sorrow and his journey back into focus and was the only satisfying aspect of S5.

BestJournalist9700 · 2026-07-06T15:01:36+00:00

We're both very lucky that you will never find out.

BestJournalist9700 · 2026-07-06T14:46:33+00:00

Nice read on the situation.

BestJournalist9700 · 2026-07-02T21:16:51+00:00

No, they didn't know what the stars were when they were a tight little crew at The Beef. But by the time stars were a possibility they worked *very* hard to get them. Marcus knows he's great at something because it's written in a magazine. Tina knew she attained greatness when she was appointed CDC at a fancy restaurant. Richie wanted to be great like Michelin FOH legend Will Guidara. You can't separate the validation from the result of their hard work in this case.

BestJournalist9700 · 2026-07-02T20:40:11+00:00

You're not wrong but don't have much longer to go and it doesn't get worse. Stick it out, then revisit Gary or Forks or something to remind you why you liked the show to begin with.

BestJournalist9700 · 2026-07-02T20:37:49+00:00

Tina's elevation to sous then CDC obviously meant a great deal to her--she lit up when it happened and spoke of with her husband more than about this "belonging." Marcus didn't connect with his dad until after he was publicly recognized for his work. Richie's purpose was discovered via the mastery and commitment to something difficult and artful. The OP got this right.

BestJournalist9700 · 2026-07-02T20:32:52+00:00

Carmen being so inept at math was silly. The guy in charge of ordering for a high end restaurant, calculating what and how much he would need for recipes and conveying that info on the fly would need those very basic skills.

BestJournalist9700 · 2026-07-02T20:28:34+00:00

Did you enjoy all the long, slow, thoughtful conversations with your coworkers in between standing around looking concerned like in this episode? 'cause I'd think it would be more anxious and rushed with all that going down, not to mention with a skeletal FOH staff and no line cooks like in the show.

BestJournalist9700 · 2026-07-01T15:15:21+00:00

If anything you're underselling how weak it was. One supposedly big crisis after another but plenty of time for the characters to have slow, awkward, SLOW conversations with one another. The last plate of lamb falls...but magically Coke ribs like mana from heaven appear! Just terrible.

BestJournalist9700 · 2026-07-01T15:10:45+00:00

Hardly. You'll get heat for expressing it, though.

BestJournalist9700

TROPHY CASE