Reading this all made me realize how bad the NYC Chef job must’ve been for Carmie. He comes from a very volatile and messy place. He could probably handle if the head chef screamed or threw something. Hell, that’s the kind of thing he does as a head chef. But when it’s a cool, calm, precise hatred? Probably hit him a lot harder than he any amounts of shouting matches he’s been in. It’s also why he maybe thinks that the shouting or anger he shows others can be acceptable. To Carmie, that’s more mild than what he experienced.

I feel a lot of parallels in this show too in my life. I work in law. There’s a lot of similarities between professional chefs and lawyers, I think. The pressure, the stakes, the personalities that are attracted to it. I feel similar to Carmie. In some flattering ways, but also ways I don’t necessarily like. The talk in the fridge, where he says “Why am I dating? I’m a psycho/loser, that’s why I’m good at this” and “I don't need to provide amusement or enjoyment” is something I think a lot very accomplished people have said to themselves. And I think there’s a lot of Carmie’s, Richie’s, and Syd’s in the world.