What I’m Watching: Julia

Julia: Season 1, Episode 6 “Breads” (B+)

Exhausted new parent Russ really is much nicer and more amenable to just about anything Julia says than the man we came to know previously, and, like so many, he had no idea that sweetbreads were not in fact some sort of pastry or donut but instead a far less appetizing part of the meat that only appeals to a select clientele. They were, however, far more authentically French, something that Julia felt she needed to do given the reshoot opportunity after being made to feel guilty by Simca. Having to skip her planned break meant controlled chaos for everyone around her, starting with Judith and Paul reluctantly teaming up to bake bread but then figuring out the perfect solution after a whole lot of experimentation. Avis and Alice had some interesting interactions, starting with Avis not realizing that a lack of pushiness was all that was preventing Alice from being helped at the market and leading to Alice breaking the news to Avis that they could now pay someone to do that job that she had until now been volunteering to do. Julia stepped in to fix it all and defend Avis to Alice, and then, when she went in to meet with Hunter and he pitched her on a second season, ensured that Alice got a full producer credit as a reward for all the unrecognized hard work she’s been doing. There’s no word just yet on whether this series will get a second season, but I’d happily watch more of this light culinary drama.