49. “Moody Foodie”
(Season 2, Episode 7)
In pop culture, the critic is rarely a hero. No less than three films I saw last year—Chef, Top Five, and Birdman—featured scenes where characters went on tirades against professional critics. As someone who is passionate about reviewing pop culture and wants to make a living doing it, I really just need to deal with the fact that reviewers are almost always going to be antagonists in film, T.V., and even music.
“Moody Foodie” isn’t as hostile as my other examples, and it even acknowledges the profession as a necessary one (similar to Ratatouille). But it also counteracts that by making the titular reviewer an awful person, happy to close restaurants with negative reviews. Even with the positive elements of the episode, though, attacking critics is such a common plot device that it can’t help but feel unoriginal.
Best moment: When Linda gives her encouragement.
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