Carême might not be the only great chef we should praise.
Based on Ian Kelly’s Cooking for Kings: The Life of Antonin Carême, The First Celebrity Chef, Carême is a French-language historical drama that takes the audience into the life of the world’s first celebrity chef. Already five episodes in, the series has just started to pick up its pace and become interesting and intriguing for the viewers.
Carême has received a positive response from critics and audiences upon release, as the world of food mixed with politics, historical elements, revenge, and, since it’s French, a little bit about s*x seems captivating. However, things don’t always land at the sweet spot, but close.
Please read our recap of Carême’s Season 1, Episode 5.
Carême’s lapin à l’istrettu fails, but secures him the best cook title
Apple TV+’s historical drama Carême is back with episode 5, titled The Contest, and it’s easily understood that there is going to be a contest held in the episode. The fifth episode opens with Carême receiving his now-late father’s belongings and having no will to cook or even participate in the annual Almanach des Gourmands contest that’s going to decide who cooks for Napoleon Bonaparte’s coronation.
After having an ugly spat with Agathe, Carême [Benjamin Voisin] is convinced by Talleyrand that he needs to do what he’s hired for: cook and win the contest. But because of his harsh words towards Agathe, where he tells her that no one cares about her cooking, she has decided to help her mentor, Auguste Larcher, rather than Carême, for the contest. This was interesting to watch, as it has already been established that Agathe is not just an average chef; she is as good as Carême and can run her kitchen.
The fact that Carême has asked her to join him in Talleyrand’s kitchen in previous episodes proves that she is a brilliant chef, but since the story revolves around Carême, that’s who we focus on. But episode five touches slightly upon her skill set. [Please note, very slightly.] However, we have to appreciate the writers and the actor for having the chef’s character be a blend of light and dark shades at times. Antonin’s arrogance, with a blend of being kind at times, has started to grow on fans, and they’re glad that it has stayed consistent.
Agathe steals the spotlight in Carême episode 5 | Credits: Apple TV+
During the contest, Carême seemed a little too confident about his dish lapin à l’istrettu, but it was, in fact, Agathe and Larcher’s dish that won the first phase. For the second assignment, the chefs had to make Napoleon’s favorite dish, Chicken Mango, and while Agathe cooked it perfectly, Antonin decided to add his twist and use veal instead of chicken, and he won the second phase.
But just then, Josephine recalled how Antonin betrayed her, and it was her time to hurt him where it hurts the most: his food. She convinced one vote to shift to Agathe and Larche, making their team win. But Larcher confessed that it was Agathe who had cooked the food, not him, so technically she won. And then Talleyrand shared with everyone that Bonaparte would never allow a woman to cook at an event as big as a coronation, and thus, the prize was again shifted back to Antonin.
On the other hand, Henriette was caught having a quick chat with Fouché by Courtiade, who informs Talleyrand. Fouché’s men only tell Henriette that she was being followed. To save herself, she tells Talleyrand that Fouché gave her a bottle of perfume and asked her about what’s going on with him. Henriette informs Talleyrand that she believes that they are being followed and should be aware of them.
Carême and Agathe in episode five | Credits: Apple TV+
Courtiade does not believe her and follows her to her room, and during the assault, the bag of coins that Fouché gives Henriette falls, and Courtiade violently tosses Henriette to threaten her. To defend herself, she hits him on the head, and he dies. While we don’t quite understand the inclusion of sexual assault, Couriade could have just threatened her.
Anyway, Antonin comes to her rescue again. They carry the body to the stables, and she tells the chef that he needs to leave because Fouché is going to arrest him. Obviously, he asks her to join him, and she agrees. But what Carême did not know was that he would be the cook who would cook for the coronation.
Talleyrand once again convinces Carême to do things his way, but gives him enough leverage. Since Bailly died because of Fouché, Carême wants revenge, so Talleyrand informs him that the coronation food is the way he can get his revenge. Of course, Carême is once again tempted and has to bid Big Henriette goodbye.
Related: How True Is French Chef Marie-Antoine Carême’s Portrayal in Apple TV+ Show ‘Carême’
Jérémie Renier’s Talleyrand does have a way of twisting situations, according to him. The audience will witness him burning down the map based on which Fouché was going to arrest Carême. He also asks Liliane, who finds Carême’s mother’s picture in Bailly’s stuff, never to let anyone know who his mother is.
Carême’s episode five is a half-cooked dish rushing for the finale
We agree that The Contest included a lot more scenes with food rather than people scheming about the crown, and it was nice to see Carême having some competition for a change. Despite having minimum screen time, Agathe stood out the most for me in the episode because of how fierce and strong her character is.
Carême never really intimidates the woman, even though it’s very obvious that she has a soft spot for him. For her, the food is the priority, and honestly, we love that. Her character storms through the male-dominated arena, and she stands tall and strong, being confident in what she has to present. However, we cannot forget that the show is set in a time when women were not given the topmost authority, and Talleyrand saying that Napoleon Bonaparte will not eat his coronation food cooked by a woman is proof of that.
Benjamin Voisin in Careme | Credits: Apple TV+
It’s disappointing that someone so talented had to stoop down to the needs of the man who is probably going to sit on the throne.
The pacing of the episode comes off as an issue, as it seems like it’s rushing to the finale, and I have to say that it’s true. The fifth episode of the Apple TV+ show is where the story starts to get interesting, but towards the middle of the episode, it feels like it’s rushing to the end. The announcement of the winner of who is going to cook for the coronation does not even settle down, and there’s a jump to Carême packing his bags, preparing to leave.
Related: 5 Reasons Why ‘Carême’ on Apple TV+ Fell Flat Despite Great Promise
But again, he’s the lead of the show, and he has to be in the story to drive it further, and by now even I am curious to know if he’ll be able to avenge his father or again be scammed by Talleyrand’s words, who wants nothing but to see Bonaparte on the throne.
For the first time, episode five focuses a little more on the food, and it was a treat to watch. However, the process of making the dishes was cut short compared to how it was showcased in the previous episodes. We are glad it showed us that Agathe is equally talented as Carême and deserves a place in the kitchen, but it leaves us with lingering questions about Carême’s mother. Oh, and also Couritade’s death and the small endearing moment between Carême and Agathe.
Now that Henriette is gone, is this when Agathe and Carême get together? I guess we will have to wait to find out.
Carême is streaming on Apple TV+.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
