Before ‘Fallout,’ Ella Purnell Waited Tables in the Spicy Version of ‘The Bear’

Ella Purnell has stolen the spotlight with a number of roles in recent years, most notably voicing League of Legends mainstay Jinx in Netflix’s hit animated series Arcane and starring as Lucy MacLean in Fallout. But she’s also slowly built up a resume full of projects that show off the full range of her talents – including Sweetbitter. Based on the novel of the same name by Stephanie Danler, Sweetbitter follows Tess (Purnell), who moves from Ohio to New York in the summer of 2006. Tess eventually becomes the back waitress at a prestigious restaurant and slowly starts befriending other members of the staff. Her biggest relationships involve fellow waitress Simone (Caitlin FitzGerald) and bartender Jake (Tom Sturridge); Tess is attracted to Jake and idolizes Simone, but matters are complicated because of Jake and Simone’s relationship.

It would be fairly easy to compare Sweetbitter to The Bear, especially as both shows center around how the restaurant industry can affect your life for better or for worse. But Sweetbitter is more interested in the personal dynamics of its heroine’s life, especially when it comes to romance. Despite having a short run and flying under the radar at a time when “Peak TV” was hitting its stride, Sweetbitter is still worth a watch because of its cast and how it portrays a lesser-known side of fine dining.

‘Sweetbitter’ Perfectly Captures the Chaos and the Camaraderie of Working in Fine Dining

Sweetbitter stands out from most cooking showsby exploring an element of food service that’s rarely shown on television: the waitstaff. Having worked in food service, I can tell you that any restaurant, whether it’s a fast food joint or a five-star experience, relies on much as its staff as its food. The chefs prepare the food, but it’s the waiters who get it out. It’s the waiters who make sure the customer is satisfied from the moment they walk into the door to the moment they leave. It’s the busboys who keep the restaurant looking nice and spiffy. Sweetbitter manages to capture all of this in its pilot episode, “Salt,” and Tess – alongside the viewer – is constantly learning the ins and outs of food service. As the series continues, she learns that most of the staff often engage in some wild behavior, including drugs and alcohol; this ends up impacting the last two episodes of Season 1, “Weird Night” and “It’s Mine.” After a stressful night of work, Tess decides to burn off some stress with fellow waitstaff member Sasha (Daniyar), which hurts her preparation for the final part of her trial period at the restaurant. The hedonistic elements of Sweetbitter also play into the strange relationship between Tess, Jake, and Simone.

The Love Triangle in ‘Sweetbitter’ Brings Plenty of Spice (and Drama) to the Table

Throughout Sweetbitter, Tess starts learning more about Jake and Simone’s relationship, and it’s pretty wild. Not only do they have an on-and-off relationship, but Jake seems utterly devoted to Simone despite the fact that he wants to try to open his own restaurant with Chef Scott (Jimmie Saito). As Tess grows closer to Jake, she ends up becoming less enamored of Simone – especially once she reads a short story by the older woman that reveals more details about her and Jake’s relationship. Things come to a head in the Season 2 finale, “Bodega Cat,” when Tess tells her manager, Howard (Paul Sparks), to fire Simone after she and Jake finally act on their feelings and sleep with each other. It’s a massive cliffhanger that leaves the audience on the edge of their seat – and mirrors the Season 1 finale where Simone voted to kick Tess out of the restaurant, but Paul decided to keep her on.

None of this would work without the immense chemistry that Purnell and Sturridge have. Nearly every scene they have together is charged with sexual tension, particularly a moment where they share oysters. Tess, at that point, is still in the dark about certain types of foods, so she is left hanging on Jake’s every word as he shucks oyster after oyster, explaining how they taste. Factor in the tidbit about oysters being an aphrodisiac, and you have a recipe for a budding relationship. Multiple episodes also place Tess and Jake at a distance, closing in on her face as she stares at him longingly. Purnell’s doe-eyed expressions really sell the fact that Tess is deeply attracted to Jake – and she doesn’t even have to say a word!

‘Sweetbitter’ Was Canceled In Its Prime, Despite Having The Author’s Involvement

Sweetbitter didn’t just have an insanely talented cast but a top-tier collection of talent behind the scenes. Brad Pitt served as a producer on the series via his Plan B banner, while Danler was also an executive producer and wrote a handful of episodes, including the pilot. Starz even put the series in fast-track development; then-president Chris Albrecht sang the praises of the Sweetbitter novel.”When we heard it may be a project, I literally had some of my colleagues come and say this is one we’ve got to get; it plays into young female demographic but as we know women of all ages will certainly be attracted to great stories,” he said. Despite all this support, Sweetbitter was canceled after two seasons due to low ratings.

Despite this, the cast went on to more high-profile projects. Sturridge currently stars in The Sandman, Netflix’s adaptation of the classic Neil Gaiman-scripted comic. Sparks went on to star in dramas, including House of Cards and Boardwalk Empire. Even one of the directors, Geeta Patel, would direct genre fare, including episodes of House of the Dragon and Ahsoka. The Bear might have taken the world by storm, but Sweetbitter definitely deserves a second look as it manages to balance the world of fine dining with the chaos of figuring out life when you’re in your mid-twenties. It’s also another reminder that Ella Purnell has been delivering great performances long before she entered Fallout‘s sandy wastelands.

Sweetbitter is available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.

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