Sweetbitter season 2 ends with a shocking demand from Tess (Ella Purnell) to her boss Howard (Paul Sparks): she wants Simone (Caitlin FitzGerald) fired. Starz' hit series is based on the bestselling novel by Stephanie Danler which follows Tess, a 22-year-old from Ohio who moved to New York City in the summer of 2006 and became a back waiter in the series' unnamed fine-dining restaurant.
While Sweetbitter season 1's 6-episode run was about Tess being a deer-in-the-headlights as she struggles to adjust to life in NYC and earn her place in the restaurant, Sweetbitter season 2's 8-episodes fully immerse Tess into that drama-filled world. Tess' fascination with the cool and cultured Simone continued but so did her irrational attraction to Jake (Tom Sturridge), the moody bartender who shares a mysterious past with Simone. However, Tess grows much more comfortable, both as a back waiter and as a newly-minted resident of New York City in season 2; she has flings, parties with her coworkers Sasha (Daniyar), Arielle (Eden Epstein) and Heather (Jasmine Mathews), while Will (Evan Jonigkeit) obviously remains attracted to her. But even though Tess has options and her palate continually evolves, she's magnetically drawn to Jake and endlessly caught up in the web between Jake and Simone.
In Sweetbitter season 2's finale, "Bodega Cat", Tess learns that Jake and Scott (Jimmie Saito), the restaurant's chef, are planning to open a gastropub together. Tess also finally sleeps with Jake, which begins to shift the power dynamic between Jake and Simone. Tess knows bits and pieces of Jake and Simone's past and that Jake has an undefined loyalty to her, so she reads a short story Simone wrote that was published in the Suwanee Review, which turned out to be about her and Jake. Afterward, Tess confronts Simone about the salacious truth in her story and they have a falling out. "Bodega Cat" ends with Tess going to Howard's apartment and telling her manager: "I think you should fire Simone". Here's how all of Sweetbitter season 2's drama in the kitchen finally came to a boil and what it all means.
Why Does Tess Want Simone Fired?
In Tess' mind, Jake will never leave the restaurant as long as Simone is there. In fact, Jake will never go anywhere on his own without Simone; this was evidenced by what Jake did right after Simone told him she was OK with selling their house on Cape Cod so he could use the money to do what he wants: Jake immediately got terrified at the thought of striking out on his own and he sabotaged his business arrangement with Scott.
In the half-year she has been at the restaurant, Tess has moved beyond her initial fascination with Simone, who has traveled, lived in France, was married, and is knowledgable about wine and culture. But Simone's mystique was shattered during Sweetbitter season 2 when her French ex-husband Etienne came to New York. His visit left Simone devastated and feeling more "stuck" at the restaurant than ever. After Tess read Simone's short story, she gained a greater understanding of the sordid history between Jake and Simone and she realized how utterly dependent Jake has been on Simone since he was a boy.
However, Tess likely didn't ask Howard to fire Simone out of malice and she made this bold move based on the fact that Howard admitted he listens to her advice. Tess probably believes that she's doing everyone a favor and Simone getting fired is the solution that sets everyone free: Simone would be able to make herself "unstuck", Jake could be more than a bartender (and be with Tess), and Howard would get the major change in the restaurant he's pining for. Plus, with Simone's position open, Sasha could become a waiter and, if Heather returns to law school, Tess could also get promoted.
What's The Real Story Between Jake And Simone?
Jake and Simone's past has been one of Sweetbitter's slow-burn mysteries, and at the end of season 2 it's still yet to be resolved - although we can figure a fair bit out.
Jake and Simone both grew up in Cape Cod and, when Jake was orphaned, he came to live with Simone's family. Eventually, it was just the two of them and by the time they became adults and they gained ownership of Simone's house. However, Simone was restless and went to France, leaving Jake behind. In France, Simone married Etienne and they dreamed of making champagne together on his family's vineyard, but she grew restless and unhappy. Simone and Etienne divorced (he never forgave her and suspected she left because of Jake) and she moved to New York. When Simone got a job at the restaurant, Jake followed her there and became a bartender.
However, Tess found out a lot more about them thanks to what Simone described in her short story: Jake's fascination with mermaids and mermaid-themed imagery comes from his growing up with Simone. Her story describes a mermaid who raised a boy and became a combination of mother, sister, best friend, lover - basically, the whole world to him. Simone seems to have tried to set Jake loose in the past but they always find a way back to each other and their co-dependency cuts both ways.
Meanwhile, Tess placed herself in the middle of Jake and Simone but there may not be room for her - unless Tess forces them apart.
Will Howard Fire Simone In Sweetbitter Season 3?
Whether Howard will actually fire Simone in Sweetbitter season 3 is up in the air since, in his own way, the restaurant's dapper manager is also dependent on Simone. Howard and Simone have been at the restaurant the longest and they clearly share their own bond composed of mutual respect, wariness and exasperation. The title of the Sweetbitter season 2 finale, "Bodega Cat", seems to refer to both Howard and Simone since they're the "bodega cats" of the restaurant - the ones who are always there and "kill mice" (i.e. solve problems). They are both "stuck" in the restaurant but it's more bearable since they're stuck together.
And yet, Howard faces a midlife crisis and he also yearns to make changes and be more than just the suit-wearing persona he projects to maintain his authority. Howard had a doomed fling with Becky (Katerina Tannenbaum), the restaurant's former hostess, and he promoted Will to a managerial position in order to perhaps create some sort of transition. Howard has long felt that the restaurant has been "stuck in 1987" since it was opened by Maddie Glover (Sandra Bernhard), their absentee chef-owner, and he desperately wants everything to move forward - including himself. And though he admires Tess and actually solicits her opinion, Howard could see this as Tess wildly overstepping her bounds.
What Will Happen To Sweetbitter's Characters In Season 3?
As the year ends and 2007 looms in Sweetbitter season 3, changes could also be on the horizon for the other characters at the restaurant. Will tried to resign from his new managerial role but Howard refused to let him, so he's now uncomfortably stuck in his position of authority. Heather may leave the restaurant to return to law school, which she knows would mean the end of her friendships with the staff as their lifestyles become polar opposites. Meanwhile, Sasha, who was suicidal in season 1, has become more hopeful; if he becomes a front-of-the-house server, Howard will try to get the restaurant to sponsor his visa application so she doesn't have to return to Russia. Meanwhile, Sasha's new philosophy of "ask for what you want and you'll get it" seems to have rubbed off on Tess with her final demand to Howard.
Ultimately, the paradigm of the restaurant being upended depends on whether Tess gets her way and has Simone fired. And even if Howard refuses, Tess' action will irrevocably change her relationships with both Jake and Simone, which will no doubt ignite more fireworks in the kitchen in Sweetbitter season 3.