Eater - Recapping 'Master of None'https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52682/favicon-32x32.png2017-05-12T14:49:02-04:00http://www.eater.com/rss/stream/153966672017-05-12T14:49:02-04:002017-05-12T14:49:02-04:00‘Master of None’ Season 2 Is Finally Here
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<figcaption>Aziz Ansari and Eric Werheim | Netflix</figcaption>
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<p>Big Bud and Lil Bud are back </p> <p id="Zrh3a8">Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang’s critically acclaimed romantic comedy<a href="https://www.eater.com/master-of-none"> <em>Master of None</em></a> returns to Netflix today for its second season — you can stream all 10 episodes <em>right now</em>.</p>
<p id="Yfkv0N">Just <a href="https://www.eater.com/2017/5/10/15508818/master-of-none-season-1-recap-netflix-aziz-ansari">like the first batch of episodes</a>, this new season follows the romantic life of a food-obsessed actor named Dev (Aziz Ansari), who loves hanging out in New York City bars and restaurants with his pals Brian (Kevin Yu), Denise (Lena Waithe), and Arnold (Eric Werheim). But a lot has changed since Dev got on a plane to Italy at the end or Season 1 — now he’s a skilled pasta maker and the host of a culinary competition show called <em>Clash of the Cupcakes</em>. Dev’s also got a new potential love interest, and some exciting career opportunities on the horizon. This season, we also learn more about Dev and Brian’s parents, and Arnold and Denise’s love lives.</p>
<p id="pp9hB6">Season 2 of <em>Master of None</em> doubles down on all the things that made the show a hit in the first place. This series has bigger laughs, more food, and plenty of gutsy storytelling. The 10 episodes are also peppered with appearances from big names like Angela Bassett, Bobby Cannavale, Cedric the Entertainer, John Legend, and Massimo Bottura.</p>
<p id="fRbkE7">Check out recaps of all 10 new episodes of <em>Master of None</em> below, and for more on the restaurants featured in the show, <a href="https://ny.eater.com/maps/master-of-nones-season-two-restaurants-and-bars-map">take a look at Eater NY’s Season 2 dining guide</a>.</p>
<p id="7RNqbM"><em>Master of None </em>Season 2 recaps:</p>
<h3 id="Ljsdcv">Episode 1: "<a href="https://www.eater.com/2017/5/12/15628290/master-of-none-season-2-recap-episode-1-the-thief">The Thief</a>" <br>Episode 2: "<a href="https://www.eater.com/2017/5/12/15628296/master-of-none-season-2-episode-2-recap-le-nozze">Le Nozze</a>" <br>Episode 3: "<a href="https://www.eater.com/2017/5/12/15628298/master-of-none-season-2-recap-episode-3-religion">Religion</a>" <br>Episode 4: "<a href="https://www.eater.com/2017/5/12/15568024/master-of-none-season-2-episode-4-recap-first-date">First Date</a>" <br>Episode 5: "<a href="https://www.eater.com/2017/5/12/15618666/master-of-none-season-2-episode-5-the-dinner-party-recap">The Dinner Party</a>" <br>Episode 6: "<a href="https://www.eater.com/2017/5/12/15620770/master-of-none-season-2-recap-episode-6-new-york-i-love-you">New York, I Love You</a>" <br>Episode 7: "<a href="https://www.eater.com/2017/5/12/15621054/master-of-none-season-2-door-number-3-recap-restaurant">Door #3</a>"<br>Episode 8: "<a href="https://www.eater.com/2017/5/12/15628058/master-of-none-season-2-episode-8-thanksgiving">Thanksgiving</a>" <br>Episode 9: "<a href="https://www.eater.com/2017/5/12/15629202/master-of-none-season-2-episode-9-recap-restaurants">Amarsi un Po</a>"<br>Episode 10: "<a href="https://www.eater.com/2017/5/12/15629254/master-of-none-recap-episode-10-season-2-food-restaurants-finale">Buona Notte</a>"</h3>
<p id="hO5Umg">• <a href="https://www.eater.com/2017/5/10/15508818/master-of-none-season-1-recap-netflix-aziz-ansari">‘Master of None’ Season 1: Everything You Need to Know </a>[E]<br>• <a href="https://ny.eater.com/maps/master-of-nones-season-two-restaurants-and-bars-map">Master of None’s Season Two Restaurants and Bars, Mapped</a> [ENY]<br>• <a href="https://www.eater.com/master-of-none">All Coverage of Master of None</a> [E]</p>
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https://www.eater.com/2017/5/12/15631464/master-of-none-season-2-food-restaurants-netflix-recaps-episode-guideGreg Morabito2017-05-12T14:47:02-04:002017-05-12T14:47:02-04:00‘Master of None’ Season 2 Recap: Episode 10, ‘Buona Notte’
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<figcaption>Netflix</figcaption>
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<p>The season finale leaves us craving ramen and answers</p> <p id="YCqnrX"><strong>Plot</strong>: The episode opens with a meta-opening of <em>BFFs, </em>chef Jeff and Dev’s show on Food TV. BFFs, if you forgot, stands for Best Food Friends. The duo heads to <a href="http://ny.eater.com/tags/okonomi">Okonomi</a> for mazemen, a brothless ramen. After the <em>BFFs</em> episode ends, Dev’s on set and realizes that Lisa from makeup (she who previously gave him a “mocha glow”) no longer works on the show.</p>
<p id="77kuf1">Cut to his apartment, where Francesca comes over and says she feels terrible about what’s happening. “It’s not that easy,” she says. Dev wishes they’d met when they were both single and all of a sudden they’re role-playing meeting for the first time in a bar in Italy. They speak in Italian and slow-dance in his kitchen to a sad love song Francesca translates into his ear and as usual it’s all very cute. It gets a little weird when Francesca has them dance on either side of a French door so they can kiss the glass between them, and then <em>Dev kisses her for real. </em>There’s no time to get excited about this, though, because she gets upset and leaves without saying anything.</p>
<p id="Qide6G">Dev sees his friend Benjamin’s play and afterward, gets a drink with him <a href="https://ny.eater.com/venue/wilfie-and-nell">Wilfie & Nell</a>. Benjamin tells him that he’s heard Jeff is a huge creep, hitting on women that work with him on his show. Everything he says is gross, and Dev is understandably concerned. He realizes this is maybe why Lisa left the set, and goes to see her at her new job. She confirms that Jeff is a terrible human. Uh oh. </p>
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<cite>Netflix</cite>
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<p id="UTNuQg">Soon after, Jeff and Dev are on the set of talk show <em>Raven Live!</em> to make paella and promote BFFs. Dev’s getting ready to go on when his agent Shannon realizes that #ChefJeffIsaPerv is trending on Twitter — he’s being accused of sexual harassment. Dev is freaking out, but since Jeff doesn’t know yet, the show must go on. Raven finds out during the filming from her producer and everything falls apart. Afterwards, Dev tells Jeff he doesn’t want to be involved and Jeff gets upset that Dev doesn’t think he’s innocent. It should go without saying, but it is to Dev’s credit that he’s unwavering in his decision to do the right thing in a bad situation.</p>
<p id="SHV1kH">And then, to make things worse, Francesca tells Dev she’s not ready to leave her life for him. He accuses her of using him. It’s a painful conversation. Dev heads to <a href="https://ny.eater.com/venue/nitecap">Nitecap</a> to talk things over with Arnold, and on the way he runs into his ex-girlfriend Rachel. At the bar, Arnold advises him to put on a dumb movie and watch that to distract him from feeling alone. Instead, he makes lists about Francesca, who in her apartment is rewatching an old video of her with Dev in Washington Square Park talking to their future selves. Pino comes out of a room with some bags and asks if she’s ready to go. The screen goes black, and then we see Francesca and Dev in bed together — it’s morning, it’s snowing, and <em>Francesca’s not wearing an engagement ring.</em> What does this mean?</p>
<p id="oFJ198"><strong>Food breakdown</strong>: Dev and Jeff shoot an episode of BFFs at <a href="https://ny.eater.com/venue/okonomi">Okonomi</a>, a well-regarded ramen place, where they eat mazemen (in real life the mazemen is served at Yuji Ramen, in the same location). Francesca and Dev drink wine in his apartment. Dev and his friend Benjamin get drinks at <a href="https://ny.eater.com/venue/wilfie-and-nell">Wilfie & Nell</a> in the West Village. Jeff and Dev make paella on <em>Raven Live! </em>And after his breakup, Dev goes to cocktail bar <a href="https://ny.eater.com/venue/nitecap">Nitecap</a> on the Lower East Side with Arnold.</p>
<p id="anVNY8"><strong>Best of </strong><em><strong>None</strong></em><strong>: </strong>This episode handled the tough subject of sexual harassment in an admirably no-nonsense way: From the outset, Dev doesn’t condone Jeff’s actions, albeit stumbling over his language, even though it’s easy to imagine an alternate (worse) plotline in which he waffled over what to do. And Raven is equally straightforward about how unacceptable this is. But the real question is: What’s with that ending? What happens next?</p>
<p id="CSEI6H">• <a href="https://www.eater.com/master-of-none">All Coverage of Master of None</a> [E]<br>• <a href="http://eater.com/food-tv">All Coverage of Food TV</a> [E]</p>
<p id="mLk2VS"><em>Update 5/18/17: This piece has been edited to more accurately reflect the last scene.</em></p>
https://www.eater.com/2017/5/12/15629254/master-of-none-recap-episode-10-season-2-food-restaurants-finaleSonia Chopra2017-05-12T14:46:25-04:002017-05-12T14:46:25-04:00‘Master of None’ Season 2 Recap: Episode 9, ‘Amarsi un Po’
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<figcaption>Netflix</figcaption>
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<p>Romantic tension abounds in the penultimate episode of the season</p> <p id="4QGHbE"><strong>Plot: </strong>The show opens with chef Jeff (Bobby Cannavale) and Dev (Aziz Ansari) taking promo shots for what must be their new show. Jeff asks Dev about Francesca coming by, noting that he’s worried about Dev’s heart — but the conversation is derailed when the photographer asks Dev to get inside a giant party sub so Jeff can take a bite. Dev actually does this, because, as we’ve seen all season, he’s a good sport when it comes to jokes that play off of his stature. The photog also requests that they hang in a giant bowl of spaghetti and shows them a mock-up in which their heads are the meatballs. This is kind of like those weird baby portraits inside fruit baskets, only… weirder. Jeff and Dev refuse, and then Francesca shows up. Jeff waves them off with a <em>very</em> concerned look, warning him again: “Careful, little D.”</p>
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<cite>Netflix</cite>
<figcaption>This is terrifying.</figcaption>
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<p id="frR8s6">Turns out Jeff and Dev are in fact working on a show; Dev tells Francesca about it as they’re walking down the street. She’s in town for a month (is Pino here too?), and as she and Dev are walking, she gets catcalled by a guy who tells her she’s fine and then adds, “Got you an Indian dude, I like it.” This — catcallers and/or interracial coupledom — is presumably Too American for her to understand, and Dev explains it by saying, “Well, he thinks we’re together, and he’s very excited that you’re dating someone of my ethnicity.” And then we learn that she is in fact here with Pino, but he’s going to be traveling for work the whole time. <em>Interesting</em>. Dev immediately capitalizes on this by inviting her to join him on a helicopter tour of NYC he randomly has tickets for.</p>
<p id="HkXZgJ">They walk by a pharmacy and Francesca flips. In order, a list of things she obsesses over: an aisle full of toothpaste, tiny Vaseline (which apparently also comes in a creme brûlée flavor, prompting Francesca to make a French kiss joke — is this foreshadowing?), medicines in general, diarrhea medicine, <em>chocolate</em> diarrhea medicine. “Can I eat this chocolate even if I don’t have diarrhea?” she asks. Francesca, you’re in a drug store. Buy some discounted holiday candy. They leave the store and she has to go meet Pino but makes plans for dinner later in the week; Dev convinces her to get tapas rather than Italian food.</p>
<p id="HLbxlh">They go to <a href="http://ny.eater.com/tags/tertulia">Tertulia</a>, chef Seamus Mullen’s much-loved West Village restaurant. It’s late and the wait is an hour, and the kitchen closes at 10 p.m., so they’re under a time constraint. They put their names down, wait adorably, and are seated in the knick of time. They drink red wine and Francesca teaches Dev to cheers properly — clink-and-tap while looking in the other person’s eyes — lest he experience seven years of bad sex. Is <em>this</em> foreshadowing?</p>
<p id="hHrd0D">The talk turns to where else Francesca should eat in New York. Dev suggests Indian food, and she says the thing all Indians are loathe to hear: “I don’t really like curry.” Because that’s all Indian food is, right? Dev thankfully calls her out, and she replies. “I said I don’t like curry food. I didn’t say I don’t like curry people.” Dev nails the response by telling her she’s racist. “I’m not a curry person! I’m not defined by the flavors of the food my people enjoy,” he says. “What do you call Chinese people? Soy sauce people?” Dev manages to gracefully move from this to telling her that he’s glad she’s back in town because he really missed hanging out. It’s a nice moment, and then she gets a text from Pino and sends him a sweet message back with a kissy-face emoji. What a roller coaster.</p>
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<p id="zabeYs">Cut to a cute walking montage of NYC, ending in Washington Square Park, where they play a game pretending to be a couple in a fight. Francesca accuses Dev of doing something too inappropriate to write in this recap, Dev gets recognized for his work on <em>Clash of the Cupcakes</em>, and they run away and hide behind a big tree. Sadly, there is no kissing behind the tree.</p>
<p id="CAdffL">Dev heads to Arnold’s home to debrief. They drink negronis and rehash the situation: Francesca and Dev have “a vibe” but she’s engaged. She texts Dev saying she had a great time and ends the text with a kissy emoji (!), but then invites him to Pino’s birthday party. The roller coaster continues. Dev and Arnold head to Jia, a lounge in the Hotel on Rivington, for the party, where Dev has a nice moment with Francesca bonding over how boring tiles are. But he then leaves when he sees her canoodling with Pino on the dance floor.</p>
<p id="Weqwio">Then they go to Storm King. It’s stunning and romantic, but they still don’t kiss, and then Francesca kind of hints that she’s confused about what to do with her life, which is almost certainly foreshadowing. We also learn that she doesn’t know what cashews are? Let’s move on to a later night, when Francesca is at Dev’s apartment watching a movie after they ate pasta at home. It starts to snow, and Dev uses the word “cozyville.” The movie gets romantic but Dev and Francesca still do not, and then all of a sudden the snowstorm gets worse and all transit is shut down and Francesca has to spend the night. Whaaat?</p>
<p id="66Oymq">Dev tries to sleep on the sofa, Francesca tries to sleep on the bed, neither of them can actually fall asleep, and all of a sudden they’re in the kitchen having an insanely cute pajama dance party. Eventually they fall asleep in the same bed and <em>still</em> nothing happens. </p>
<p id="NjKCMg">At Arnold’s DJ night, Dev is hoping to talk to Francesca about how he feels, but something is off. She seems checked out, and then says she’s just going to go home. They finally kind of have a talk about how they feel and how “it’s a tricky situation,” but before it really gets anywhere, she leaves. </p>
<p id="Zov0hl">Later that night she calls and asks to meet Dev at his apartment. They have a moment, he tries to kiss her, and she laughs menacingly and literally rips his heart out of his chest. This scene, which ends with Dev lying in a pool of his own blood and then actually ends with him waking up for a bad dream, is graphic and very strange. But it makes Dev realize he can’t be hanging around a woman he’s so into.</p>
<p id="2qts0Y">Meanwhile, in reality as we know it, Francesca and Pino get into an argument in their kitchen, because Francesca tells Pino she doesn’t know what she wants anymore. Later, she texts Dev asking to hang out. He says it’s not a good idea, she brings up the helicopter ride, and then away they go. The ride is awkward at first and when Francesca pushes Dev he finally tells her he loves her. They finally have what the pilot calls an “intimate conversation” and admit their feelings for each other, and then Francesca leaves alone to go home and think. </p>
<p id="Hhk11j"><strong>Food breakdown: </strong>Giant sandwiches as photo props and chocolate diarrhea medicine aside, there’s not a lot here. Francesca and Dev go to <a href="https://ny.eater.com/venue/tertulia">Tertulia</a> for tapas and wine, but otherwise Arnold and Dev drink negronis at Arnold’s place, everyone drinks at that lounge Jia for Pino’s party, Francesca and Dev eat pasta and drink wine at his apartment, and Dev drinks alone at Good Room while Arnold DJs.</p>
<p id="8Up7Lf"><strong>Best of </strong><em><strong>None</strong></em><strong>: </strong>The fraught-with-romance Storm King and dance party scenes between Dev and Francesca are perfectly done.</p>
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<a href="https://www.eater.com/master-of-none">All Coverage of Master of None</a> [E]</li>
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<a href="http://eater.com/food-tv">All Coverage of Food TV</a> [E]</li>
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https://www.eater.com/2017/5/12/15629202/master-of-none-season-2-episode-9-recap-restaurantsSonia Chopra2017-05-12T14:45:38-04:002017-05-12T14:45:38-04:00‘Master of None’ Season 2 Recap: Episode 8, ‘Thanksgiving’
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<p>A coming-out story told over seven holiday meals</p> <p id="PJGWxr"><strong>Plot</strong>: Dev has been going to Denise’s house for Thanksgiving ever year since they were little kids. This episode shows snapshots from seven of those family meals: </p>
<p id="THRztU">Early ’90s Thanksgiving: Denise learns that her elementary school friend Dev is not black, but Indian. Her mom Catherine (Angela Bassett) explains that they’re both minorities, and a minority is “a group of people who have to work twice as hard in life to get half as far.” They sit down to dinner with Denise’s aunt Joyce (Kim Whitley) and her grandma Ernestine (Venda Evans). </p>
<p id="CmTokm">1995 Thanksgiving: Denise tries on a dress and proclaims: “Man, this is some bullshit.” Instead, she decides to wear casual, baggy clothes to dinner, much to her mom’s chagrin. During dinner, Denis’s mom, aunt, and grandma talk about OJ, Michael Jackson, and Clarence Thomas. </p>
<p id="bIhfyf">1998 Thanksgiving: Teenage Denise tells teenage Dev that she has a crush on a girl named Erika. This is the first time Denise has ever mentioned that she’s gay, and Dev is very kind and supportive. Denise tells Dev: “Being gay isn’t something black people love to talk about... Some black people think being gay is a choice, and when they find out that their kid is gay, they try to figure out what they did wrong.” To ease some of the tension, Denise and Dev light a joint and blow the smoke out the window. Denise’s mom comes in wearing a cosmetic mask and suspects something’s awry but doesn’t say anything. </p>
<p id="BdT3jU">2006 Thanksgiving: During dinner at a nondescript diner, Denise comes out to her mom. Denise explains: “I’m gay, I’ve always been gay. But I’m still the same person. I’m still your daughter. Nothing’s changed.” Catherine doesn’t take the news well, saying: “I just... I don’t want life to be hard for you. It is hard enough being a black woman in this world, and now you want to add something else to that?”</p>
<p id="FeEr3K">2015 Thanksgiving: Denise brings her girlfriend, Michelle, home to meet her family for the first time. Her mother and aunt are cold to Michelle, and they’re not impressed by the fact that she lived in China. Catherine is not happy that Denise is being physically affectionate with her new girlfriend. “Look, you can be lesbian if you want to, but when you come up in here, you respect my house,” she explains after dinner. </p>
<p id="urRhrN">2016 Thanksgiving: Denise brings home a new girlfriend who likes to post racy photos of herself to Instagram. At the table, Denise’s mom and aunt talk about <a href="https://www.vox.com/2015/7/20/9002747/sandra-bland-arrest-video">the death of Sandra Bland</a>, and Dev mentions the story of an Indian grandpa in Alabama who was wrongly apprehended and abused by the police. Denise’s new girlfriend talks about a skateboarding dog that set a new world record. Denise’s family doesn’t hit it off with her new girlfriend. </p>
<p id="Kxke4C">2017 Thanksgiving: Michelle is back in the mix, and the family is pleased to see her again. Everyone has a good time at the dinner table, and Catherine finally tells her daughter: “I like Michelle... I’m happy for you.” </p>
<p id="9KiGCL"><strong>Food Background: </strong>Dinner is being prepared through most of this episode — turkey, greens, mac & cheese, cornbread, and peas — and the episode is bookended by birds-eye shots of Denise’s family and Dev sitting around a gorgeous Thanksgiving feast. As is often the case with many holiday meals, these delectable dishes are the reward for soldiering through awkward familial interactions. </p>
<p id="8IBIiS">A lot of the comic relief in this episode is food-related, as well. During the 2015 holiday, Dev breaks the tension by repeatedly screaming across the table: “Grandma Ernestine, your yams turned out really nice this year! You add a little nutmeg?” And he also surprises Catherine by making plans during dinner to take Denise and Michelle to a “Chinese restaurant in Flushing.” When Catherine remarks on how weird it is to be planning a meal while eating a meal, Dev explains: “Never too early to plan ahead, especially when it comes to matters of the tum.” </p>
<p id="aez6Nd"><strong>Best of </strong><em><strong>None</strong></em>: At its core, “Thanksgiving” is a one-act drama with great performances by Angela Bassett and Lena Waithe. This is another example of Ansari and Alan Yang using <em>Master of None </em>to tell stories that you don’t often see on half-hour TV shows. The emotional payoff at the end is well-earned, and as a viewer, it’s nice to see all the major life experiences that Dev and Denise shared growing up. </p>
<p id="gIwW3t">• <a href="https://www.eater.com/master-of-none">All Coverage of Master of None</a> [E]<br>• <a href="http://eater.com/food-tv">All Coverage of Food TV</a> [E]</p>
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https://www.eater.com/2017/5/12/15628058/master-of-none-season-2-episode-8-thanksgivingGreg Morabito2017-05-12T14:44:40-04:002017-05-12T14:44:40-04:00‘Master of None’ Season 2 Recap: Episode 7, ‘Door #3’
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<p>Everything changes in this episode</p> <p id="9f6q7Q"><strong>Plot</strong>: “Door #3” is all about discovering alternative solutions to life’s problems. </p>
<p id="YLtAo9">Dev is starting to hate hosting <em>Clash of the Cupcakes</em>, but one of his bosses, Jeff Pastore, tells him that the network is ready to lock him in for a seven-season contract. Our hero explains that he doesn’t want to settle in for the long haul, and much to Dev’s surprise, Jeff admires his decision and is not upset. </p>
<p id="PjAc81">Later that afternoon, over lunch at his favorite Indian restaurant, Dev tells Jeff that he’d love to go and learn to cook in India, perhaps for a show like Pastore’s hit J<em>eff’s Table</em>. His boss likes the idea, but also says it would be nice to have Dev stay on the network because he’s good at his job and “there’s no diversity in the food world.” Jeff asks Dev to sleep on it. </p>
<p id="SFJeHz">Meanwhile, Brian learns that his dad Peter (Clem Chung) is dating two women at once, but he vows to break up with one of them soon. On the other side of town, Dev visits his doctor dad Ramesh (Shoukath Ansari) at the hospital where he works to discuss whether or not he should leave <em>Clash of the Cupcakes</em>. His father urges him to stay, and make it work. “My job stinks too,” Ramesh notes. At his father’s request, Dev sticks around the hospital for a bit but decides to leave after a patient comes in with a toothbrush lodged up his butt. </p>
<p id="lctSzA">Later that week, Brian’s dad tells his son and his buddy Arnold that he’s decided not to break up with either of his girlfriends. When Arnold asks how he figured out that arrangement, Peter explains: “My secret is that people my age often feel very alone. This makes them open to situations that are not ideal in exchange for temporary companionship.”</p>
<p id="S95oRh">Back on the set of <em>Clash of the Cupcakes</em>, Dev tries to cheer up an insecure magician named Kenny the Magnificent (played by Cedric the Entertainer), who doesn’t want to go on stage to judge the show. He eventually pulls himself together, but during one of his tricks on camera — a version of three card monte using a metal spike — he badly injures himself. Following this bloody incident, Dev tells Jeff Pastore that he wants out of the show, but he’d love to work on a new program with him called <em>BFFs</em> — Best Food Friends — where they travel around the world cooking and eating. After chewing it over for a minute, Pastore says he digs the idea and wants to make it happen. </p>
<p id="X2IjMF">Later that night, Dev Skypes with his old friend and potential love interest Francesca, who’s now back in Italy, to tell her about the show. Francesca’s also got a bit of news for him: She’s engaged. </p>
<p id="qKJWYP"><strong>Food Breakdown</strong>: In real life, the no-frills restaurant that Dev and Jeff go to in this episode, Agra Taj Mahal, is one of the best places to get Indian food in North Brooklyn. After Jeff points out that he’s the only white person in the restaurant, Dev remarks: “That’s why it’s good. Don’t tell any other white people about it, I don’t want it to get ruined.” </p>
<p id="uelRPq">This scene also addresses the lack of diversity in food television, which is a very real issue outside of the world of this show. Jeff remarks: “Look at our hosts. If our lineup were ingredients, we’d be flour, salt, sugar, all white.“ And this episode also contains a conceit related to home cooking: One of the reasons Peter’s dad finds it so hard to quit his girlfriend, Linda, is because she makes him beef soup with kimchi. When he learns that she’s preparing this dish for them, Peter exclaims: “This is interesting information.” </p>
<p id="y7KRTC"><strong>Best of </strong><em><strong>None</strong></em>: Aziz Ansari’s dad, Shoukath, steals every scene he’s in. His best line in this episode comes after he urges Dev to stay and watch him work: “It will be like <em>Gray’s Anatomy,</em> but this time it’s me — I’m the McDreamy.” Bobby Canavale and Cederic the Entertainer also do some great character acting in episode, and the opening segment, where Dev is recording a bunch of absurd intros, is hilarious. </p>
<p id="5zZpT5">• <a href="https://www.eater.com/master-of-none">All Coverage of Master of None</a> [E]<br>• <a href="http://eater.com/food-tv">All Coverage of Food TV</a> [E]</p>
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https://www.eater.com/2017/5/12/15621054/master-of-none-season-2-door-number-3-recap-restaurantGreg Morabito2017-05-12T14:44:39-04:002017-05-12T14:44:39-04:00‘Master of None’ Season 2 Recap: Episode 6, ‘New York, I Love You’
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/aTnPiTLJrw0qSIBLsdbJaf7A3_Q=/233x0:1042x607/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/54761287/Screen_Shot_2017_05_12_at_2.32.17_PM.0.png" />
<figcaption>Netflix</figcaption>
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<p>A freewheeling ode to life in New York City</p> <p id="2DeGsQ"><strong>Plot</strong>: Borrowing a move from the <em>Slacker</em> playbook, this episode is a series of short stories that are tied together by encounters on the streets of New York City. </p>
<p id="XKYeGo">The episode starts with Dev, Denise, and Arnold walking down the street talking about seeing a new blockbuster called <em>Death Castle</em>. They pass by Eddie (Frank Harts), a doorman at a high-end apartment building, who the camera starts following. Eddie doesn’t lose his cool with a racist tenant, and he reluctantly agrees to help a man who’s having an affair by calling his apartment if his wife walks in the building. The doorman briefly leaves his post to feed another tenant’s birds, only to find out later that he left at the exact moment when the married guy’s wife walked in. He gets chewed out by the philanderer, whose clothes are being thrown onto the street by his angry wife. </p>
<p id="Gc1fuK">Our attention then shifts to one of Eddie’s fellow doormen, who goes to a nearby bodega that’s staffed by a deaf woman named Maya (Treshelle Edmond). The sound cuts out and we see a slice of her life as another customer tries to flirt with her. After work, Maya goes to Central Park to meet with a friend, and they talk in ASL about her sex life and how they are fashion “twinsies.” Later, she meets her boyfriend at a dish store to buy a wedding gift and, using ASL, they talk about their sex life in the shop, until a mother with kids tells them to stop signing about such raunchy stuff. </p>
<p id="R7hZQ8">The focus then moves to two trendy ladies hopping a cab down to Soho. Once they reach their destination, our attention turns toward the cab driver, Samuel (Enock Ntekereze), who’s still got a long shift ahead of him. When work is over, he heads back to his apartment in Brooklyn, which he shares with a few other African immigrants — there are flags on the wall from Burundi and Cameroon. Later that night, the boys head out to Manhattan to go clubbing. </p>
<p id="AQkKOS">They’re rebuffed at the door of <a href="https://ny.eater.com/tags/1oak">1Oak</a>, and get suckered into going to a dopey, empty club with $800 bottle service. After refusing to pay that price, they end up at a burger joint where one of their friends works. They connect with a group of ladies, dance and drink inside the closed restaurant, and eventually decide to all go see <em>Death Castle </em>together at the same theater where Dev, Denise, Arnold, and the deaf couple are all watching the movie. </p>
<p id="I4ez7V"><strong>Food Rundown</strong>: This episode’s somewhat light on the food references, although the trendy ladies mention a new grain bowl restaurant downtown, the bodega employee gets a snazzy new pizza scarf as a gift, and the cab driver and his friends end up at a place called <a href="http://www.luckysfamousburgers.com/">Lucky’s Famous Burgers</a>.</p>
<p id="NWjvxM"><strong>Best of </strong><em><strong>None</strong></em><strong>:</strong> One of the show’s most stylistically experimental episodes, ‘New York, I Love You’ is a treat from start to finish. The doorman and cab driver’s stories are perhaps the most engrossing, but there are no dull moments in this episode. As the title implies, it’s a love letter to the people of New York City. </p>
<p id="Fio6v2">• <a href="https://www.eater.com/master-of-none">All Coverage of Master of None</a> [E]<br>• <a href="http://eater.com/food-tv">All Coverage of Food TV</a> [E]</p>
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https://www.eater.com/2017/5/12/15620770/master-of-none-season-2-recap-episode-6-new-york-i-love-youGreg Morabito2017-05-12T14:44:13-04:002017-05-12T14:44:13-04:00‘Master of None’ Season 2 Recap: Episode 5, ‘The Dinner Party’
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/bPzVGVSgQCsZ4ResXdqS9n9VT6k=/1000x0:7000x4500/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/54761275/ExDStill_MON_204_205_160924_025831_R.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>[Netflix]</figcaption>
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<p>All of a sudden, Dev’s life is full of new romantic possibilities</p> <p id="07Sx1t"><strong>Plot</strong>: “The Dinner Party” is about a perfect evening with a less-than-perfect ending. </p>
<p id="h2uOwa">Dev is now fully in the swing of his gig hosting <em>Clash of the Cupcakes.</em> His buddies Arnold and Brian visit the set to say hi to Dev and meet the show’s special guest judges, the masked breakdancers collectively known as the Jabbawockeez. After the taping, Dev meets his Italian friend Francesca at the Brooklyn Museum, and, in a scene that is a bit reminiscent of the planetarium sequence in <em>Manhattan</em>, the duo talk about the art and their personal lives while strolling through the exhibition. </p>
<p id="LRm6xK">Later that evening, Dev has dinner at <a href="https://ny.eater.com/venue/carbone">Carbone</a> in Greenwich Village with food media superstar Jeff Pastore (Bobby Canavale), who is kind of like a more athletic version of Anthony Bourdain. Jeff hosts a travel/cooking program called <em>Jeff’s Table </em>and he’s also one of the producers on Dev’s show. The two guys hit it off, and Jeff invites Dev to a party at his loft later in the week. </p>
<p id="kGaf79">After consulting with his buddy Arnold about where to eat and drink, Dev goes on a second date with Priya, one of the girls he met from the last round of online dating, but they don’t have a very good time together. Earlier in the day, he was considering inviting her to Jeff’s party, but now he decides to ask Francesca to the bash. </p>
<p id="Onf5LY">The party is held in a spacious loft with chefs cooking a Basque feast for a fashionable crowd that includes John Legend and also Dev’s actor buddy Ravi (Ravi Patel). While smoking some pot on the roof, Dev and Francesca talk about his love life and how after his date with Priya he awkwardly texted her: “I’m jealous of the lucky pillow that gets to hold your face tonight.” Francesca and Dev also talk about how they missed each other when he moved back to NYC. After stepping back inside, Jeff tells Dev to watch out or else he’ll get his heart broken. </p>
<p id="Q56twO">Dev and Francesca continue to chat on the car ride home. He drops her off, and after some time in the car staring out the window, he gets a text from Francesca: “I’m jealous of the lucky pillow that gets to hold your face tonight.” This is clearly a lot for Dev to take-in, but he doesn’t text her back. </p>
<p id="0G86yS"><strong>Food Breakdown</strong>: Dev and Jeff eat octopus pizzaiolo, fresh mozz, and beef carpaccio Piedmontese at Carbone, aka the spot by Mario Carbone, Rich Torrisi, and Jeff Zalaznick that’s <a href="https://ny.eater.com/2014/9/26/6846003/carbone-review">one of the most expensive</a> red-sauce joints in NYC. While at dinner, Jeff also mentions that he had an earlier meal at Shuko (a <a href="https://ny.eater.com/2015/2/3/7967823/shuko-review-sushi-nick-kim">pretty great</a> Japanese restaurant near Union Square), and a second dinner at the Michelin-starred <a href="https://ny.eater.com/venue/casa-mono">Casa Mono</a>, and the guys bond over their shared love of al pastor from <a href="https://ny.eater.com/venue/los-tacos-no-1">Los Tacos No. 1.</a> Dev and Priya’s date starts at cool-kid cocktail bar <a href="https://ny.eater.com/tags/pdt">PDT</a> and ends at <a href="https://ny.eater.com/tags/il-buco">Il Buco</a>. </p>
<p id="NWjvxM"><strong>Best of </strong><em><strong>None</strong></em><strong>:</strong> The scenes with the Jabbawockeez are all hilarious — they’re creepy breakdancing divas. Dev and Francesca’s romantic connection is an unexpected twist that throws our hero for a loop. But perhaps the best part of this episode is the introduction of Jeff Pastore, a charismatic pseudo-mentor who can open all sorts of new doors for Dev. </p>
<p id="jx0Yt6">• <a href="https://www.eater.com/master-of-none">All Coverage of Master of None</a> [E]<br>• <a href="http://eater.com/food-tv">All Coverage of Food TV</a> [E]</p>
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https://www.eater.com/2017/5/12/15618666/master-of-none-season-2-episode-5-the-dinner-party-recapGreg Morabito2017-05-12T14:43:17-04:002017-05-12T14:43:17-04:00‘Master of None’ Season 2 Recap: Episode 4, ‘First Date’
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/YUNDs1O4Infy_C68Yr_-E3TjA-U=/1000x0:7000x4500/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/54761271/ExDStill_MON_204_205_160929_004125_R.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>[Netflix]</figcaption>
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<p>One night, many awkward dates</p> <p id="lFqeNr"><strong>Plot</strong>: As the name implies, this episode shows a series of Dev’s first dates, spliced for the viewer into one evening. The episode opens on a funeral with a woman furiously swiping through her dating app Love At First Sight and matching with Dev. Several more women also match with Ansari’s character, with one making fun of his apparent pasta obsession before handing over the phone to a friend who jokingly swipes right for her.</p>
<p id="Tc3XJu">The episode manages to capture all the anticipation, trepidation, frustration, and disappointment of the first date experience into one tidy, 25-minute package. Dev’s go-to date night spot is a wine bar that evokes the nice-but-still-low-pressure atmosphere necessary to feel confident when you’re not quite sure about the person you’re going out with. He knows the bartender and requests two glasses of “that light red you poured me the other day,” and gets down to the business of conversation. </p>
<p id="Oi1puQ">Some of the initial small talk goes better than others. One woman is self-described “funemployed.” Another is a friend who happened to match with Dev on the app. One woman is a lawyer working for the tech industry and seems unevenly matched with Dev, who now happens to be the <strong>host of a competitive cupcake show called </strong><em><strong>Clash of the Cupcakes</strong></em>.</p>
<p id="X4ZIhd">Even more awkwardness transpires when the fledgling couples move to the table for two. One woman mysteriously announces she’s going to the restroom and taps her nose, and Dev wonders whether she might be snorting cocaine. She is, however, very excited about <em>Clash of the Cupcakes </em>and, unprompted, professes a love for vanilla and strawberry frosted cupcakes. Another date is apparently obsessed with WWE and does not appreciate when Dev asks whether his wrestler name could be Samosa Joe — a play on a real wrestler named Samoa Joe but more “like the savory Indian snack.” The lawyer and Dev manage to strike up a decent conversation after discussing their mutual experiences of being Indian and participating in online dating. </p>
<p id="zzeaiE">One woman who works at a dog hotel compliments Dev on his opening line on the dating app: “Going to Whole Foods, want me to pick you up anything?” As it turns out, he’s used it many times before. </p>
<p id="1PHx20">Interactions with the restaurant staff revealing unsavory aspects of other candidates. Dev is clearly mortified when a blonde woman demands more water from the waitress before remarking, “What a bitch. Is horrible service the thing here?” The date doesn’t go much farther.</p>
<p id="mN4zrL">After dinner, on the way to a rooftop bar, Dev encounters a man licking a massive rainbow lollipop, and in another scenario finds a potential connection quashed when a woman, Sona, runs into her handsome war photographer friend freshly back from the front lines. Dev tries to relieve his discomfort with a quip about how <em>Clash of the Cupcakes</em> is “a different type of war,” but once again the self-deprecation falls flat. </p>
<p id="kEQd8B">The date with the WWE fan takes an unexpected turn at the cocktail bar when Dev discovers the woman is the author of a ramen blog he loves to read. Unfortunately, she’s later revealed to be in a relationship and only looking for friends on the dating app. Dev strikes out with the lawyer, but does go home with the dog hotel employee only to discover that her condoms are kept in a racist mammy cookie jar. After what feels like more than 10 primarily nightmarish dates, he returns back to his apartment and back to the dating app for another round of matching and Whole Foods icebreakers. </p>
<p id="4i5Ymm"><strong>Food Breakdown</strong>: The wine bar Dev goes to is <a href="https://ny.eater.com/venue/The%20Four%20Horsemen">the Four Horsemen</a>, an excellent Brooklyn restaurant that’s co-owned by Aziz Ansari’s real-life buddy James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem. (Conveniently, Murphy <a href="https://ny.eater.com/2015/6/18/8804821/8-essential-facts-about-james-murphys-wine-bar-the-four-horsemen">apparently designed</a> the “designed the acoustics for the wine bar as if it were a recording studio.”) And the rooftop bar is <a href="https://ny.eater.com/venue/westlight">Westlight</a>, the <a href="https://ny.eater.com/2016/11/9/13576150/stone-cold-stunner-nyc">stone-cold stunner</a> atop the William Vale Hotel. </p>
<p id="NWjvxM"><strong>Best of </strong><em><strong>None</strong></em>: The execution is especially effective in rooting out the awkwardness of dating in a way that’s fair to both sides. We can laugh at the dates but also judge Dev when he makes poor decisions (like sleeping with a woman who he believes is racist). The tight transitions make the episode feel like one seamless date, even if the casting of the evening’s leading lady has changed. Viewers can relish in the discomfort of perfunctory small talk, bizarre behavior, and unexpected twists, even if at times it may feel a little too close to home. </p>
<p id="y7KRTC">• <a href="https://www.eater.com/master-of-none">All Coverage of Master of None</a> [E]<br>• <a href="http://eater.com/food-tv">All Coverage of Food TV</a> [E]</p>
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https://www.eater.com/2017/5/12/15568024/master-of-none-season-2-episode-4-recap-first-dateBrenna Houck