Julia Review: Omelette / Coq Au Vin / Beef Bourguignon (Season 1 Episodes 1-3)

Julia Season 1 Episodes 1-3, “Omelette,” “Coq Au Vin,” and “Beef Bourguignon” showcase that behind every great woman, there is a team of other great women.

The first three episodes of Julia tell the story of how famed TV Chef Julia Child (Sarah Lancashire) begins the process to create one of the most well-known TV cooking shows of all time, The French Chef. Set in 1960, Julia enters the conversation on how women were (and often still are) dismissed because of some men’s belief that their interests and passions are silly.

”Omelette” and “Coq Au Vin” highlight the struggle Julia endures just to get a chance. She also finds herself facing more than one male obstacle.

The first is her husband Paul (David Hyde Pierce). It isn’t that Paul doesn’t believe in Julia, it is that he sees television as a passing fad. Once Paul finally sees the potential with her show, he tries too hard to be a contributing part of it.

This adds to Julia’s stress.

Paul loves Julia. He’s not the bad guy here; he’s just trying to navigate his new place in her life and this world after forced retirement.

Russ (Fran Kranz), a producer at the Boston public cable network WGBH, presents Julia with her most difficult obstacle. He is not a fan of her and thinks a cooking show is a silly pursuit.

There are other men in the first three episodes of Julia who also dismiss Julia and her potential show, including her own father, John (James Cromwell). However, despite these men’s objections, Julia persists.

In a scene from “Omelette,” Julia asks her friend Avis (Bebe Neuwirth) to join her “confederacy of women, estrogen safety net.” That is where the heart of Julia lies. 

This show is very much a feminist take on Julia Child’s rise to fame, and it works because of this direction. A woman contributes in some way at every step of the development process of The French Chef. Even a minor character like Russ’s wife has a contribution that helps ensure that Julia’s show becomes a success.

Her pregnancy helps Russ decide not to quit his job and put a real effort into helping Julia succeed. Alice (Brittany Bradford) is dismissed by her peers, but she is the one who originally sees the potential in Julia’s show.

Russ is the main one against Julia, but a major head of WGBH Hunter (Robert Joy) is actually the one who greenlights the show. He’s very enthusiastic about its potential. 

However, he is another character who learns its potential value because of his wife. Paul may cause Julia some stress, but he’s shown as a very supportive and loving husband.

This isn’t a show that hates men, but one that shows how women sometimes are the main driving forces for change and something great. 

In Julia, it is women that start the Julia Child revolution and that’s what makes Julia so fun to watch. Viewers already know how it ends, so we watch in joy as the women will soon be proven right.

There’s been an exciting increase in fictionalized stories based on real women who made a difference in history. These stories showcase voices often ignored or written out of pop culture history. Seeing a show like Julia, and similar series such as Good Girls Revolt and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,  give viewers a new perspective on these decades and industries.

These shows breathe new life into familiar tales or introduce completely new ones. They entertain us while allowing some women in history to finally get the praise and attention that they deserve.

Julia may not be a completely accurate depiction of Julia Child’s life but it’s definitely accurate in showing how an extraordinary woman made a major contribution to the television landscape that we see today. I look forward to seeing more of Child’s story and the other women that helped transform television.

Other Thoughts:

• The show has some of the best food scenes that I’ve ever seen on television, especially on a fictionalized show. It’s hard to not watch his show and want to cook or eat. 

What did you think of the first three episodes of Julia? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Julia streams new episodes every Thursday on HBO Max until May 5

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