Original subtitles

Oh, shit.

They say his music isn't memorable.

I can't get that tune out of my head.

It's so witty.

Is that what you'd call it?

Oh.

It's all rather tongue in cheek, I think.

Wouldn't take you for a prude, my dear.

No, I know. I know.

Maybe she's right.

Maybe who's right?

Are we still talking about this?

Well, I just can't seem to shake what she said.

That maybe, at this moment in time,

maybe we are spreading the wrong message.

I don't know how to state this more clearly --

In no uncertain terms, Mrs. Friedan is wrong.

You need to move past this.

Look at me, serving you breakfast.

I'm exactly what she said I am.

Hello?

Hi.

Mm, seeing as we spoke until 3:00 in the morning?

You know, my phone bill is going to bankrupt me.

Well, send it to me.

Why? You can't afford it, either.

Yes, that is true.

Did I only just leave you two days ago?

Two days and four phone calls.

Oh, look at that.

Oh, nothing. It's silly, really.

Julia told me this trick to mastering

flipping an omelette -- you practice with dry beans.

And so I did all winter and spring,

and now I seem to have a little garden.

Well, that feels like a metaphor for something.

That I'm blossoming?

That you're ripe.

Isaac.

I'm excited to make you one, one day.

Oh, yeah? You want to make me breakfast?

Shit. I didn't take you for that kind of girl.

Get your mind out of the gutter.

It doesn't have to be breakfast.

And "one day" doesn't mean anytime soon either.

Besides, Julia says they make a lovely lunch.

Great.

Judith?

Well, more than friends.

You -- You don't knock anymore.

I'm sorry. I'm upset. I'll knock next time.

I have to go.

thinking about what you said, and I can't just let it go.

You stole all the joy I should have been feeling...

I'm late.

to want to do two things,

edit fiction and edit cookbooks,

instead of the one thing you want me to do.

Oh. Uh, m-maybe later, Judith.

And why? Because I'm good at my job.

How ironic is that --

That a woman who's good at her job

shouldn't be allowed to choose what she does

when choice is the whole point?

You'll have to continue this argument on your own.

Are you walking out on me?

I won't be back.

Everything all right, HF?

Yes, RM.

AN.

Everything is A-OK.

That's some train ride up from New York, isn't it?

Endless verdant splendor.

Spectacular.

You know what I was thinking about

the whole time I was on that train?

Endless verdant splendor?

I was thinking about you two.

At that gala. Uh, the whole team.

I was thinking, who knows what million, individual,

random events had to come together

to turn this unwatched, backwater television station

into a thing of beauty.

And now my only job is to stand back

and let you all be what you were born to be.

Well, thanks, Hunter.

Uh, we have a tech rehearsal to get to, so...

I'm taking you off "The French Chef," Russ.

Alice, it's your show now.

I-If you're certain that you were put on this earth

to make public service documentary series, Russ,

then who am I to stop you?

And Alice. Incredible Alice,

who saw what none of us could see,

back in the Dark Ages.

Julia kept telling me all along, "Listen to Alice."

Well, now I am.

Thank you, Hunter.

I'm going to hire another woman to work with you, too.

Women may well be the future, Alice.

I want us to make more shows like "The French Chef."

Okay.

Now, aren't you late for a tech rehearsal?

Yes. Yes, I...

Thank you. Thank you for believing in me.

Don't thank me. Just go be amazing.

Okay.

You too, Russ.

Huh?

Uh, the meeting's over?

Get up.

Yeah.

You'll know you're done when a finger swiped across

the back of the spoon leaves a lovely path in the custard.

Which this does not.

My fault. We were in a rush.

Uh, we'll make sure to heat the custard longer

when we're shooting.

That would be helpful.

And the sinful creaminess of the crème anglaise

will balance nicely with the slight bitterness

of the soufflé.

These billowy chocolate clouds are...

These pillowy chocolate cloud-- Oh.

Ah, Benny, dear, do you really need to be this close?

It's just the sauce.

Sorry about that.

It's not a problem.

That's what rehearsal's for, right?

You okay, Jule?

No, I've just completely lost my place.

Oven. Check the oven.

Uh, um, if you've used a casserole, as I have,

you'll want to check the oven at about 45 minutes.

But be careful -- soufflés are delicate.

Fuck!

I just need a minute.

I'll talk to her.

Please.

Alright. 10 minutes, everyone.

You don't need to say anything.

I'll come back out and apologize.

It's a long season. Everyone understands.

I think that we should just call it a day.

We can work the rest out when we shoot.

Yes, thank you.

25 episodes down. 1 to go.

Yes.

And I think that's enough, don't you?

Enough? What d-- What does that --

This is not the person I want to be, Alice.

You're quitting?

I-Is this because of what Betty Friedan said in New York?

Because Russ told me all about that.

Sometimes things turn out to be more complicated

than we originally understood them to be.

No, no, they don't. She is just plain wrong.

"The French Chef" means so much to so many people.

Well, I know what it means to you, Alice, and I'm sorry.

If I could give it to you, I would.

No, it's -- Look, let's just take the day, huh?

We don't have to decide anything right now.

We are a family, like you always say.

We will work through this, and --

Alice!

I'm done.

Is it true?

Yes. Every word of it.

Now, if you'll excuse me.

I can't tell you how sympathetic I am.

I completely understand the burden of being a star,

of being in the spotlight.

Yes, of course.

If there's anything I can do to ease your burden...

You know I consider you more than a mentee,

nay, colleague now.

I consider you --

Well, I consider you a friend.

And as a friend, I want you to know how I so admire

the way you fling yourself out there

and make it look so easy and effortless.

I see you --

You are the master, and I a mere student.

Well, that's very kind of you to say.

So, to leave on your own terms,

with the world at your feet?

Well, that is what I call brave.

Brava.

Nice one, Al.

Russ?

I hate it when you call me Al.

"We're family." That is what she always said.

We're family. We're family.

And that sounded so good.

I mean, you could fall for that, couldn't you?

Oh, absolutely, yeah.

Yeah, but work isn't family.

Family doesn't just go away

because one person decides it's over.

She needed something from you. She's smart.

No. Sh-- Well, yes,

but I-I think that she thought she meant it.

And she's so...

Gah! I don't know why I felt like I needed it from her.

I have a perfectly good family of my own.

You didn't want to feel like you were just an employee.

Yes. Yes, exactly.

I liked the fact that she cared about me,

which she may have.

She just cares about other things more.

Well, like everyone, though.

Like you, some day, when you're a boss.

Yeah, I guess that's right.

Yeah.

I want to be someone.

I-I-I want to show my mom. I want to show everyone.

No matter how much you want that,

you can't go putting all of your little happiness eggs

into one work basket, can you?

Come down to New York.

You'll be less busy now anyway.

Really?

So all of this, and the whole time,

you're just thinking, "What's in it for me?"

Uh-huh.

Yeah, obviously.

Hey, I'm smart and manipulative, just like Julia.

Mm.

Come down to New York.

May I come in?

Oh, really, Paul.

After the outburst today, I thought eggshells.

Oh, well, now you're just being a masochist.

Paul?

"The French Chef" was my idea.

Hm?

I proposed it to WGBH, not the other way around.

And I tricked you to get you on board.

What?

I've held onto this

for the better part of a year now,

but after the taping tomorrow,

thank God, it will be done.

And what's worse, Russ and the boys

were so unenthused by the notion

that I offered to pay for it myself out of pocket.

Which I've done also behind your back.

How?

It was royalties from the book, mostly.

But when Pop came to visit, right before he left,

I got him to pitch in, too.

You asked him?

I just swallowed my pride and yours

and did what had to be done.

There's no way you would have let me go through such folly.

Honestly, Paul, it was as if I was possessed.

I, uh...

I don't really understand.

I'm your number-one fan.

Yes, I know.

Yes, it's true.

I-I-I don't... know what to say

or -- or where --

where even to begin.

I'm confused, Julie.

Uh, it's -- it's -- it's confusing

to be put into this position.

Well, I have behaved horrendously.

And at this point in our lives?

After all the gossip and humiliation at the embassy,

I-I -- I thought I was safe here.

To be undermined again, in my home, and by you?

Oh, Paul.

I'm going to --

going to spend the night in -- in my room.

Oh, God.

Forgot my pillow.

You all right?

Yeah.

It's weird to miss something

you never wanted to begin with.

Hm. Right. Of course it is.

I completely understand.

She was part of our lives.

Right. And she's not the kind of person

you get out of your head that easily.

No, she definitely is not.

I mean, we will remember her, when we're old.

I'll still hear that voice in my head.

I'm glad you moved on before it all fell apart.

The other way would've been worse.

Oh, much.

I will miss all that par-cooked food

I got to bring home and play with, though.

She taught me how to cook.

And she taught you how to cook.

How strange is that?

Russell...

That is perfect.

One, two...

...three.

Yes, Sensei.

Oh, it was tough telling Judith,

but this was better.

The lie is gone.

He'll forgive me eventually.

Well, of course he will, my dear.

We'll end on a high note.

If you're gonna go, you may as well go out with soufflés.

Can't believe it's over.

When I think about it now,

not only did I not know what I was doing

and what I was putting out into the world...

Oh, I could make a strong argument against that.

...more than that, what I was doing inside

and in my personal life was even worse.

Gosh. Oh!

Oh, my poor Paulski.

Your poor Paulski wasn't going to let you do the show.

You lied out of necessity.

Nothing's changed.

Who you marry matters.

You know that better than anyone.

And I have gotten to live a life full of adventure and fun

because of that man.

This was a poisonous year.

I feel an enormous weight off my chest.

Do you?

This feels good.

This feels right.

Keep telling yourself.

Oh, wait, it's here. It has to go --

Come in.

I knocked.

Everything all right?

Have a seat.

I know I may have overstepped earlier.

It's just, you've always encouraged me

to trust my gut the way you trust yours.

I was just...

following the footsteps of my role model.

Oh, my God. Oh, my God.

What is it?

Alfred?

No, no, it's not Alfred.

I'm going blind.

Oh. That's the first time I've said it out loud.

My goodness.

The prognosis is bad.

Dr. Jacobs says it will snowball quickly.

How can I continue without my eyes?

Who am I without my eyes, without my sight?

I am my work, Judith.

My marriage is a mess through no fault of my own.

I made a mess of my son.

My work -- When I...

When I read the pages of a virgin manuscript...

Without my eyes...

I'm -- I am nothing.

Nobody.

Definitely not Blanche Knopf.

As you can see, this is a maximum security oven.

If anyone opens it, they'll be court-martialed.

And that means you, Marty.

And, now, remember, you have to wait for the soufflé.

The soufflé won't wait for you.

And now, I'm going to

check it with a very sharp knife

to make sure it's ready.

And if it comes out clean,

well, nirvana awaits.

And if not, back in she goes.

And that is perfect.

Oh, bless you, Benny.

And now, let's loosen this collar...

...see what this baby looks like naked.

She's funny.

She's really funny.

Oh, now, that's a soufflé.

Or an "élffuos," as I like to call it sometimes

to keep my husband on his toes.

That's "soufflé" backwards.

And now I'm going to carry it over to the table,

gliding softly so as not to disturb the maestro.

And I'll show you how to serve it.

Now, you want to serve it straight out of the oven,

if you can, as it will begin to deflate almost immediately.

You okay?

their soufflé with ice cream

or even whipped cream.

From the start.

sinful crème anglaise.

And even though it's supposed to serve six...

We'll stay in touch.

The best way to do this is

to take two spoons back to back and...

Oh, my gosh, this looks wonderful.

And...

Now let's plate.

You can serve it with that decadent...

crème anglaise, and...

That's all it is, really.

As a matter of fact, I have a secret to tell you.

You've known how to make a chocolate soufflé all along.

All you have to do is plunge in.

And I'll tell you another secret --

That's the key, not only to the kitchen,

but to life itself.

This is Julia Child.

Bon appétit.

And cut.

Oh!

Oh, enough, enough.

Oh, this is silly already.

Really, thank you.

Thank you.

Oh, gosh.

There's no way I could have done any of this

without all the extraordinary artists and leaders

and craftsmen in this room.

"I couldn't have done it without you"

feels like a cliché, but...

But, shit...

...is it ever true.

Russ? Alice?

Speech! Speech! Speech!

Alright, alright.

Um...

Oh, God.

This is rough.

This is a hard day for me --

for all of us.

Harder than I'd like to admit.

Alice?

Oh. Um, I've never given a speech

to a crowd of people like this.

And, truthfully, I wish it were a happier occasion.

Uh...

Uh, group photo!

Everyone behind that counter.

Yes! Yes! That's wonderful.

Paul! Paul, would you do the honors?

Uh, yes, of course.

Julia, right here.

Perfect. Thank you.

Do we have everyone? Is that everyone?

Yes.

Say "fromage."

Fromage!

Yippee! Whoo!

Alright.

Chin chin, boys.

- Cheers. - Cheers.

I mean, you don't walk off set.

I mean, you just don't do that.

Completely.

I'll miss the goodies, though.

Goodies?

It's the flashy ones that have one toe in the loony bin.

I-I think it's, uh, tortoises.

Well, sure and steady men like us

inevitably win the race.

I mean, who does she think she is, Marilyn Monroe?

Mmm.

I was up all night thinking of ways

to snuff out Betty Friedan.

That was sweet of you.

Truth is, it'd be a lot simpler

if I had a firearm.

Not that I want to kill her, really.

Just maim her.

A good maiming.

Keep scrubbing and the paint's going to come off.

I got so used to being busy.

Amen.

All this time to ourselves.

Guess I'll go back to being another grandmother

with a drinking problem.

I'm still happy we did it.

Your optimism is unsettling.

It is, isn't it?

I guess there will be more time for photography and painting.

This all feels rather empty,

like the canvas has shrunk a thousand fold.

Hear, hear.

When I was fired, I really thought

I had reached the end of my tether.

What a godsend this was.

You were fired?

I don't really want to talk about it.

Did you know?

Did I know what?

About the lie.

Of course I did.

You told her she couldn't do it.

What choice did she have?

Well, the simple point is, I am yours, Simca.

At your disposal.

Is this forever, or until you begin filming again?

Oh, there is no more filming.

I have made the final episode of "The French Chef."

A flop already?

It was my decision.

In the end, it it proved to be a distraction

from the very valuable work you and I are doing.

Oh, Julia, you know it does not make me happy to say

I told you so.

It's one of your best qualities.

Last weekend, I went up to Paris

to have dinner with a friend at the Grand Véfour.

Oh, gosh, I miss that place.

And the chocolate mousse. Oh!

200 years and better than ever.

You know, these things of the moment --

fashion, television --

you try to grab on to them, and they are gone.

Like air in your hand.

What matters lasts.

Oh, yes, I agree.

But it's so expensive.

Mm.

Did you sell the house?

No need. Royalties from the book.

We did very well this year.

Yes, we certainly did.

Room for me in there?

Oh, Paul.

I hate being apart.

Me, too.

I can't sleep without you beside me.

I really am so sorry.

You can't even fathom the depths of my remorse.

I am committed to earning your forgiveness.

Oh.

Give me my orders, herr direktor.

No, no, no.

If there are apologies to be made, it's my turn.

Hmm?

Yeah, I owe you an apology.

For being the kind of husband

that you'd need to go behind my back.

I-I -- How did that happen?

Hmm? That's not us.

That's not who we are.

At least, I hope it isn't.

We've always been honest with each other.

Oh, Paul.

They threw away the mold.

You're rather bespoke yourself.

I love you.

I love you, too, kitten.

Come in.

Am I interrupting?

Judith, what I -- I did the other day,

I should never have done that --

I'll be your eyes.

What?

I'll be your eyes.

I'll read for you.

No.

No one needs to know.

It's not your responsibility.

How will you do your work and mine?

M-My list is long and dense.

I'll find the time.

This is my gift, Blanche.

My inadequate thank you.

Early night tonight?

Oh, uh, Marian's parents are coming by

to spend time with the baby.

I'm on dinner duty. You?

Uh, tickets to the symphony.

"An Evening of Bartók."

The things we do for love, eh?

Uh, on a -- a different note --

Uh, I spoke to Alice about this already.

You two are a good team.

At this point, also my only team.

I'm gonna put you back on "Reading," Russ.

And I want more female-friendly how-to shows from the two of you.

Soon. Like, pronto.

Let's see if we can reinvent the wheel.

What about my documentaries?

Uh...

I'm going to quit one of these days, Hunter.

We're also all going to die eventually.

I can't do anything about any of it.

You find me the money, Russ,

I'll let you produce whatever you want.

Opera, even.

Not opera.

Look, I'm -- I'm sorry.

That woman came this close to changing us, didn't she?

Ah.

Potato leek.

Oh.

Mmm. Oh, perfect.

Mmm.

How lovely and delicate the shading is.

Well, the trick with pears is getting the light just right.

Pears are famously challenging, Julia.

Hmm?

Mm.

Oh. Hm.

I can't believe it.

Who'd have thought?

The only way I got you in the kitchen when you were little

was with that cockamamie chemistry set.

It's really hot.

Mm, it's like I've been transported to a bistro

on the Left Bank.

Mmm.

Do you think it's a tad salty?

A tad? N-N-No.

No.

No, me neither.

So...um, now that it looks like

you'll have some time on your hands,

maybe you can pursue things with Isaac a bit further.

I knew it!

When were you going to tell me?

How?

Did -- Did Isaac's parents say something?

I'm your mother, that's how.

Oh, you missed a spot.

Hmm? Oh.

Little bugger was hiding out on me.

Who calls at this hour?

Hello?

Julia, is it too late?

Well, not for me.

But it's the middle of the night over there, Simca.

Is everything all right?

Julia, I had a dream.

She had a dream.

Good of her to let us know.

You and I were cooking together in my kitchen.

We were making cassoulet, and you overcooked the beans.

Naturally. Thank you for the warning on my beans.

I am not calling about the beans.

I'm calling to tell you, you must come here.

We should cook together again.

How long has it been since you lived in France, hmm?

Oh, too long.

Oh.

She wants us to come to France.

You have no more cooking program.

No more schedule.

You come here, we cook together,

we take long walks, we go to the markets,

we work on the garden.

For as long as we need.

Oh, Simca, this sounds wonderful.

I must tell Paul.

For how long?

Well, I think it's open ended.

I'll call the travel agent in the morning, Simca,

and tonight, I shall dream of Provence.

You don't want to go.

France is lovely, but I don't want to run away

from the thing you're running from.

No. That's not what I'm...

This has been poisoned for me, Paul, by my lie.

By me wanting it too much to see clearly.

With the Foreign Service,

you eventually said, enough is enough.

You left on your own terms,

and that is what I'm doing.

I love you for remembering it that way.

Julie...

you lied to me because you thought

if I knew the whole truth, I'd say no.

Well, now I know the whole story,

and I'm saying yes.

As your true partner, yes.

What do I do with Betty Friedan in my head?

I don't know.

Next time, move tables.

You and I thought what we were doing was so important --

this little cooking show --

so important that it would change the world,

so important that we actually had to stop doing it.

But that's crazy.

We fought World War II together, in our little way.

We know what matters.

And the wonderful thing about this show is that it doesn't.

Not like that.

It won't save or ruin the world.

Let Betty Friedan catastrophize.

And maybe she's even right, i-in a way, for some people.

This show is not for them.

This show is for us and the people who make it

and the people who watch it --

more than we ever imagined, but not the whole world.

Why should we give anyone the power

to take it away from them?

If every critic could silence every artist,

how dull would the world be then?

So let's not think so much of ourselves that we forget

that all this show is, is joy --

the joy of being in your company for half an hour every week.

And this was our baby.

I told them all no already.

Mm. You broke their hearts.

They'll be okay if you put them back together.

Jule, you're 50 years old.

I'm 51.

I got 10 years on you.

Most people we know are closing up shop.

But you've got an offer to go back to France

and to write another cookbook

and to make another season of the show.

Let's say yes to all of it,

say yes to everything for as long as we can.

Let's drop dead, someday, saying yes.

That'll be a life.

You know, it's funny you should show up today of all days.

Tilly and I were talking about you just this morning.

She still hasn't forgiven me for letting you go.

I'm sleeping on the couch...

and I love it.

Uh, what's this?

It's my signed contract for season two.

If the ship hasn't already sailed,

I believe I made a promise.

There's a slight amendment on the second page.

Should I be nervous?

Well, I'd like to go to France for a while --

Clear my head, do some research.

Work can begin here, of course,

but I need time before I film again.

Oh, France sounds nice.

Tilly only ever wants to go to Florida.

I'm -- I'm so relieved. Uh...

Life magazine called the other day about an article.

I put them off, didn't know what to say.

Gosh, Life magazine? Egads!

Uh, Ol' Blue Eyes one week, and New Blue Eyes the next.

Oh, really, Hunter.

Yeah, the two best voices in America.

It's going to be big.

Big, big, big, big, big!

Hunter, do you have a minute?

A-Albert is unhappy.

Who cares?

No, no. Uh, what is it this time?

I-It's nothing. I'll handle it.

Julia.

Oh, no, Alice. Don't go.

This is about you, too.

If you can forgive me for giving you all a terrible scare...

Just the man I'm looking for.

Hey. I heard you're coming back.

That's fantastic.

Oh, boy, word gets around rather fast.

Well, you're like the Parmesan of public television.

Oh?

Oh, right. Well done.

Well, I heard your news, too.

Documentaries.

Moving on to greener pastures?

I mean, not greener.

That that got out is sort of surprising.

I'm definitely not, uh, the Parmesan.

More Kraft Single.

Well, congratulations.

I know underneath all your exemplary work

that "The French Chef" was never something

you wanted on your plate.

But you were an integral ingredient,

and good company to boot.

And even though it won't be the same,

I will always be grateful for your insights

and for your friendship.

I'm just down the hall.

You'll see me every time you're here.

That better be a promise.

I can't wait to see what you do next.

Uh, that makes two of us.

I'll be watching.

Thank you.

I certainly wasn't expecting it.

She just said that she came to her senses

and she couldn't imagine saying goodbye to all of us.

To her family, you mean?

Yes, exactly.

Whatever happened to not counting on work to make you happy?

Well, I said that when I was unhappy at work.

I'm not counting on work to make me happy.

But I'm going to let it make me happy today.

It's my own show, Isaac.

It's a big deal.

And we should celebrate when you visit.

I found this amazing French bistro downtown.

It's like Julia wrote the menu.

That's great. But I won't be able to visit for a while.

Ah, I can wait.

I just don't want you to get your hopes up.

My life is here, for another year, at least.

Can't we be modern about it, have everything?

There are no rules anymore, right?

I know. I just don't think it's that simple.

I'm far away. Don't you want more than

an every-once-in-a-while girlfriend?

What if I meet someone else, when you were the one

I should have been with all along?

What do I do then?

Isaac.

I should -- I should go.

The show's about to start.

It's the last one of the season.

Uh, chocolate soufflé.

Yeah, sounds great.

Night, Alice.

And you take a quarter of your egg whites

and frankly beat them into the chocolate mixture.

To bigger and better things ahead.

And when egg whites are properly beaten...

...they have this lovely, creamy sheen.

Doing it by hand in a good old-fashioned copper bowl

will always be my favorite method.

And then we have the folding.

Now, this is the other most important part.

You've done the hard work and formed these lovely,

velvety peaks with your egg whites,

and now, using a rubber spatula...

To us.

What's next for you, Zinberg?

Besides more "French Chef"?

Defending my thesis,

trying not to fuck up my kid too much.

You know, the usual.

You?

And, now, that is a soufflé.

I know now you're in living rooms all over the country,

but I like you best in my living room.

Oh, Paulski. I like you in mine.

To another year.

26 more recipes. Egad.

And I'll tell you another secret --

That's the key, not only to the kitchen,

but to life itself.

This is Julia Child.

Bon appétit.