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The TV Series ‘Julia’ was Surprisingly Satisfying
Max served up a series that featured far more than cooking
In December 2023, the last episode of Julia, Season 2, aired on Max (formerly HBO Max). Shortly thereafter, the streaming service announced there would not be a Season 3. Too bad, because this series about Julia Child, the first television chef, easily could have run longer.
The excellent quality of the acting, the engaging story and the outstanding production surprised me. It all came together like one of Julia Child’s expertly prepared dishes on her show, The French Chef. But before I share why I think it was a winning series, it’s important to offer some historical context.
An appetizing start
Julia McWilliams Child’s back story is intriguing. She graduated from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts in 1934. While she majored in history, she hoped to become a novelist or at the very least write for a magazine. She had no interest at the time in cooking.
During World War II, Child wanted to serve her country. She tried enlisting in the Women’s Army Corps (WACs) or the Navy WAVEs, but at 6 feet 2 inches, she was deemed too tall. Instead, she joined the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the forerunner of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)…
