Forks

We all need someone to root for. "Forks" does a phenomenal job of giving us just that. In the age of the antihero and style over substance often we see characters spiraling with no real payoff. Sorry hollywood, a 'charismatic' lead only goes so far. Not only does this episode give us everything we could ask for, I would go so far as to say that this episode will inspire people and change their lives.

I could go into added detail about the brilliant performances and great music choices, how it all comes together seamlessly. This might actually be my favorite bit of filmmaking since Whiplash. Even in whiplash the only real hero of the movie is the music itself.

In this one they gave us the ultimate payoff and still leave us wanting more, like the perfect meal is supposed to do. 11 out of 10.

I was hoping for something like this for Richie, but never expected it to be delivered in such an exquisite story. I always thought Richie was good with people and wondered why they didn't make better use of his relationships with the customers... and then this happens. I actually sobbed this episode because I feel this way about hospitality and creating beautiful and welcoming food and experiences.

My father said to me once at a Taco Bell drive thru how wonderful it would be to have that job and I said "why?!?" His reply was how great it would be to make people happy bringing them food. It changed the way I thought about the service industry in all it's forms and gave me an appreciation I never lost.

I sobbed because I've been in a car accident that took my ability away to create those experiences and so to have the characters in this episode explain it and embody it so well and give Richie a sense of purpose and pride and competence was so beautiful.

And I won't spoil it, but the ending message... Yes! What a freaking reveal!!

This episode is a portrait all its own. Episode S2 E7 "Forks" is a journey. I went into it not fully appreciating the character of Richie, and not really understanding the draw of the restaurant field. I came away with passion for both. The lesson builds through each second as he polishes, works, listens, and serves. Every second counts. I am surprised, moved, and impressed. There is a gift in making people happy. Within this gift there is a self-fulfilling state of being. I've never thought about it before, and I never would have considered the restaurant business as such a powerful teacher. We witness Richie becoming more, and healing.

Ebon Moss-Bachrach is sheer genius. I'm blown away.

Probably one of the best episodes of the series. I didn't think they could top the Christmas episode but they did.

I love the show because I worked at a high-end restaurant at one point in my life and it's refreshing for a show to appeal to an "insider" along with people just looking for a compelling well-written drama. This is as true to the industry as anything I've seen.

Some might not know the actor playing Fak has run a number of restaurants, done a number of food shows and was an executive chef in Toronto. He's also an executive producer on the show. This along with some great cameos shows Hulu's commitment to excellence and really exceed my expectations. The scene with Olivia Colman and Richie was amazing.

Richie is a complex character that has been demonized to the point that he's difficult to watch most of the time. How the writers chose to humanize him in this episode is truly genius. I went from hatred for the character to empathy. Now that's a neat trick.

I've always loved Richie, so to watch an entire episode devoted to him was easy. I've heard a lot of people praise this episode because it made them see the character in a new light, but I feel as though Richie's vulnerabilities have always been one of the strongest aspects of the show in regards to its emotional core. Even if they've never been addressed as explicitly as within this episode.

The episode is great because of the setting, too. The restaurant is so much fun to watch in action; you can't help but share the radical excitement of Richie as he and you realise just how much the service industry can make people's days, if the workers are willing to go that extra mile.

And in many ways, maybe this is something that Richie has never been fully willing to do before. He tries to take on tasks that don't fit him, and he doesn't want to stand around and take the time to learn before he dives right in. His heart is in the right place, he wants to go the extra mile, but he's never truly receptive to the exact course of action it would take for him to get there. It was great to see this episode change that, and I think Ebon Moss-Bachrach could have a career-altering awards season, if the Emmys and Golden Globes know what's right for them.

Fun, hilarious, thought-provoking and a deeply emotional look into one of this show's best characters.