This week we return to HBO Max for another great TV show: Julia. This comedy-drama follows the creation of Julia Child’s groundbreaking cooking show: The French Chef, and features Sarah Lancashire as Julia Child.

Not only is the show aesthetically accurate, with colorful 1960’s costumes, sets and technology, but it captures the whole picture of the period it takes place in really well.

The show doesn’t just focus on the housewives who would have been watching Julia cook on television. It also incorporates references to the real LGBTQ, Black, and feminist movements of the 1960’s and shows how Julia Child would have interacted with those movements. I thought this was an interesting detail in a show about Julia Child. It’s sometimes hard to remember that she wasn’t just a character on TV, but a real person who lived during a time where lots of social change was taking place. References to the Civil Rights Movement, feminist movement, and queer culture help the viewer to understand the characters and the setting more fully.

Overall, it’s a great show and definitely worth the watch. The characters in the show are so complex and interesting I couldn’t guess exactly what they would do next (though I never can, so maybe that’s not a valid point) and their arcs are heartwarming and well thought out.

I rate Julia a five out of five stars. I loved the first season and will definitely be watching the second one soon.

★★★★★