- Network: Apple TV
- Series Premiere Date: Apr 30, 2025
Critic Reviews
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“Carême” is the hottest thing to hit streaming services in a long time, and it’s sinfully fun even as it gets more and more preposterous. Seconds, please!
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It’s hard to root for Carême at first, given how obnoxious he is. At times, you’d happily leave him to his fate at the hands of Napoleon’s most brutal lieutenants. But the drama moves along at such a spirited pace that it sucks you in, and after its opening pair of episodes, it is difficult to resist.
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It would be nice if the show incorporated the substance of Carême’s innovations the same way it weaves Talleyrand’s reputation for cunning and physical disability into his portrayal. Nonetheless, “Carême” makes for a transportive experience. In that sense, at least, it’s akin to a great meal.
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Freed from the shackles of accuracy, the show is instead able to indulge in being spry and fun, without the lugubriousness of bleak historical dramas or the self-seriousness of kitchen dramas. It has the fizz of “Downton Abbey,” in its pomp and in the frequency with which bad news is delivered by note.
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Another version of this series doesn't need to elevate its drama beyond its protagonist's proven history. Yet Carême's striking visual style, fast-paced tension, and entertainingly lusty escapades remain compulsively watchable even when the series' ambitions stray into predictable melodrama.
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While “Carême” never reaches the refinement of fine dining, it delivers a historical smorgasbord with a little something for every palate.
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Thanks to Voisin’s charisma, “Carême” entertains consistently through its first three episodes, though it loses some points for its blatant rip-off of “The Good Fight’s” exploding-objects opening credits.
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Though sex and scandal are commonplace on television these days, Carême reinvigorates them, making them relevant and entertaining, if not always fresh.
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For light fare — an amuse-bouche, essentially — Carême gets the job done.
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Carême is compelling enough to recommend, especially given the show’s lavish look and Voisin’s charismatic performance. But the storytelling needs to become a bit more robust after the first episode in order to keep viewers’ attention.
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“Carême” is confusing but mostly fun, the show’s charm being contained in the food, the beds and Mr. Voison’s smile.
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There are signs of a right old food-fight in script meetings as a result of which facts have been tossed aside or massaged into a fantastical soufflé. That Carême worked for Talleyrand (Jérémie Renier) is the drama’s core ingredient.
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