Feed the Beast (2016)

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Season 1
  • Network: AMC
  • Series Premiere Date: Jun 5, 2016
Metascore
46

Mixed or average reviews - based on 33 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 19 out of 33
  3. Negative: 9 out of 33
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Critic Reviews

  1. St. Louis Post-Dispatch
    Reviewed by: Gail Pennington
    Jun 2, 2016
    100
    But Schwimmer does his best TV work yet in Feed the Beast, breaking viewers’ hearts just as Tommy’s has been broken. His pain reaches out and grabs us, and we root for him to find a way to go on.
  2. Reason.com
    Reviewed by: Glenn Garvin
    Jun 3, 2016
    85
    Feed the Beast is ultimately a study of characters caught up in not-so-quiet desperation, struggling for survival in an irrationally and implacably hostile universe, and it's the bobbing, weaving mutual orbit of Schwimmer and Sturgess that make the show an absorbing experience.
  3. Wall Street Journal
    Reviewed by: Dorothy Rabinowitz
    Jun 2, 2016
    80
    [Schwimmer's] the great strength of the series, along with Mr. Sturgess, whose Dion is a commanding portrait of endless faith in his dream, to say nothing of endless resilience. ... [A] beguiling tale whose kitchen scenes and gourmet dish preparations provide the ultimate sizzle.
  5. The Lincoln Journal Star
    Reviewed by: Jeff Korbelik
    Jun 6, 2016
    75
    Schwimmer and Sturgess are so darn good in their roles you forgive the writers. Schwimmer, for instance, uses those sad, puppy dog eyes of his to play up his grief, and Sturgess really has the charming cad thing down. They really cook up some chemistry in the scenes with just them.
  6. We Got This Covered
    Reviewed by: Mitchel Broussard
    Jun 3, 2016
    70
    The show’s solid, the Bronx-appropriate brutality is believable, the characters are endearing, and the food is pornographic. But it’s just not different or special or particularly memorable.

User Reviews

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User Score
6.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 42 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 42
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 42
  3. Negative: 11 out of 42
  1. JoeSmithII
    Jun 17, 2016
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. [spoiler alert]

    F the B is TV at it's worst. There's nothing good about it. The dialog is flat and trite and the characters and acting are awful. Tommy has a single facial expression ALL the time which makes him look like a bloodhound who's bummed out because he's lost his sense of smell. Dion runs around like a drugged out manic meth-head who's on speed all the time, and, oh wait, DION IS a drugged out manic meth-head who runs around on speed all the time. We have a supposedly Hispanic restaurant "manager" who not only is completely faking everything she claims to know about running a restaurant, but is also obviously even faking being Hispanic. The mute kid is ANNOYING as hell (JUST SAY SOMETHING FOOL!), and the granddad was simply lifted whole out of "Gotham" and the "Sopranos" (as was "ruthless cop" now that I think about it). And don't even get me started on the idiot "Toothfairy" character. That guy is a horrible actor who reminds me of Otho in "Beetlejuice" and the tooth-pulling bit is about as trite as it gets.

    Every one of these "characters" are one dimensional stereotypes. And worse, not only do you not like ANY of these characters, you actually despise all of them, even the annoying mute kid (JUST SAY SOMETHING FOOL!). Dion lies to everyone about everything all the time, totally F-ing over EVERYONE, including those he's supposed to care about, not to mention that DION thinks it's a great idea to rob Tommy's former employer of $100,000 in high-end wines and maim the minimum-wage warehouse night-guard in the process, and the audience is supposed to think all of that is really, really cool and DION is a really, really cool dude for doing sick stuff like that. And worst of all, it's clear that DION is never going undergo introspection and redeem himself as a better person, because DION's manic drugged-out narcissism and active destruction of those around him are what the entire show revolves around. If DION were to change, then F the B would pretty much be just another cooking show, with every episode being somewhat reminiscent of Antony Bordain revisiting his old employer, La Halle.

    There is zero original in the plot elements, which are nothing but a mish-mash of ripped off bits from every mafia movie ever made. Plus, these story bits are cobbled together in a completely opaque fashion: totally predictable with no surprises. You can pretty much sit there and go: oh, now it's time for a mafia scene, or now it's time for a mute kid (JUST SAY SOMETHING FOOL!) scene, or now it's time for the evil, obsessed cop to show up and threaten Dion, or now it's time for the Toothfairy to show up and threaten Dion, or now it's time for the old man to hate Dion's foo-foo food, or now it's time for Dion to go wild spending money without listening to anyone, or now it's time for the old man to teach mute Timmy (or whatever his name is) to stand up and fight for himself in the schoolyard, or now it's time to have another "Dion awesomely cool cooking scene" (which by the way you can always tell is an awesomely cool cooking scene because they always play "awesomely cool cooking scene" music so you get in that "awesomely cool cooking scene" groove.

    Perhaps needless to say, F the B has been removed from my record series list.    … Full Review »
  2. gforze
    Jun 21, 2016
    5
    Schwimmer's acting and character are great, but Sturgess' character/acting is really getting on my nerves.
    Michael Gladis' acting is ok, but    Schwimmer's acting and character are great, but Sturgess' character/acting is really getting on my nerves.
    Michael Gladis' acting is ok, but Im waiting for him to burst out singing 'Hello my baby' .. Sorry cant get past his character in Mad Men ;)

    Storyline seems ok, but somehow I'm not 'feeling' it.    … Full Review »
  3. Qldgamer
    Jun 18, 2016
    1
    There is not one character that I like or even care what is going to happen to them. Too many conflicts happening and it seems to be flayingThere is not one character that I like or even care what is going to happen to them. Too many conflicts happening and it seems to be flaying about looking for a plot.… Full Review »
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