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      The Eleven Madison Park Hospitality Guru Who Worked on ‘The Bear’ Opens Up

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      Will Guidara, who has a co-producing and writing credit on Season 3, talks about the power of surprise and the calling of restaurant work.Until Season 3 of “The Bear,” only viewers who understood restaurant hospitality at its highest levels could spot the Will Guidara Effect.Mr. Guidara was the Paul McCartney to chef Daniel Humm’s John Lennon at Eleven Madison Park, the acclaimed New York City restaurant they once co-owned. During their 13 years together, the staff’s signature was delivering to diners small delights and outrageous surprises based on guest research and bits of overheard conversation. . He once made a quick run to buy a dirty-water dog that Mr. Humm cheffed up with quenelles of sauerkraut and relish and delivered it to a table of food-focused tourists who had mentioned they were leaving town without tasting a New York hot dog.Mr. Guidara’s book “Unreasonable Hospitality” first made a cameo in the show’s second season. The episode, called “Forks,” traces the evolution of the sweet but troubled Richie Jerimovich (played by Ebon Moss-Bachrach) who had been running the sinking Chicago sandwich shop that is at the center of the show. When it transforms into a fancy restaurant called the Bear, Richie finds his calling as a hospitality professional after he puts on a suit and spends a week learning service at a restaurant with three Michelin stars.While he’s training, a waiter overhears a family say they are bummed to leave Chicago without trying deep-dish pizza. Richie runs to Pequod’s pizza shop, brings back a pie and the chef, with a cookie cutter and some micro basil, turns it into a modernist dish that Richie delivers to the astonished guests. It’s pure Guidara.Richie learns from Mr. Guidara’s best-selling book “Unreasonable Hospitality.”FXThis season, Mr. Guidara was listed as a co-producer and given a story credit on an episode titled “Doors.” Sharp-eyed viewers noticed his “WG” initials when Richie texts someone about a restaurant closing, and he has a significant cameo in the season finale, delivering an impassioned speech about hospitality that begins, “There’s a nobility in this.”We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      Late Night Mulls Biden’s Decision to Stay in the Race

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      “He’s basically the guy doing 30 in the left lane, and he ain’t moving for anybody,” Jimmy Fallon said of President Biden on Monday.Welcome to Best of Late Night, a rundown of the previous night’s highlights that lets you sleep — and lets us get paid to watch comedy. Here are the 50 best movies on Netflix right now.Staying the CoursePresident Biden has doubled down on his decision to seek re-election, defying critics who want him to step aside after his poor showing in the first debate with Donald Trump.On Monday, Jimmy Fallon joked that if Biden refused to drop out, Democrats planned “to tie a bunch of balloons to the White House and hope he flies away like the old guy from ‘Up.’”“It’s either that or put a bunch of Werther’s on the ground and lure him out like E.T.” — JIMMY FALLON“He’s basically the guy doing 30 in the left lane, and he ain’t moving for anybody.” — JIMMY FALLON“Yeah, Biden’s brushing everyone off. He’s like, ‘Hey, people have been telling me not to run for president since 1988 — I think I know what I’m doing.’” — JIMMY FALLON“Democrats in Congress are reportedly trying to find the best way for Biden to ‘move forward,’ which is probably with one of those walkers with the tennis balls on the bottom of them.” — KATHRYN HAHN, guest host of “Jimmy Kimmel Live”“So, should he stay? Should he go? Who am I to recommend? I don’t know what’s going on in Joe Biden’s mind — something I apparently have in common with Joe Biden.” — STEPHEN COLBERT“The truth is, both candidates are very old. This might be the first presidential race where a slick bathtub could alter the course of history.” — KATHRYN HAHNThe Punchiest Punchlines (Sleepy Joe Edition)“Meanwhile, today, amid calls for him to drop out of the election, Biden sent a letter to Democrats addressing concern about his age and says that he’s firmly committed to staying in the race. Yeah, and nothing says ‘I’m young’ like writing a sternly worded letter.” — JIMMY FALLONWe are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      In ‘House of the Dragon,’ Ewan Mitchell Leads With His Chin

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      As Aemond Targaryen, the young actor quickly became one of the “Game of Thrones” prequel’s most intriguing and fearsome characters.Like most people, Ewan Mitchell is accustomed to anonymity. So during a recent trip to Manhattan, he was surprised by what a hotel doorman asked when he arrived: “You haven’t packed your eye patch?”Mitchell does not normally wear an eye patch, but Aemond Targaryen, the one-eyed, dragon-riding warrior he plays in “House of the Dragon,” does. The actor is still getting used to strangers making the connection in public.“I wouldn’t think people would recognize me, but they do,” he said. “I think it’s because of my strong chin.”This was on an afternoon in May, and Mitchell, 27, was sipping a Coke at the hotel bar. He wore a black Alexander McQueen suit and was preparing to attend the premiere of the second season of “House of the Dragon,” HBO’s “Game of Thrones” prequel that follows two factions vying for the Iron Throne.When Mitchell made his debut in the latter half of Season 1, Aemond, the willful second son who grows to covet his brother’s throne, quickly became one of the show’s most intriguing and fearsome characters. Paired off with Vhagar, the realm’s largest, meanest dragon, and possessing the most chiseled chin in Westeros, Aemond radiated the quiet ferocity of a predator preparing to pounce.“When I’m dressed up as Aemond and catch myself in the mirror, he scares even me a little bit,” Mitchell said.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      What’s on TV This Week: ‘The Bachelorette’ and ‘Claim to Fame’

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      Jenn Tran hands out roses on ABC. Kevin and Franklin Jonas host a show with the relatives of stars.For those who still enjoy a cable subscription, here is a selection of cable and network TV shows, movies and specials that broadcast this week, July 8-14. Details and times are subject to change.MondayTHE BACHELORETTE 8 p.m. on ABC. Though “Bachelor in Paradise” is noticeably missing from ABC’s roster this year, there is still plenty of the franchise to go around this summer. First up is the 21st season of the “Bachelorette,” with Jenn Tran being the show’s first Asian lead. Despite the show’s attempt at diversity, Tran noted in a recent interview with Glamour that she was disappointed by the lack of Asian men cast as potential suitors. Only time will tell to whom Tran gives her final rose and if she leaves the show engaged. Later this summer, viewers can watch the first season of “The Golden Bachelorette.”TuesdayCELEBRITY FAMILY FEUD 9 p.m. on ABC. To begin the 10th season of this game show hosted by Steve Harvey, Megan Thee Stallion and Ne-Yo face off in the first round. Then N.F.L. players compete against Olympians in the second round.A still from “Sasha Reid and the Midnight Order.”Sarah Koury/DisneySASHA REID AND THE MIDNIGHT ORDER 10 p.m. on Freeform. Sasha Reid, a developmental psychologist with an interest in true crime, has worked to create a database of missing people in Canada. Now, in this documentary series, she teams up with a group of women from different backgrounds to help solve cold cases.WednesdayCLAIM TO FAME 9 p.m. on ABC. Kevin and Franklin Jonas are back to host this show, now with a new roster of 11 contestants who all have familial ties to someone famous. The past two seasons were won by Jason Aldean’s cousin Logan Crosby and Nick Cannon’s brother Gabriel Ezra Cannon. The show mixes elements of other competition shows, like “Traitors” or “Big Brother,” in which social alliances are important. And similar to “Love Island” or “Survivor,” there’s immunity and information for the winners.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2, Episode 4 Recap: Fire in the Sky

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      This week brings all-out warfare and the death of a key character.Season 2, Episode 4: ‘A Dance of Dragons’From its sobriquet on down, George R.R. Martin’s World of Ice and Fire is largely a bipolar one. Blacks fight Greens. Starks fight Lannisters. And in the prophetic Song of Ice and Fire itself, death wars against life.The dragons flown by the Targaryen dynasty are an exception to this rule. In the source novels, various maesters and royals speculate that dragons are neither male nor female, capable of switching sexes as needed. True, they are the fire that helps turn back the ice of the Night King and his undead minions in “Game of Thrones,” and the most magnificent and awe-inspiring living creatures in the Westerosi bestiary. But they are also death incarnate, capable of inflicting carnage amid soldiers and civilians alike at an industrial scale.And if need be, they can be called upon to kill one another, in battles as brutal as they are beautiful. There is a reason scholars within Martin’s fictional universe refer to the Targaryen civil war as the Dance of the Dragons: The conflict is as rapturous to behold as it is repugnant, often in the same scene.This episode’s three-way battle between Princess Rhaenys and her red dragon Meleys, King Aegon II and his gloriously golden Sunfyre, and Prince Aemond One-Eye and the colossal beast Vhagar is a case study in the dragons’ duality. The script, by the co-creator and showrunner Ryan Condal, contains a lengthy lead-up to the climactic Battle at Rook’s Rest — a trap set by the Hand of the King, Ser Criston Cole, and his primary ally, Prince Aemond, to lure Black dragons and their riders to their doom — featuring glory shots of Meleys and Sunfyre on their way to war. The director, Alan Taylor, a signature talent on “Game of Thrones,” makes it clear what kind of splendor the world will lose if these animals should die.He also makes it clear what kind of horrors the world will see if they live. Rook’s Rest is a nightmare of burning men, crushed men, men fleeing for their lives from what are effectively flying nuclear dinosaurs. The riders try their best, for the most part, but neither dragon fire nor dragon feet are particular about who they snuff out.Indeed, the episode’s most shocking moment comes when Aemond, who delayed his own assault when his detested brother Aegon crashed the battle uninvited so as not to appear weak, turns Vhagar against not only their enemy Rhaenys, but Aegon too. Only the timely intervention of Ser Criston prevents Aemond from striding across the broken body of Sunfyre and putting his fallen, burned brother out of his misery at the battle’s end.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      Jane Lynch Loves Being the ‘Weakest Link’ Host and Not a Contestant

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      The former “Glee” star turned a childhood fascination with game shows into a TV gig. “I could do it forever,” she says.Growing up, Jane Lynch used to pretend to be sick so she could stay home from school and watch game shows like “Tattletales,” “Password” and her favorite, “Match Game.”As an adult, she had the good luck of her guilty pleasure became something of a vocation. For seven years, she was the host of NBC’s “Hollywood Game Night.” And since 2020, she has hosted “Weakest Link,” a remake of the British series overseen, terrifyingly, by Anne Robinson. Season 3 is now streaming on Peacock.“I love the game, I love trivia, I love that I’m not playing it,” said Lynch, who instilled her own brand of fear as the cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester in “Glee.”“I could do it forever,” she added in a video interview from Manhattan, where she was filming Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building,” before talking about the neighborhood rambles, cultural outings and do-it-yourself projects by which she and her spouse, Jennifer Cheyne, try to live magnificently in Montecito, Calif.These are edited excerpts from the conversation.1Long Walks Close to HomeOne of the things that Jennifer and I said when we moved here is we want to be close to Coast Village Road, which is the main drag. It has all the restaurants and cute little shops. I walk up and down the neighborhood streets, and then I stop for a cup of coffee, and then I continue walking and I’m at the ocean, and then I just walk back.2About That CoffeeThe Montesano Market & Deli has really good, strong Italian coffee. I know all the regulars that come there. It’s a wonderful thing to go where everyone knows your name and you know theirs.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      ‘Prosper’ Is a Juicy Megachurch Drama

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      This Australian series has enough tawdry scandals to qualify as a soap and enough Shakespearean power lust to qualify as a fancy drama.Richard Roxburgh stars as a megachurch leader in “Prosper.”StanThe Australian drama “Prosper,” on the Roku channel, follows the Quinn family and their megachurch franchise. Dad Cal (Richard Roxburgh) is the slick, energetic leader, the kind of pastor who does not turn the other cheek but instead punches the guy right back, harder. Mom Abi (Rebecca Gibney) is the tough power player, willing though not always happy to cover up her family’s transgressions — a task that takes up nearly all of her time.The eldest son, Dion (Ewen Leslie), might be too milquetoast to take over. “If you want to inherit the earth, Dion, you’re going to have to be a little less meek,” says one attaché. Dion’s wife, Taz (Ming-Zhu Hii), is more than happy to push him, though. God helps those who help their spouses, right? Issy (Hayley McCarthy) is the pop singer with a showbiz-Jesus husband (Jordi Webber) who would love his own chance to preach, while Jed (Jacob Collins-Levy) is the prodigal son who ditched the megachurch in favor of a soup kitchen but now finds himself sucked back into the fold. And the baby of the family, the adopted, teenage Moses (Alexander D’Souza), is trying to contact his birth parents amid a self-destructive spiral.“Nobody does church like us,” Cal brags. One hopes! His plan to plant a church in Los Angeles sends his children scrambling for top position, trying to prove both their spiritual and commercial mettle. They compete to baptize a famous young D.J. the way the “Succession” kids tried to close deals. Jesus is lord, but cash is king, and those sprawling buildings, rock-concert stages, private helicopters and image consultants don’t pay for themselves.“Prosper” has enough tawdry scandals to qualify as a soap and enough Shakespearean power lust to qualify as a fancy drama. Unlike some of its more prestige-chasing brethren, “Prosper” moves; it almost feels distilled. Episodes zip along, and characters tend to announce their schemes and allegiances, and what the show lacks in nuance it makes up for in momentum. Many of its juiciest arcs are ripped from tabloid headlines, but the series avoids tinny caricature and instead finds the real light and longing in its characters, the sincerity of the search within the hypocrisy of the outcomes. More