Following a successful first season, Erik Thomson returns to the kitchen as celebrity chef Easton West for season two of ABC’s Aftertaste.
The comedy series follows the lives of Easton and his niece Diana (Natalie Abbott) as they navigate the highs and lows of their relationship, family secrets and lies, authenticity, and baked goods.
Season two picks up with Easton settling into his new life out of the public eye and into obscurity quite well. However, his newfound peace is shattered by the return of his niece Diana to the small Adelaide Hills town of Uraidla, as she flaunts her successful new London career and love life.
Mediaweek spoke to Thomson ahead of the season two premiere of Aftertaste on Wednesday, July 20 at 9.10 pm on ABC and ABC iview.
“I’m excited and a little bit nervous. In season one, no one knew what to expect, but in season two, they’ve [the audience] got an idea of what they liked from season one and maybe a few things they didn’t like,” Thomson said.
After an almost 18-month hiatus, Thomson said the team were introspective throughout the production process.
“When you deliver something, it’s very personal. It’s been a lot of hard work, and there are so many moving parts, so delivering it to the audience is always nerve-racking.”
Season one of Aftertaste was an exploration of white male privilege, power, and the impact of cancel culture. It focussed on the downfall of Easton’s career and reputation as a Michelin Star celebrity chef as the world moves away from the “angry white guy schtick.”
Natalie Abbott (Diana) and Erik Thomson (Easton)
Thomson, who has starred in Packed to the Rafters, 800 words, and How to Please a Woman, said season two focuses on the rebuilding of Easton’s identity.
“He’s been working very, very hard to try and improve himself. He’s trying to reprogram himself to work with the world differently.
“It’s one thing to tell a guy to change their tune, it’s another thing to actually do it. It’s quite a difficult thing to unpick 50-odd years of conditioning and protecting one’s vulnerabilities through being an asshole, which is what Easton did.
“So I think in season two, we see a man who was trying to be a better man and failing from time to time, and that’s where the comedy comes from – especially once he gets back into the kitchen, because the kitchen is where that behaviour was celebrated. So now he has to work out: can he cook without being that guy? He is trying to work out, is cooking everything in his life? Or does he have other stuff that is equally as important?”
Meanwhile, Diana returns to her hometown after a stint in London as a pastry chef.
“There’s very much a Diana spin on season two; she’s got the main lines this season. She’s gone to do the London thing that she thought she had to do, but in doing that, what aspects of herself has she lost? And we explore that.”
Throughout season one, Easton and Diana’s relationship evolved with each episode. They leave season one on bad terms, but season two asks them to put their troubles aside when a secret from the past throws the West family into more chaos than ever.
“She wants him to apologise. He doesn’t think he’s got to apologise for anything. He didn’t want to cook, but by cooking with her again, he realises that that’s what makes him sing.”
Aftertaste was nominated for Most Popular Comedy series at the 2022 TV Week Logies. Thomson said it was an honour to get the nod from the Logies and the general public.
“It’s something that you certainly allow yourself to celebrate.”
“When we went up to the Logie awards, quite a lot of the cast went, and it was like Aftertaste on tour – we really enjoyed getting together and raising a glass to what we’ve achieved,” he added.
As season two is about to launch, the talk of another season comes to the forefront. Thomson said that although nothing is confirmed, he has an idea of where they would take the next season if the network were open to it.
“We’ve always seen it as a three-series thing. I don’t know if it would continue beyond that, but three series would certainly be a way for us to tell a complete story. So I hope we get a chance to do that.”
Aftertaste on Wednesday, July 20 at 9.10 pm on ABC and ABC iview.