faceintheblue t1_j665uc7 wrote on January 28, 2023 at 12:00 AM

There is a lot of criticism in this thread. I'll say it's a very pleasant show to watch with your significant other at the end of a long day. You feel like you're going on a nice little vacation with a super-positive person who just wants you to have a good time. Is it Bourdain? No, and I for one am happy it doesn't try to be. Let the man have this amazing chapter of his life and bring his family and us along for the ride. There isn't one episode where I feel he ever wasted my time.

mackinoncougars t1_j67c0i8 wrote on January 28, 2023 at 5:55 AM

He’s got some golden retriever energy and once you accept Phil is a bundle of positivity it makes it so much easier to view his quirks.

USeaMoose t1_j66gj9s wrote on January 28, 2023 at 1:20 AM

Maybe I should give it another try.

I'm not here to dump on the guy, but I did try watching it once years ago, and found him pretty annoying. And at the time I think I was not a fan of how it was structured? But I might be misremembering that.

In theory I'm the target audience. I like food shows. Competition, travel, documentary, instructional, comedy. But for whatever the reasons were, I dropped this one very quickly.

It lasting this long makes me think that maybe I missed something? Or maybe people are tuning in for different reasons than motivate me. If the draw is just "hanging out with friendly Phil", it may just not be made for me.

jelatinman t1_j66m6o9 wrote on January 28, 2023 at 2:03 AM

Phil is polarizing but I did find myself gradually warming up to him. Really it’s a light show with pretty scenery and bougie restaurants, with some truly heartwarming moments occasionally (like his love for his Down syndrome afflicted cousin). I’m shocked that Netflix hasn’t stopped making it - while it’s cheaper than many shows, this type of travelogue is only popular on E/I television in the US or travel channel reruns.

BruceChameleon t1_j687zpd wrote on January 28, 2023 at 12:56 PM

It might not be. For me the draw is definitely "nice guy goes around appreciating the world", plus I get to see beautiful food in 4k. Phil is a cozy show just as much as a travel/food show.

BananasAndPears t1_j68shvf wrote on January 28, 2023 at 3:49 PM

Dunno man, I felt the Oaxaca episode was pretty meh. It just didn’t seem like he liked being there and they ate the same tacos made by different people like 3 times. That one was a yawner imho.