Here it all begins: Carla throws in the towel… A week of disillusionment, courage and new trials at the Auguste Armand Institute!
The episodes airing between October 20 and 24, 2025, promise to be particularly intense for the students and teachers of the Auguste Armand Institute. After weeks of tension, pressure, and disappointment, Carla finally reaches her limits. The talented but impulsive student will have to make a heartbreaking choice: keep fighting despite everything, or give up everything. Between emotional exhaustion, heightened rivalries, and painful truths, this week promises to mark a major turning point in her career. But behind Carla’s fall, the fragile balance of the Institute threatens to collapse.
It all begins when Carla is going through a period of intense self-doubt. Her recent failures in the kitchen and the harsh criticism from her teachers have deeply hurt her. Teyssier, true to himself, gives her no respite: he demands perfection, even if it means pushing her to the limit. Despite the encouragement of her friends, especially Jim and Bérénice, Carla can no longer find the motivation that once drove her. Her gestures are less precise, her dishes lack flavor, and her once-flaming gaze seems empty. “I don’t belong here anymore,” she confides one evening to Lionel, her voice trembling.
But the pressure doesn’t just come from the kitchen. Outside, Carla must also confront the tensions in her relationship. Her relationship with Jim is going through a deep crisis. The two young people, who until now formed a solid duo, are gradually drifting apart. Arguments become frequent, and unspoken words accumulate. Jim, caught between his ambitions and his love for Carla, no longer knows how to support her. He wants to help her, but every word seems to hurt her more. “Stop feeling sorry for me!” she tells him, exhausted. This cry from the heart resonates like a warning sign: Carla can’t take it anymore.
Meanwhile, the other students prepare a decisive test orchestrated by Clotilde and Teyssier. The theme: revisiting an iconic dish with a personal touch. A perfect opportunity for everyone to demonstrate their creativity. But for Carla, this test becomes a nightmare. She spends hours searching for inspiration, without success. Her attempts end in resounding failure. During the presentation, her poorly executed dish receives harsh criticism. “You have talent, but you refuse to surpass yourself,” Teyssier reproaches her coldly. These words, for her, sound like a condemnation.
Humiliated, Carla leaves the room in tears. Her classmates try to comfort her, but she remains silent. When evening comes, she doesn’t return to the residence. Worried, Jim and Bérénice go looking for her. They find her sitting alone on the pontoon, facing the lake, lost in thought. “I think I’m going to leave,” she tells them simply. A sentence that chills them. Carla is seriously considering leaving the Institute. For her, continuing no longer makes sense. She no longer recognizes herself in this constant competition, in this pressure that eats away at her day after day.
The next day, the news spread like wildfire. The students were shocked. Some refused to believe it, others wondered if it was just a whim. Teyssier remained silent, observing the situation with his usual detachment. Clotilde, on the other hand, tried to intervene. She summoned Carla to her office and tried to reason with her. “You’re one of the most promising of your generation. You can’t just give up everything now.” But Carla, her eyes welling up, replied with disarming sincerity: “I’m not sure I still love this job.” A sentence that sounded like an admission of exhaustion, but also of disillusionment.
At the same time, tensions between Jim and Carla reach a peak. A desperate Jim tries to convince her to stay. “You can’t run away from every failure,” he tells her. But Carla reacts violently: “It’s not a failure, it’s a liberation.” She wants to regain control of her life, away from the pressures of the Institute and the expectations of others. A brutal, heartfelt argument breaks out, with each side pouring out their hearts. In the end, a heavy silence falls. Jim understands he’s losing her, but there’s nothing he can do about it.
Meanwhile, life at the Institute continues, but Carla’s absence is felt. In the kitchen, everything seems different. Bérénice, usually cheerful, is dejected. Even Lionel, often ironic, is more discreet. The team becomes disorganized, and Teyssier finally lets out a scathing comment: “Maybe this school isn’t for the weak.” A shocking statement, but one that hides a form of bitterness. Behind his harsh tone, Teyssier knows he may have pushed Carla too far.
The highlight of the week comes when a public demonstration is organized at the Institute, attended by alumni and renowned professionals. While everyone is busy, Carla makes a surprise appearance. She has come to say goodbye. The emotion is palpable. Everyone holds their breath. Without a word, she puts on her white jacket one last time and prepares a symbolic dessert, simple but moving: a lemon tart, her very first dish at the Institute. The professors, touched, watch her in silence. Teyssier, seemingly impassive, simply says: “This time, you cooked with your heart.”
The poignant final scene shows Carla leaving the Institute, suitcase in hand. Jim watches her go, not daring to stop her. One last glance, a sad smile, and then she disappears down the aisle. Behind her, the doors of the Institute slowly close, like a chapter ending. The camera lingers on Teyssier, pensive, before he murmurs: “Some people have to fall to get back up.” A meaningful phrase, suggesting Carla’s possible return in the coming weeks.
This week of Here It All Begins explores with rare accuracy the limits of dreams and the pressure of perfectionism. Through Carla’s fall, the series reminds us that passion, without balance, can become destructive. Between drama, emotion, and rebirth, these episodes offer a lesson in courage and sincerity. Because sometimes, to start over better, you have to know when to stop everything. And at the Auguste Armand Institute, one certainty remains: even when you throw in the towel, the flame of cooking never truly goes out.
