Ok, so I’m nearly 2 years late to the party with this highly acclaimed series. Thankfully there are only two seasons so far, and it’s only about a half-hour per episode so it’s easier to binge on. It took us just over a week to finish the entire season.

For those who haven’t seen it, the series takes place in the Summer of 2022 in Chicago. The premise is intriguing – a talented young chef Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto leaves his fine dining career to return to his family’s sandwich shop, The Original Beef of Chicagoland. The show immediately throws us into a highly stressful day in Carmy’s life in a bustling, chaotic kitchen as everyone talks over each other and screams just to be heard. All the staff members are still reeling from the death of their former boss, Carmy’s brother Michael, who recently died by suicide, so naturally they have a hard time adjusting to a new guy taking over.

I was initially baffled as to why people call Carmy ‘Jeff,’ but later it clicked to me that it’s the way a long-time Puerto Rican veteran cook Tina Marrero pronounces ‘Chef.’ It’s a form of defiance that she has to report to a new boss whom she thinks needs to earn her respect. Adding fuel to the fire, especially to Tina and Michael’s bestie Richie Jerimovich, Carmy hires sous chef Sydney Adamu. The Culinary Institute of America-trained Sydney is the only one who recognizes Carmy’s James Beard Award-winning talent and reputation, but soon we learn of her own culinary prowess.

This is supremely fantastic TV but it can be so intense that people with hypertension issues should proceed with caution. I’m one of them and at times I have to pause watching a bit as my heart was palpitating! Showrunner Christopher Storer is a TV wunderkind as he wrote most of the series and directed some of the episodes. The directing style is just like how things are run in a busy kitchen: propulsive, tense, and frenetically paced with extremely quick cuts. I figure most kitchens of successful restaurants have to move at breakneck speed, but the way this place operates is simply insane. Emotions are running high and the temperature of the room is almost always at its boiling point, especially as it gets closer to the lunch rush when people are already waiting in line to get in! It’s perplexing that the restaurant is cash-strapped given it’s such a popular local eatery, but just like an onion, there are many layers to the story and we get to peel each one with each episode.

In such a saturated market of episodic TV, it’s tough for any show to stand out from the pack. But what sets The Bear apart is the edgy writing and the diverse, layered characters. The dialog is consistently snappy, raw, funny, and brutal but the best part is the characters and their daily grind feel real. Yes, some episodes may be over the top at times but even the most frenetic moments don’t feel jarring or out of sync with what we expect from the show. The stress level of the characters is off the charts and it’s contagious – let’s just say I wouldn’t measure my blood pressure after watching an episode of this, ha!

It’s the kind of series you can’t stop once you start viewing, the story is absorbing and immersive, while the actors did a phenomenal job bringing the characters to life.

I’ve never seen Jeremy Allen White before but he absolutely killed it as Carmy. Quiet and often sullen, Carmy isn’t the typical charismatic hero with effortless swagger… he’s a flawed, driven, perfectionist culinary genius, but he’s also kindhearted. White impeccably embodies this highly emotional character who keeps things pent up inside. He’s plagued by nightmares of a brown bear, which is a perfect metaphor for all the stress, anger, and even a sense of failure.

White and the charismatic and funny Ayo Edebiri are the stars of the show to me, I absolutely adore Sydney and her character arc is really compelling. The dynamic between White and Edebiri is nothing short of electric. Sydney is really put through the wringer in the first few episodes but she somehow pulls through in the end and becomes the leader the group desperately needs. There’s a famous Jane Austen quote ‘My courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me,’ and that makes me think of Sydney.

I’m enjoying the relationship between Sydney and Tina as well, which starts out quite explosive. I love Liza Colón-Zayas’s portrayal as a tough working woman who’s set in her ways, and the way the show handles the rapport between the staff is remarkable. I’d say those three are my favorite characters of Season 1, but I also have a soft spot for Lionel Boyce’s Marcus, the ambitious pastry chef who looks up to Carmy. He’s the quietest of the staff but he’s extremely talented that he’d likely own his own bakery one day.

Of course, there’s the Ebon Moss-Bachrach as the volatile Richie who behaves like a dickhead most of the time, likely because he has a hard time processing his grief over Michael’s death as well as the breakdown of his marriage. He’s a tough character to like, but the dynamic between Richie and well, everyone, is fun to watch. Edwin Lee Gibson’s Ebraheim (line cook), Matty Matheson’s Neil (the not-always-reliable handyman), and Abby Elliott’s Natalie aka Sugar (Carmy’s older sister) are memorable as well. Jon Bernthal as Michael and Oliver Platt as the restaurant’s key investor Cicero show up in a few episodes and both are perfect in their roles. Props to casting directors Jeanie & Maggie Bacharach (who happen to be sisters) for pulling together such a talented roster of talents!

I’ve enjoyed a few food movies like Jon Favreau’s Chef, Burnt, and The Taste of Things, as well as a bunch of food docs on streaming, but few are as visceral, grounded, and hypnotic as The Bear. I can practically smell the aroma of the freshly made soup, feel the heat of the burning stove, and salivate over their culinary creations. Yet the main theme of The Bear isn’t so much about the food or the rundown restaurant, but it’s about family. I know that when a series/movie says ‘it’s all about family’ it can be trite and clichéd (*cough* Fast & Furious franchise *cough*), but this show truly is about family, warts and all. There’s the Berzatto’s blood relatives, which shows that familial relationships can be pretty dysfunctional and toxic, and the familial bond of the restaurant staff who remains loyal even during the worst of times.

So in conclusion, The Bear lives up to its massive hype. I can’t get enough of this show, watching each episode is akin to getting a shot of adrenaline, The Bear is definitely not a show for young kids, not just because of the incessant foul language but due to the mature, often dark themes like suicide and loss. I can safely say this is the best show of the last few years and one of the best of the decade! I’ve started watching Season 2 already and I’m thrilled that Season 3 is currently in production. I even read that they’re filming Season 4 back to back with the 3rd, woot!!

Have you seen this show? I’d love to hear what you think!

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