The Bear is one of the best new shows I’ve seen this year. The show’s narrative surrounds around a young chef named Carmy (Jeremy Allen White). He’s forced to return from the high-stakes world of fancy restaurants to manage and run his family sandwich outlet after the death of his brother.
Carmy has a different way and style of things than the staff are used to, which causes some clashes. Managing a restaurant is certainly no easy task, with the pressure and family issues creating stress. Carmy struggles to maintain the budget, client relationships with suppliers, and customer supply until he learns how his brother used to run things. I feel for him. Season 1 is manic, energetic and at times terrifying. The whole cast is outstanding, as they band together to run this restaurant like its life or death. The drama originates from constant conflicts over the best way to do things, but the characters overcome it and work together for the good of the restaurant and its customers. In the kitchen with all its share of chaos and shared enthusiasm, the sounds of pots and pans and the shouts of “YES CHEF” mix together to create a recipe for an addictive drama.
The diverse personalities of the people working in the kitchen allow us to see ourselves in them: they have different ways of preparing food, different ways of thinking, differing nationalities, ages and genders. Sydney is my GIRL. It takes some of the crew some time to adjust to Carmy coming in and screwing up their daily routines, but many of the crew take the opportunity to up their game and their food becomes even better as a result. The rapid-fire conversations and fast-paced world of the kitchen is mesmerizing to watch.
I feel like one of the gang as they go through their ups and downs. Throughout season 1 they become a cohesive team. Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ayo Edebiri, Lionel Boyce, Liza Colón-Zayas, Abby Elliott, and Edwin Lee Gibson all give stand-out performances and are perfectly cast. Each embodies their character with depth and emotion that allows the viewer to connect on a deeper level, and that’s what makes this show so damn good. The creators and writers have done a terrific job.
With the majority of the show’s narrative occurring in the kitchen, The Bear successfully utilizes this to build the drama, the tension, the anxiety sky high. Episode 7 was the best of the series for me, I couldn’t look away as the kitchen energy hit breaking point. There is always something to do and no time to take breaks in the almost-claustrophobic space. The Bear truly draws viewers into it’s universe and once you’re in that kitchen, you can’t leave without seeing how it all ends. I need Season 2, FX & Hulu!
Photo Courtesy: FX
