The Bear season 1 (2022) review

The Bear takes place in the kitchen of a small restaurant called ‘The Beef’ run by a young chef nicknamed, ‘Bear’. It is a comedy-drama series that artfully captures the chaos of running a business striving to survive, with realistically mismatched characters and an authentic storyline. The Bear is hands down one of the best things currently on TV and one shouldn’t miss it.

Carmen ‘Carmy’ (Jeremy Allen White) wakes up from a nightmare and races to the restaurant, previously owned by his brother, Michael. Within minutes, the show transports us into its world with swooping camera movements, smash cuts, thrilling music and terrific acting. The anxiety-inducing pacing makes it seem that people in the show are always 15 minutes late. 

The Beef is a sandwich shop that belonged to Carmy’s family for decades and is a cornerstone of their neighbourhood in Chicago. Carmy spent much of his youth admiring his brother in the restaurant. He learned the culinary arts in France and worked in the best restaurant in the world as head chef, but due to tragic circumstances, he moved back home. Michael died and left the restaurant to him.

Carmy, with intense determination, decides to put the restaurant in order and turn it into a profitable business. Easier said than done, since the kitchen is disorganised and Carmy’s got to earn respect as most of the staff working there have been cooking for years and don’t give a shit about his experience working in fancy restaurants. He’s got Sydney (Ayo Edibiri) to help him, a young chef who is more than capable of sharing the load. Despite that, Carmy is way over his head as the restaurant is steeped in a crushing amount of debt.

Things already seem to hang on loose hinges, when he walks in. Richie. Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) is the personified model of a trainwreck. Loud, trashy, ignorant and a ticking time bomb. Richie used to run the restaurant with Michael and he’ll be there whether Carmy likes it or not. Richie advocates for the old ways because he doesn’t know any other way; constantly butting in and belittling Carmy’s plans. They have an interesting dynamic; they call each other ‘cousin’ but they are not related, Richie actually being Michael’s best friend.

Michael’s death didn’t just leave a hole in the guys’ lives but also Carmy’s sister, Sugar (Abby Eliott, doing a great job in a supporting role). Like a loving sister, she strives to maintain contact with Carmy and suggests he get therapy to deal with their brother’s loss. Carmy on the other hand, has decided to resolve his problems by drowning himself in the project of rebuilding the restaurant. They owe an enormous debt to Uncle Cicero (Oliver Platt playing an old gangster which is funny, because he could never have pulled off playing one in his younger years), which means they have to cater his kid’s birthday parties or host bachelor parties for him if they don’t want their legs broken.

But the real conflict in the show comes from the three main characters. Sydney has the calibre and ideas to fix the joint but her relentless energy is not something Carmy is in the mental space to handle right now. Whereas Richie and Sydney bring out the worst in each other. There is drama at every turn in this kitchen.

Jeremy Allen White’s dishevelled appearance is one of the most striking images on TV. He looks like a volcano about to erupt though it’s not in his personality to do so. This is a stylish, impressive performance. Edibiri compliments his performance with her effortless sincerity. Somehow, she makes it seem like the events unfolding on the show are happening to her for real. Moss-Bachrach externalizes Richie, looking like he isn’t getting the help needed to get ready in the morning. Like Carmy, there is a volcano of emotions bubbling inside him too. Unlike him, however, Ritchie rages on and picks fights, and keeps his feelings guarded.

And the food, oh my God, the food! The show ignites our senses stronger than cooking videos. The focus that Carmy puts into the food and the actors’ reactions when they finally taste it, is incredible. The effect works and we root for Carmy and his venture along with everyone in the kitchen in spite of seeing the best and worst of them.

The show’s creator Christopher Storer uses his own life experiences growing up around a sandwich shop to bring realism to The Bear. The conversations are genuine, lived-in; covering a vast range of situations even though the show predominantly takes place in a single location. When the show does leave its kitchen setting, the cinematographer Andrew Wehde, presents some amazing visuals, including those of the delicious food. The Bear Season 1 has set the stage for high expectations with its excitement-filled premise for a rich and dense TV series.