The Bear season 2 raises the stakes and deepens the characters offering a compelling exploration. It is undoubtedly one of the best shows of 2023.
Picking up right after Season 1, The Bear returns with a plethora of new elements and ideas. It is a complete arc representing a side of the story and the characters that weren’t revealed in Season 1. The new season is again a remarkable achievement in television, worthy of the accolades showered upon it with great work both in front of and behind the camera.
Shutting the doors on The Beef, Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) and the group now work to open The Bear within 6 months. There is a lot to do and 6 months is ambitious enough, but as anyone who’s led a project knows there are endless roadblocks that threaten to push the deadline. The stakes are higher than previously anticipated as further capital is infused to realise the vision and Cicero (Oliver Platt) is called upon.
Despite the high stakes, the show overall slows down the pace with a few exceptions. Ritchie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) is on a journey of self-improvement and self-discovery. Carmy is learning to relax and have a personal life in the form of a girlfriend, Claire (wonderfully played by Molly Gordon).
More time is given for the smaller characters to breathe. There is a beautiful episode shot in Denmark where Carmy sends Marcus (Lionel Bryce) to master the craft of pastry-chef. Season 2 juggles using a wider lens to expand the world that was built in the old restaurant’s kitchen by setting the characters off on new paths and then zooms in further into their personalities. Each episode forms a short story anchored on a character, revealing the recipe that’s made them.
Season 1 won 6 Primetime Emmy Awards in the comedy section even though you’d be hard-pressed to find a single laugh-out-loud moment in the show. This season definitely leans on the comedy side with sight gags and screwballish banter. It has some tender and gooey moments, too. The episodes that involve Carmy’s love story and Ritchie gaining his sense of purpose pull at your heartstrings harder than most shows.
All the positivity is wonderful but the American Dream isn’t built on rose petals and marshmallows. With Carmy spending more time with Claire, Sydney (Ayo Edibiri) who’s now a partner at the new restaurant feels the pressure of the responsibility she has taken. Sydney is a strong character but it’s her vulnerability that Edibiri plays so beautifully. She is a standout this season.
While most of the show has its eye on the future, one episode takes us back to a scene from the past when Michael (Jon Bernthal, in a memorable cameo) was alive. This episode is like a TV special, in style and story, different from the rest of the season. Here, the creators have made an experience that borders on assaulting all senses almost packing all the anxiety left out from the remainder of the show (except for the finale) into one episode.
Besides the excellent cinematography, the food in this season is simply exquisite. I spent more time in the kitchen as a direct result of this show. But I couldn’t even replicate their omelette. Except for the puzzling ending, Season 2 is a magnificent creation like a comet’s ion tail following the Golden Age of Television.
Mikey – ‘Just don’t ask her.’
Sugar – ‘It’s not like a wanna ask her.’
Mikey – ‘I know, I know, but it’s that thing, you know…you ask somebody if they’re okay, they immediately start thinking they’re not acting okay…and that immediately makes them start not acting okay.’
Sugar – ‘No one can make anyone else act a certain way.’
Mikey – (laughs) ‘Okay.’