Packed with high-intensity stress, tension, and anxiety, the first season of “The Bear” was an unexpected success, sweeping critics and the public alike off of their feet, despite initial fears that the show would be too fast-paced, lacking substance in favour of cinematography. Contrary to these initial misgivings, “The Bear” brought something new to the table by showing what happens behind the scenes at a workplace, especially in an industry that many of us utilise every day. The fast-paced drama was like nothing seen before: showing both the simplicity and complexity of the blood and sweat, despair – and inspiration – behind every meal. The highly anticipated second season was released almost a year later on June 22, 2023, continuing to follow Carmen Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) and Sydney Adamu (Ayo Edebiri) as they try to reopen their family-run restaurant in a grimy yet charming side of Chicago.
While the first season emphasises the chaos emerging from an unforgiving kitchen, the second season delves into the meat of it all; the emotions and the events that lead to the way Carmen really is, as well as how his story folds into Sydney and Richie, Carmen’s sous chef and family friend, respectively. The show lures people in with its fast cuts and gripping dialogue juxtaposed against moments where it’s so quiet you can hear the characters breathing.
The second season of “The Bear” tactfully adds depth to the characters we know and love without crumbling into stereotypes of mental illness by bringing fresh approaches to grief, trauma, and the destruction it leaves behind. It shows tough characters like Carmen being scared of falling in love, experiencing emotions he has suppressed for years, and trying not to hurt the people he loves. The show refuses to make him like so many stereotypical chefs whose only vocabulary is swearing (although the show does have plenty of colourful vocabulary).
“The Bear” is a good TV show not only because of its great cinematography or its exceptional guest actors (including the incredibly talented Jamie Lee Curtis and Olivia Coleman) but also because of how it deals with issues that many shows are afraid to deal with – especially with seemingly very macho men, and in an enviornment that many people have experienced, namingly the kitchen. It shows the darker side of the hospitality industry (where according to a 2019 Nestlé and Work Well Independent UK study, 81% of UK chefs struggle with ‘debilitating’ stress levels) but offers hope by portraying how even when everything seems hopeless, everyone, even emotionally-internalised and angry men like Carmen and Richie can find the help they need through the people they love. That is the main message of “The Bear.” Not the chaos of the kitchens or the anger in families, but simply the importance of something that is so obvious that most people forget about but lingers through every aspect of our lives: love.
