The Bear — TV Review
“The Bear” opens with a cryptic dream sequence which indirectly serves as a title announcement as well. That’s not what got me hooked to the show. It was the opening of the song “New Noise” by Refused that sets both the tone and pace of the events that are about to unfold in a few moments. This particular guitar riff leaves such an impact that when they reuse it later for the final episode, your entire mind and body just prepares itself to see shit go down. Carmen ‘Carmy’ Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) wakes up from this dream, inside a restaurant kitchen, a setting that will become a mainstay for the show. He goes about his morning prep, but is constantly pulled aside to put out fires, of both the literal and figurative kind. The show then follows this up with a seamless transition into “Old Engine Oil” by The Budos Band, a jazz banger, which yet again, perfectly complements the proceedings.
Carmy has just inherited “The Beef”, his family’s Italian beef sandwich shop, following his older brother Michael’s suicide. His inheritance wasn’t limited to just the shop, but it’s debts, decrepit kitchen and unruly yet colourful staff. An award-winning New York City chef de cuisine, Carmy, hires Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) as sous chef and attempts to streamline the kitchen to raise it to the standards that he is used to working with. But he faces resistance from the stubborn staff and outright dismissive manager Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach).
It’s the classic homecoming meets fish-out-of-water plot that has time and again entertained audiences. But the series central conceit lies in its very affecting exploration of mental health and trauma. Carmy over works himself and avoids meeting or speaking to his sister to avoid processing the trauma of his brother’s death. Sydney seeks an opportunity to prove her mettle so that she can forgive herself for her past failures. Richie deals with his own insecurities about being second to Carmy, which contrasts with when he was running the shop with Michael. He displays this through his need for everyone’s validation that his system is the best and being unwelcoming to any change, both external and internal.
Carmy is presented as a flawed character, capable of both heart-warming empathy and unhinged temper tantrums. His dynamic with his staff and the way it ebbs and flows is an absolute treat to watch. When Carmy is outside the kitchen, he makes it a point to apologize for any of his bad behaviour. Earlier in the show, Marcus, played adorably by Lionel Boyce, messes up on his speciality cake. Short on time, a result of working on a passion project, he is forced to use the dough mixer rashly, overloading the electric circuits and leading to a power outage. While Sydney and the crew eventually manage to save the day, Carmy finds an apologetic Marcus hiding away from the rest of the staff. Marcus admits his mistake and promises he won’t repeat it again. We watch in awe as Jeremy Allen White transforms his Carmy from a demanding boss to that of a supportive mentor. He consoles Marcus by saying that he’ll continue to make mistakes, not intentionally, but because that’s how the job is. It’s an understated moment of pure compassion and respect.
The showrunners have chosen a grimy and grungy aesthetic for the show’s look and feel, keeping in line with the locality of the fictional restaurant. It speaks volumes about the attention to detail that has gone into materializing the show. The editing, writing, cinematography and acting are all top-notch in this show. While the show ends on an optimistic tone, the writers didn’t pick the most convincing way to get there, leaving much to the audience’s imagination. That’s until the next season, that is.
