ABOVE AVERAGE

Whenever you visit a restaurant that has at least one Michelin star, you’re treated to an establishment that exudes class, offers attentive service and the finest dining in the world. Lord knows it isn’t for everyone; there will always be people who lack a genuine interest in what they’re eating, people who would never pay hundreds of dollars for a dining experience. Personally, I love going to great eateries. The finest ones have a façade to uphold, but you can spot the cracks here and there. I think it only humanizes these places and I feel relieved when I see it. The Bear was a series that took us behind that façade, with often heart-pounding results.

Beginning with a suicide
The story began in the wake of a suicide, because that’s comedy, apparently. That category was reserved for The Bear at the Emmys and the Golden Globes, leading to frequent discussions on whether or not the show was a weird fit alongside various sitcoms. The Bear was certainly funny, but its most gripping drama was dark, grim at times. After the death of Michael Berzatto (played by Jon Bernthal in frequent flashbacks), his brother Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) came back to Chicago to handle Michael’s restaurant, called The Beef. What to do with a sandwich shop that had a lot of debts while also dealing with staff and your own very loud family, including Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), a troubled foster brother who was the manager of The Beef? Fortunately, Carmy had experience from working in Michelin kitchens and saw a chance to turn The Beef into something special.

Inspired by an actual sandwich shop
When creating The Bear, Christopher Storer brought personal experiences into the project. Born in Illinois, there really was a sandwich shop that inspired him, and his sister Courtney is a chef who not only served as culinary advisor on the show, but also could inform him of the joy and pain of working in a restaurant kitchen. At its best, The Bear was a sharp, fast and action-filled account of everything that could go wrong on opening night, from the first stabs at turning The Beef into something worthwhile to that great last season that played out over one single, stormy day when the former Beef, now Bear, aimed to grab its first star. All done in the style of Boiling Point (2022).

Storer had a special knack for building comedy and tension, juggling individual dramas within an overarching story. The chaos in the kitchen translated to the Berzatto family at large, resulting in uneven episodes. Everybody fondly remembers ”Fishes” from the second season, a wild Christmas dinner, but there were many other storylines involving family members that came across as glumly forgettable, or borderline obnoxious (symbolized by Jamie Lee Curtis as Carmy’s high-strung mother).

Powered by charismatic performances and the show’s devotion to culinary creativity that resulted in mouth-watering dishes.

The passion of The Bear remained in the kitchen – and that’s also where the friendship and collaboration between Carmy and promising sous-chef Sydney Adamu (Ayou Edebiri) blossomed over the years, powered by charismatic performances and the show’s devotion to culinary creativity that resulted in mouth-watering dishes. The eclectic staff sometimes looked like a blend between psych ward and mob family.

Throughout the narrative highs and lows of The Bear, the show was visually impeccable, had a first-rate cast (elevating White and Edebiri to stardom) and also an engaging song score (that opted for terrific electronic music by Christian Lundberg in the last season).

The Bear 2022-2026:U.S. 47 episodes. Color. Created by Christopher Storer. Cast: Jeremy Allen White (Carmen ”Carmy” Berzatto), Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Richard ”Richie” Jerimovich), Ayo Edebiri (Sydney ”Syd” Adamu), Lionel Boyce, Liza Colón-Zayas, Abby Elliott, Matty Matheson, Edwin Lee Gibson, Jon Bernthal, Oliver Platt, Robert Townsend (23-26), Will Poulter (23-26), Jamie Lee Curtis (23-26). 

Emmys: Outstanding Comedy Series, Directing, Writing, Actor (White), Supporting Actor (Moss-Bachrach), Supporting Actress (Edebiri) 22-23. Golden Globes: Best Comedy Series, Actor (White), Actress (Edebiri) 23.

Last word: “I can’t tell you how many cooks would tell me, ‘Dude, I would walk out and have no idea what time it was. I’d have no idea what was happening in the outside world. And my personal life was in shambles. But when I was in the restaurant, I was obsessed with time.’ Which became this theme in our show. All the cooks and dishwashers are always under such pressure inside that the minute they step outside, it’s hard to even relate to the life you’re missing.” (Storer, Esquire)