‘The Bear’ – One of the Best New Things On TV

Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) is a young and talented chef with a growing reputation within the culinary industry.

After the tragic death of Carmen’s estranged brother, Michael, the foodie phenom leaves one of the most exclusive restaurants in the USA to manage his family’s hole-in-the-wall sandwich diner.

Carmen returns to the Chicago neighbourhood where he grew up.

He finds the greasy-spoon restaurant his brother left him is buried in bills and health code violations.

The Bear is gripping in its depiction of a brigade of cooks who walk a fine line between organised chaos and abject panic in their daily quest to feed customers.

As a restauranteur, Carmen throws himself into a simmering stew of back-kitchen conflict mixed with an internal turmoil caused by grief and resentment.

The Intense Competition of Streaming TV

These days, there is virtually no limit to what people can download and no boundary to where and when content can be viewed. This has created intense competition between streaming platforms and an overwhelming menu of new shows. W

ith so many options available, some shows struggle to break through and it is a delight when a sleeper like The Bear gains the word-of-mouth buzz it deserves.

Show creators Christopher Storer (Ramy) and Joanna Calo (BoJack Horseman) strived to capture the authenticity of managing a sandwich diner in Chicago.

The series is coursed with eight episodes desperately paced with most of the dialogue occurring in the claustrophobic kitchen.

There is a suffocating realism to chefs squeezing behind each other just to do the simplest of tasks.

Collisions are narrowly avoided by shouting “Corner!” before finally delivering boxes of fresh produce to the chopping countertop.

What stands out the most in The Bear, though, are its lead performances.

Carmen’s “cousin” and Mikey’s best friend, Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), is a complex recipe of tenderness, charm, and volatility.

Richie is kind and loyal, but he is grieving and longs for the way things used to be. Lashing out is the only way he knows how to cope with the loss of his friend.

Carmen is more reserved and contemplative. He internalises the pain of resentment until the dam inevitably breaks.

The show’s pacing doesn’t allow for much backstory; at times, the audience is encouraged to read between the lines.

Carmen’s sister, “Sugar”(Abby Elliott), gets him to attend the local AA meeting.

The writing hints at a family history of substance abuse, and perhaps Carmen wants to better understand his brother’s personal struggle with addiction.

Carmen finally speaks during one of these meetings, and his seven-minute monologue is raw and painfully honest.

We can relate to the ache of regret and a desire to dull the pain with work and blind ambition.

Another bright spot in the series is its supporting cast, which includes Ayo Edebiri, who plays the ambitious protégé Sydney, who stubbornly keeps everything together.

Marcus (Lionel Boyce) is a perfectionist pursuing the perfect donut, while Tina (Liza Colon-Zayas) is an abrasive single mother who initially resists Carmen and Sydney.

Rounding out the ensemble are excellent cameos by Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead), Molly Ringwald (Sixteen Candles), and Oliver Platt (A Time to Kill).

The Bear has everything from solid directing and compelling performances to dynamic pacing and a memorable soundtrack on its menu.

If you are looking for that next show to binge, dive right in.

REEL DIALOGUE: What Does Family Mean to You?

For some, The Bear will bring a smile to their lips, and for others, it will cause tears to well up in their eyes.

The Bear does bring out the best and worst of the family experience. Yet, it always holds the value of family in high regard.

Family is a gift given to us by God, even if we may experience this gift as bittersweet (or, perhaps, worse).

Regardless of your personal reality with your family, have you taken the time to show appreciation to your parents, children, and extended family for the blessing they are to you?

Whoever troubles his own household will inherit the wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart. – Proverbs 11:29