By: Synthia Tashfi
Edited by: Nur Qistina
The Bear is an award winning, ongoing TV series that has slowly become my favourite show this year. Earlier this year, I heard a lot of buzz around this show during the award seasons and have seen a lot of memes relating to it, one of which where Jeremy Allen White (the lead of the series) was yelling in a kitchen– and somehow, I was invested. All I knew was that the show involves a lot of cooking and that the main character has a lot of trauma to unpack. Yes, sounds enjoyable indeed.
The series revolves around Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto, a world-class Michelin-starred chef who comes back to his hometown in Chicago to take over his brother’s restaurant after his brother’s demise. Halfway through season one, I understood why the series got so much credit, especially because of its storytelling, which was top notch. Montages of the city of Chicago, close-ups of the elements that represent the characters, and fast and slow cuts of the cooking really immerse whoever is binge-watching into the world of The Bear. One notable episode, “Review,” has a 17 minute one-take of a kitchen in chaos upon discovering they are behind on their orders.
Aside from the excellent cinematography and editing, I was fully engaged in the plot, as I was rooting for Carmy and the other chefs to make their restaurant better. Season two delves deeper into each of the characters’ development as they are preparing for the rebranding of the restaurant. Notable episodes such as “Fishes” and “Forks” provide great backstory to the Berzatto Family and their dysfunctionality, while also providing satisfying progression to the character of Richie (also known as Cousin), who becomes a fan favourite as he finds purpose while climbing from his rock bottom.
Since the release of season 3 in June, The Bear has had a mixed response from the audience, as opposed to the usual high praise. While some say they have enjoyed it, others complain that the pacing is too slow and the storyline is too messy. For me, season 3 of The Bear is exactly why I like the show overall: representing trauma through family and food. As much as I liked the faster storylines of progress before, the slow reflective focus on the mental health of some of the characters and their deep-rooted trauma hits home and feels real. It shows the diversity of the writing where we can see characters learning new things, improving with resilience, and finding purpose, while also showing characters stuck in their ways due to their suppressed trauma. I feel that the seasons of the show also represent the non-linear aspect of anyone in recovery– the first season being the stage of learning, the second being the progression, while the third represents the slow phase in our lives, where one feels stuck. The third season also provides a closer look into the aspect of abusive cycles and the result of either breaking or continuing the cycle.
All in all, it should be known that The Bear is a great show that delves into the food service industry as well as sensitive issues such as mental health, addiction, and suicide, so one must be cautious of delving into the content. Even so, the story can become heartwarming, with a surprising dry humour that provides a mixed bowl of emotions upon watching it. As the series is still ongoing, I imagine the writers are still cooking up a way to make the next season just as different but as good as the rest. I only hope that despite the recent criticism, they can still serve an intriguing storyline next year. As the fans on the internet say: let them cook.
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