Reviews Series / The Bear 2022

This is Not Over, Bears!

The first thing I notice about The Bear is that its shot on traditional film. It's like that feeling you get when you try a new restaurant and discover the napkins are made of cloth, not the typical disposable paper crap you always see; it's so luxurious and makes you feel like you are being treated to something extra special. The film stock lends a crisp intensity to every shot in the show, giving it a unique and beautiful look. It's a masterful achievement considering 90% of the show is set in an ugly, greasy kitchen.

The Bear is a tightly written, tightly shot character driven comedy-drama, telling the story of Carmen, a genius chef who is stuck running a shitty family restaurant after his brother (the owner) took his own life. Like most chefs, Carmen is of a special breed who survives on cigarette breaks, adrenaline and hypertension alone. He does everything he can to keep the place afloat, suffering every second of the day to make it happen. His dead brother owes $300K, his family hate how he runs the place, and his only ally is Sydney, a new sous-chef is always perilously close to being completely overwhelmed.

One thing the show gets right is the feel of being back-of-house. The first episode presses you face first into the intense, chaotic, dangerous, borderline intolerable heat of a working kitchen. Line cooks shriek at each other, stoves catch fire, weapons are brandished. It's only slightly more dysfunctional than the real life places I've worked, and is easily the most authentic depiction of a restaurant I have seen.

Another thing the show gets right is the unique interpersonal drama of the kitchen. In my experience, there is no such thing as giving notice; loyal staff who devote years to place are one blazing row from walking out the door, never to be seen again. Or they turn up to work the next day, and no one cares how many swear words they traded with the head chef just the night before. There is no workplace culture as volatile, and it lends itself for a gripping story full of people who enjoy a strange camaraderie with one another, despite their constant anger at one another.

I found myself getting through the first season of Bear in no time at all, it's a thrilling, funny, exciting show that is passionate about its subjects; amazing food and the amazing people who make it. Absolutely recommended.