Series Review: The Bear (Season 1, 2022)
by J Nagle
Whether it’s with It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia or What We Do in the Shadows, FX has proven time and time again to be capable of broadcasting some of the year’s hottest programs in TV. Last year, The Bear proved itself to be a new name worthy of carrying on this lineage of acclaimed FX programming, with the show’s second season releasing earlier this summer. With said season review already underway here, we wanted to take a moment to review the show’s first season, giving an overview of what’s captivated audiences and critics alike.
The Bear follows Carmen Berzatto—known in the show as Carmy as well as the titular Bear—as he manages the restaurant inherited from his brother Jeremy’s death, The Original Beef of Chicagoland. This narrative is juggled with many other struggles Carmy is managing simultaneously, such as his brother having died in the first place. As both narratives progress and characters develop throughout the season, we get to see their perspectives on both the restaurant’s process and their own methods of processing grief.
The writing throughout the restaurant narrative has multiple strengths and weaknesses that can both entice its viewing audience while also occasionally failing to ignite the same spark other parts have. At times, the cooking segments can feel like they bring little progression to the characters’ development or that of Carmy’s personal struggles, despite how well-directed each shot of said cooking feels. By the fourth or fifth episode, most sections of said segments can feel a bit samey in how they add to the story, as well as moving a bit too quick at times for some. However, some of this is in the show’s favor, as the fast pace goes to justify the frantic nature of the restaurant, as well as serving as an extremely accurate point of view of working in the food service industry.
The restaurant introduces the audience to the main characters they’ll get to know throughout the course of the season, ranging from new recruits to those who have been there since before the death of Carmy’s brother when he ran the establishment. This is where the show excels—each character gets their own time to shine during the season and flesh themselves out. Whenever Carmy’s late brother is brought up, each recalls a different memory or tradition from when he was around to manage the team, and each member of the team clashes or gels with the new management style in a different way. Sometimes the team just wishes his brother had stuck around with them—and occasionally, so does Carmy.
Both seasons of The Bear are now streaming on Hulu.