Kitchen dramedy ‘The Bear’ cooks up the perfect show

Collegian | Madelyn Hendricks

Christian Arndt, Staff Reporter

There have been numerous portrayals of culinary and restaurant work through movies and television, but none has captured the pure and raw kitchen environment as well as “The Bear.”

The plot revolves around Jeremy Allen White’s character Carmy, a Michelin-starred chef leaving a world-famous restaurant in New York City in order to maintain his recently deceased brother’s sandwich shop, The Beef, in Chicago.

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“The Bear” has plenty of layers to cut through. Not only are there scenes of tenderness between a family attempting to put together the pieces of complicated relationships and a tragic death, but the show also manages to pack in scenes of laugh-out-loud moments that bring characters closer together. These scenes brilliantly help these characters feel real and provide a wonderful freshness to every episode.

The different characters that fill this show are all different in their each unique ways. For example, Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas) and Ebraheim (Edwin Lee Gibson) are some of the few that has been at the restaurant the longest and are often reluctant to let Carmy alter an already problematic routine that has been semi-proficient at best.

Meanwhile, characters like Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) and Marcus (Lionel Boyce) look up to Carmy in hopes of learning something valuable given his prior cooking experience. Each character is in the kitchen for a reason, and the depth of these characters is expansive and makes them feel so very real. Character development and writing at this level do not come often in television, and it is something to truly marvel at.

Not only are the characters impressive in their own ways, but the use of the environment is equally as believable and impressive.

The scenes involving the pure and unfiltered intensity of a kitchen being buried underneath heaps of food ticket orders are bound to put sweat on the heads of anyone who has worked in the restaurant industry. This is what “The Bear” does so well. These scenes are so believable, it is as though you are peering into the window of a kitchen mid-lunch rush.

The cinematography in “The Bear” is utilized perfectly to create these high-stakes scenes. At numerous points throughout the show, close-ups of the characters’ eyes and sweat are shown in glorious detail while also showing their meticulous work on the dishes they are creating. The brilliant storytelling through the camera shows just how fast-paced and stressful the restaurant environment can be while also showing the delicate nature of creating food.

“The Bear” is, by far, the most authentic culinary experience to ever hit television. Not only does “The Bear” clear an already steep hurdle of blending familial drama, culinary work and working together in order to produce excellent meals in a timely manner, it also utilizes excellent cinematography, writing and heart-wrenchingly potent character portrayals perfectly. “The Bear” is hands-down one of the greatest television shows to air in the last decade.

“The Bear” is a must-watch for anyone. Whatever you look for in a show, “The Bear” will provide. With season two airing June 22, there is no better time to take a bite of this meaty show than now. “The Bear” streams on Hulu and airs on FX.

Reach Christian Arndt at entertainment@collegian.com or on Twitter @csucollegian.

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