The Bear: Trauma Through Food

TW: Mentions of suicide, stressful sequences, and portrays a toxic work environment

The Bear is a 2022 Hulu original show about a young chef from the world of fine dining who comes home to Chicago to run his family’s Italian beef sandwich shop after the suicide of his older brother, who left behind insurmountable debts, a rundown kitchen, and an unruly staff. The Bear is an impeccable showcase of the mastery of cooking and how one could avoid their personal problems with their work. The Bear stars Jeremy Allen White (Shameless), Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Come Out and Play), Ayo Edebiri, and Lionel Boyce (Loiter Squad). The first season runs for about 4 hours with 8 episodes. The Bear is rated TV-MA for profanity and intense sequences.

The opening sequence of The Bear is of Chicago and its culture, spliced with Carmen (Jeremy Allen White) trying to get supplies for the restaurant in creative ways. We get this insanely paced scene of old photos of Chicago and a b-roll of the city moving at supersonic speeds with the everyday struggle of working there. We get the information about where we are located, our main character and his efforts, why he’s there, and what he’s doing there in a 4-minute sequence with banging drums and staccato guitars accelerating the sequence. 

What I love about this show and its opening is that it tells a stressful story about the trials and tribulations of being in the cooking industry. Under the surface, it is also a story about quiet grief that outlets through the creation of food. This theme expresses itself most in the characters and their actions.

The characters are the main orbiting point of the emotion and plot progression. Certain characters like Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas) seem very stubborn and pompous. Still, there’s a little more under the surface than just bullheadedness. One of the throughlines of all these characters is their past experiences forcing them to act the way they do. At some point in the season, we learn a little about everyone’s past to understand how it has influenced their behavior and decisions. The information puts their earlier actions and decisions into context. This ability of retrospect makes a second viewing more complete and enjoyable. 

Jeremy Allen White plays the primary character, Carmen. His journey throughout the season involves self-discovery and letting his past go. It all starts when his brother, Mikey, commits suicide. Mikey owned his family restaurant, The Beef, which Carmen has to take over after his death. This theme of using work as an outlet for your pain is solidified by Carmen’s character and conflict. 

The way that The Bear shows love and pain when it comes to the art of making food is masterful. This love is demonstrated through the cinematography, which is one of my favorite aspects of The Bear. It ensures that all the food is treated with the same level of deliciousness. For example, there is a character whose motivation throughout the season is to make a perfect doughnut. In the scenes where that character is going through the experiments of creating this perfect doughnut, the shots of this pastry are mouthwatering.

The Bear’s primary setting is the kitchen, probably because it’s about the restaurant industry and the people behind the cooking of the food. Most of the critical moments in the story take place in the kitchen, so it has to feel lived in and loved. You quickly get familiar with the layout and orientation of everything since 60% of the show is in The Beef’s kitchen. In a particular episode, you literally get a walk-through of the building with the format of a long take. So, needless to say, with the amount of coverage the building receives by the end, you can see all angles of The Beef.

The Bear is one of the most impressive shows in 2022, with strong characters, excellent production design, cinematography that stands out, and a personal message of accepting your past to move forward. Season 2 is confirmed and is projected to come out sometime in 2023. Watch The Bear on Hulu and form your own opinions. Check my Letterboxd for more short-form reviews  https://letterboxd.com/SpencerBengtson/