Food service is a make-or-break industry at all levels. Whether one is scraping pennies at McDonald's or being screamed at by Gordon Ramsay at a Michelin-star restaurant, it's seldom depicted as an easy experience. Over the years, this has been showcased through Netflix's exhausting outflow of cooking competitions and in movies like Chef, Burnt, and the classic drama Julie & Julia. Even Disney's Ratatouille had fun with its try-hard protagonist who could never seem to ace his flavors despite his lifelong desire to be a chef.
Some people have what it takes, and some don't. FX's latest dark comedy The Bear takes this notion and brings it into a darker-than-ever territory, introducing a somewhat familiar storyline and combining it with intimate camerawork, nightmarish dream sequences, and a character-driven storyline drenched in a whole lot of grief.
Created by Christopher Storer with co-showrunner Joanna Calo, who also writes, directs, and executive produces, the series follows renowned chef Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto and his return to Chicago to take over his family's sandwich shop, The Original Beef of Chicagoland, after his brother's drug-and-alcohol-induced suicide.
The half-hour show is a masterclass in the dark comedy genre and doesn't shy away from the all-consuming nature of trauma and grief. Carmy, played by Shameless's Jeremy Allen White—best known for portraying Phillip "Lip" Gallagher in the long-running Showtime series—has been on the run from his family and his brother since he was a young adult, and is often his harshest critic despite training at the finest culinary institutions and boasting an impressive resume. Regardless, he is dedicated to reviving his brother's shop from the ruins it has been run into.
The restaurateur makes it his duty to whip the staff into shape and start bringing in a profitable income, much to the dismay of his sister Natalie "Sugar" Berzatto (Abby Elliott) and the restaurant manager Richard "Richie" Jerimovich (Ebon Moss-Bachrach). As one can predict, the kitchen staff goes on a journey of resistance to acceptance, leaving their resentment at the door to partake in the valuable lessons taught by the do-gooder and his new sous chef Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) as they discover that things run smoother when a professional takes charge. However, that doesn't mean that the show doesn't have a few tricks up its sleeve. With a myriad of cameos and its unabashed exploration of mental illness, The Bear finds its stakes in its characters, not the fictional business's success.
In his role, White proves that he's staying in Chicago, not because he has to, but because he's really good at it. His fast-talking and no-nonsense Carmy has a similar grit and rawness as his Shameless character. The character's body is littered with tattoos, and he is self-destructively smart and intuitive. He silently battles demons that are introduced through his ongoing nightmares which are often accompanied by jarring noises and quick flashbacks to the abuse he suffered through his training—experiences that either leave him in a trance or screaming himself awake. But the traumas he voices are the ones that are expected of him, such as his experiences growing up as a "bad student" with self-esteem issues and his brother's addictions, which led to the destruction of their relationship, and White plays this with a sense of ease and mystery, creating a man whose every admittance is a heartbreaker.
His co-stars Moss-Bachrach and Edebiri also pull their weight, with the latter being a surprising scene-stealer (following her recurring guest appearance in Apple TV's Dickinson where she delivered the punches but was never given the opportunity to shine). Moss-Bachrach plays the hot-headed Richie whose resistance to change is driven by the loss of his best—and probably only—friend. He is brash and stand-offish, and quickly makes enemies out of everybody despite his "I don't care" attitude. As his tough exterior begins to crumble, he is left clutching onto all that he has left.
Edebiri's Sydney is the exact opposite, she is a go-getter with the experience and skill to rise to any challenge, however her naivety and lack of experience stack against her as she is the victim of kitchen hazing and often used as the sponge for Richie and Carmy's rage. It is only when the three of them work together that the restaurant succeeds, but unfortunately, that's a rare occurrence despite the compelling chemistry of the actors: the silent bromance built between Richie and Carmy, the unsaid understanding between Richie and Syndey, and the admiration that Sydney holds for the famed chef.
Brilliantly starting off as a fiery mess, The Bear eventually sizzles down into a show that is guided by its found family. Never running out of steam, the dark comedy-drama nails its every beat, from its long, single-camera monologues, to its sharp cuts of kitchen prep, to its commitment to every character's quirk. The series has built a strong foundation over the course of its eight 30-minute episodes that will leave viewers craving another season (and a steaming Italian beef sandwich).
The Bear premieres June 23 via FX on Hulu.