The Bear (TV series)
| The Bear | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Comedy-drama |
| Created by | Christopher Storer |
| Directed by |
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| Starring | |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Running time | 20–47 minutes |
| Production company | FXP |
| Original release | |
| Network | Hulu |
| Release | June 23, 2022 – present |
The Bear is an American comedy-drama television series created by Christopher Storer. It premiered on Hulu on June 23, 2022, and stars Jeremy Allen White, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ayo Edebiri, Lionel Boyce, Liza Colón-Zayas, and Abby Elliott.[1] The series has received critical acclaim, with particular praise for the directing and performances of its cast. In July 2022, it was renewed for a second season,[2] which is set to premiere on June 22, 2023, and consist of 10 episodes.[3]
The sandwich shop interior is copied from the real-life Chicago shop Mr. Beef on Orleans, in River North. The creator was a frequent patron and friends with the son of the owner.[4]
For the first season, the series was nominated for Best Comedy Series at the Critics' Choice Awards and Golden Globe Awards.[5][6] White won Best Actor in a Comedy Series at the Critics' Choice Television Awards, Golden Globe Awards, and Screen Actors Guild Awards.[7][8][9] Additionally, Edebiri was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series at the Critics' Choice Awards,[5] while the series' ensemble cast was nominated for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.[10]
Synopsis
A young chef from the world of fine dining comes home to Chicago to run his family's Italian beef sandwich shop after the suicide of his older brother, who left behind debts, a rundown kitchen, and an unruly staff.
Cast
Main
- Jeremy Allen White as Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto, an award-winning New York City chef de cuisine, who returns to his hometown of Chicago to run his late brother Michael's failing restaurant
- Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Richard "Richie" Jerimovich, the de facto manager of the restaurant and Michael's old best friend
- Ayo Edebiri as Sydney Adamu, a talented but inexperienced chef who joins The Beef as its new sous chef under Carmy
- Lionel Boyce as Marcus, The Beef's bread baker turned pastry chef, spurred on by Carmy's mentoring
- Liza Colón-Zayas as Tina, an acerbic and stubborn veteran line cook
- Abby Elliott as Natalie "Sugar" Berzatto, Carmy and Michael's older sister and reluctant co-owner of The Beef
Recurring
- Edwin Lee Gibson as Ebraheim, a veteran line cook at The Beef
- Matty Matheson as Neil Fak, a childhood friend of Carmy and Michael, and sometimes-handyman for the restaurant
- José Cervantes as Angel, a dishwasher at The Beef
- Oliver Platt as Jimmy Cicero, uncle of the Berzatto siblings and major investor in the restaurant
- Corey Hendrix as Gary "Sweeps" Woods, a line cook at The Beef
- Richard Esteras as Manny, a dishwasher at The Beef
- Chris Witaske as Pete, Sugar's earnest husband, generally disliked by everyone
- Molly Gordon (season 2)[11]
Guest stars
- Jon Bernthal as Michael "Mikey" Berzatto, Carmy and Sugar's late brother, who died by suicide via gunshot four months before the events of the series
- Joel McHale as Carmy's old executive chef in New York City, who was abusive and dismissive
- Amy Morton as Nancy Chore, a scrupulous health inspector
- Molly Ringwald as the meeting moderator of the Al-Anon meetings that Carmy attends
- Bob Odenkirk (season 2)[12]
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "System" | Christopher Storer | Christopher Storer | June 23, 2022 | |
|
In the summer of 2022, James Beard Award-winning chef Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto returns home to Chicago to manage The Original Beef of Chicagoland, a rundown River North restaurant owned by his brother Michael, who recently died by suicide. His brother's best friend, Richie Jerimovich, and the stubborn staff resist Carmy's proposed changes to modernize the restaurant. Carmy hires Culinary Institute of America-trained chef and Chicago native Sydney Adamu, who wants to help him fix the restaurant because it was her dad's favorite. | |||||
| 2 | "Hands" | Christopher Storer | Christopher Storer | June 23, 2022 | |
|
In a flashback, Carmy works at a fine dining restaurant in New York City where his boss verbally abuses him. In the present, Carmy attempts to overhaul the menu as he faces continued resistance from the staff members who fail to show him respect. Carmy's sister, Natalie "Sugar" Berzatto, attempts to help but struggles to connect with her brother. After a health inspector discovers multiple safety and sanitation issues, the restaurant is given a C rating. Carmy discovers how poorly the restaurant has been managed, and that his brother was $300,000 in debt to their uncle, Cicero. Cicero offers to buy the restaurant from Carmy, who refuses and agrees to pay back his brother's loan. Sydney wants to be paid as a proper sous-chef. Richie reveals to Sydney that Michael wouldn't allow Carmy to work in the restaurant when he was younger and that he shot himself in the head four months prior. | |||||
| 3 | "Brigade" | Joanna Calo | Christopher Storer | June 23, 2022 | |
|
Carmy attends an Al-Anon meeting in an attempt to better understand his brother's struggles with addiction. At the restaurant, he introduces a Brigade de cuisine style kitchen and relies on the ill-prepared and increasingly frustrated Sydney to manage it. After initial failures, the staff begins to connect to their new roles, particularly Marcus, the passionate baker. Carmy and Sydney clash over how to best run the restaurant. | |||||
| 4 | "Dogs" | Christopher Storer | Sofya Levitsky-Weitz | June 23, 2022 | |
|
Carmy and Richie cater a children's birthday party for Cicero. Carmy creates homemade Ecto cooler, which is accidentally spiked with Richie's Xanax, causing the children to pass out in the yard. To their surprise, Cicero finds it humorous. Meanwhile, Sydney bonds with the restaurant staff and begins to earn their respect. Marcus becomes passionate about his new chocolate cake program. | |||||
| 5 | "Sheridan" | Joanna Calo | Karen Joseph Adcock | June 23, 2022 | |
|
Carmy and Sydney agree to create a new dinner menu to drive up profits. As they prepare to open for lunch, a toilet backup causes a spill. Carmy calls Fak, Richie's friend, to fix it. Wanting to become an official employee, Fak interviews with Richie which culminates in a fight; requiring Carmy to break them up. Fak reveals that Richie has been selling cocaine in the alley behind the restaurant. Richie explains this got the business through the COVID-19 pandemic. Richie agrees to stop. As Marcus rushes to bake cakes, a fuse blows and the restaurant's operations cease. When Fak informs Carmy it will cost over $5,000 to replace a damaged condenser, he asks Richie to get the money by selling cocaine one final time. | |||||
| 6 | "Ceres" | Joanna Calo | Catherine Schetina & Rene Gube | June 23, 2022 | |
|
Sydney develops a risotto meal for an upcoming dinner menu, but Carmy rejects it; Sydney serves it to a customer. Sugar comes to the restaurant to work on the problem of back taxes and looks with Carmy for the missing documents needed for filing. Marcus continues to work hard on developing his donuts but finds himself behind on restaurant work. The restaurant has its windows shot out by stray gunfire, and Richie asks the local gangsters to find out who did it. Later, the gangsters get into a scuffle, which Sydney breaks up by offering them leftovers; Richie feels left out and unneeded because of Sydney's success and calls the cops on the gangsters. | |||||
| 7 | "Review" | Christopher Storer | Joanna Calo | June 23, 2022 | |
|
Ebraheim reads aloud a new review of the restaurant which gives it a good appraisal, with especially high regards for the risotto dish which Sydney gave to the reviewer as a kind gesture. Tina's son got suspended so she brings him to the diner to learn culinary skills. As the morning's prep work is completed, the team learns that Sydney left on the preorder option for their to-go service, and hundreds of tickets pile in minutes before the lunch rush. Carmy blows up on Sydney and Marcus. Sydney accidentally stabs Richie in the chaos and announces her immediate resignation as Carmy begins to mentally deteriorate. | |||||
| 8 | "Braciole" | Christopher Storer | Christopher Storer & Joanna Calo | June 23, 2022 | |
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Carmy attends an Al-Anon meeting and shares how he got into the restaurant business because his brother never let him work at The Beef. Sydney and Marcus meet at her apartment and discuss their futures after they both quit due to Carmy's outburst in the kitchen. The Beef hosts a bachelor party, where a fight breaks out and Richie is arrested for nearly killing a guest. The man recovers and Richie is charged with aggravated assault rather than manslaughter. Marcus returns to work and Carmy apologizes. Carmy accidentally starts a stove fire while lighting a cigarette and stares blankly at it while the other chefs put it out. Richie gives Carmy a letter left to him by Michael, which includes a spaghetti recipe and notes that they use smaller cans of tomatoes because they taste better. Carmy opens one of the cans and finds hundred-dollar bills hidden inside; they close the restaurant for the day as the chefs open all the cans and find more hidden money. Sydney returns after Carmy apologizes to her over text and suggests improvements to her risotto dish. Carmy hangs a sign announcing the closure of 'The Beef', and that a new restaurant called 'The Bear' will be opening soon. | |||||
Release
The Bear premiered on Hulu in the United States on June 23, 2022.[13] It is available internationally in the Star hub on Disney+.[14]
The 10-episode second season is set to premiere on June 22, 2023.[3]
Music
The Bear has a soundtrack of 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s alternative and mainstream rock classics, chosen by the show's creator Christopher Storer and executive producer Josh Senior. Some of the songs featured on the show include Chicago-based Wilco with "Spiders (Kidsmoke)", "Impossible Germany", and "Via Chicago", Radiohead's "Let Down", Van Morrison's "Saint Dominic's Preview", Pearl Jam's "Animal", Sufjan Stevens' "Chicago", John Mayer's "Last Train Home", Refused's "New Noise", The Breeders' "Saints", Counting Crows' "Have You Seen Me Lately?", Genesis' "In Too Deep", John Mellencamp's "Check It Out", and R.E.M.'s "Oh My Heart".[15]
Reception
Audience viewership
According to the streaming aggregator Reelgood, The Bear was the second most watched program across all platforms, during the week of July 13, 2022,[16] the most watched program during the week of July 22, 2022,[17][18] and the seventh most watched program during the week of July 27, 2022.[19] According to the streaming aggregator JustWatch, The Bear was the second most streamed television series across all platforms in the United States, during the week ending July 3, 2022,[20] and the second during the week ending July 17, 2022.[21] FX announced that the series was the most watched comedy series in the network’s history.[22]
Critical response
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 100% with an average rating of 8.7/10, based on 77 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Like an expertly confected sandwich, The Bear assembles a perfect melange of ingredients and stacks them for optimal satisfaction—and thankfully keeps the crust-iness for extra flavor."[23] Metacritic gave the series a weighted average score of 88 out of 100 based on 24 critic reviews, indicating "universal acclaim."[24]
The American Film Institute named it one of the ten best television programs of the year.[25] The Guardian named it number one of the best 100 TV shows of 2022 and described it as "the best workplace drama since Mad Men".[26][27]
The Bear appeared in the top ten on numerous publications' "Best of 2022" lists, including first for The A.V. Club, BBC, People, and TVLine, among others.[28]
Accolades
References
- ^ Grobar, Matt (May 31, 2022). "The Bear Trailer: Jeremy Allen White's Chef Takes Over Family Sandwich Shop In FX Comedy". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
- ^ Nemetz, Dave (July 14, 2022). "The Bear Renewed for Season 2". TVLine. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
- ^ a b Shanfeld, Ethan (May 8, 2023). "'The Bear' Announces Season 2 Premiere Date". Variety. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
- ^ Simon, Scott (July 23, 2022). "The Bear puts a spotlight on Chicago's Italian beef". NPR. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
- ^ a b Davis, Clayton (December 14, 2022). "Critics Choice Nominations: Everything Everywhere All at Once Leads With 14, Followed by The Fabelmans and Babylon". Variety. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
- ^ a b Kirsten, Chuba; Lewis, Hilary (December 12, 2022). "Golden Globes: List of Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
- ^ a b Nordyke, Kimberly (January 15, 2023). "Critics Choice Awards: Full List of Winners". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 16, 2023. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
- ^ Nordyke, Kimberly (January 10, 2023). "Golden Globes: Full List of Winners". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
- ^ a b Shafer, Ellise (February 26, 2023). "SAG Awards 2023 Winners List". Variety. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
- ^ a b Hipes, Patrick (January 11, 2023). "SAG Awards Nominations". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
- ^ Petski, Denise (May 5, 2023). "The Bear: Molly Gordon Joins Season 2 Of FX Series As Recurring". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
- ^ Shanfeld, Ethan (April 26, 2023). "Bob Odenkirk Joins The Bear Season 2 (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
- ^ Pedersen, Erik (May 13, 2022). "FX Summer Premiere Dates: Reservation Dogs, What We Do In The Shadows, New Series The Old Man & The Bear, More". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
- ^ "Disney+ Sets Launch Date for the Critically-Acclaimed Original Series The Bear in the UK and Ireland" (Press release). Disney. September 1, 2022. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
- ^ Hyden, Steven (July 11, 2022). "Inside The Delightful Dad Rock Soundtrack Of The Bear". Uproxx. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
- ^ Gruenwedel, Erik (July 15, 2022). "Reelgood: Stranger Things, The Bear, Doctor Strange 2 Top Weekly Streaming". Media Play News. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
- ^ "The most watched TV shows and movies this week include some truly terrifying titles". Mashable. July 23, 2022. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
- ^ Gruenwedel, Erik (July 22, 2022). "Reelgood: Netflix Dominates Streaming Week, But Hulu's The Bear No. 1 Show". Media Play News. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
- ^ Gruenwedel, Erik (July 29, 2022). "Reelgood: Netflix's The Gray Man Topped Streaming Content Through July 27". Media Play News. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
- ^ Gruenwedel, Erik (July 5, 2022). "JustWatch: The Old Man, Everything Everywhere All at Once Top Weekly Streaming". Media Play News. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
- ^ Gruenwedel, Erik (July 18, 2022). "JustWatch: Everything Everywhere All at Once Tops Jurassic World Dominion Streaming at Home". Media Play News. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
- ^ @tvmojoe (December 7, 2022). "Apparently Hulu has been very good for FX" (Tweet). Retrieved December 10, 2022 – via Twitter.
- ^ "The Bear: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on October 31, 2022. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
- ^ "The Bear: Season 1". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Archived from the original on October 31, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
- ^ a b Lewis, Hilary (December 9, 2022). "AFI Best Film, TV Shows of 2022 Include Avatar Sequel, Women Talking, The Bear and Mo". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
- ^ Mangan, Lucy (December 21, 2022). "The 50 best TV shows of 2022: No 1 – The Bear". The Guardian. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
- ^ Heritage, Stuart (December 25, 2022). "'Best workplace drama since Mad Men': the sandwich-makers who shook the world". The Guardian. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
- ^ Dietz, Jason (December 5, 2022). "Best of 2022: Television Critic Top Ten Lists". Metacritic. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
- ^ Lewis, Hilary (November 28, 2022). "Everything Everywhere All at Once Tops Gotham Awards; Full Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
- ^ Piña, Christy (December 6, 2022). "People's Choice Awards: Doctor Strange 2, Don't Worry Darling Take Top Prizes". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 7, 2022. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
- ^ Shackleton, Liz (December 15, 2022). "The Banshees Of Inisherin, Everything Everywhere All At Once Head Nominations For Australia's AACTA International Awards". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
- ^ Ritman, Alex (March 22, 2023). "BAFTA TV Awards: This is Going to Hurt, The Responder Lead Pack of Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
- ^ Pedersen, Erik (January 10, 2023). "Cinema Audio Society Awards Nominations Set: Avatar: The Way Of Water, Top Gun: Maverick, Elvis & More". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
- ^ Pedersen, Erik; Hipes, Patrick (January 10, 2023). "DGA Awards Sets TV, Documentary And Commercials Nominations For 75th Anniversary Edition". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
- ^ Giardina, Carolyn (January 9, 2023). "Everything Everywhere All At Once Leads Sound Editors' Golden Reel Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
- ^ Lewis, Hilary; Coates, Tyler (December 13, 2022). "Film Independent Spirit Award TV Nominations: Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Severance, Station Eleven Lead". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
- ^ Davis, Clayton (January 12, 2023). "PGA Awards Nominations: The Whale and Four Blockbuster Sequels Recognized, Films Directed by Women Shut Out". Variety. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
- ^ "IPA Reveals Nominations for the 27th Satellite™ Awards". International Press Academy. December 8, 2022. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
- ^ Coates, Tyler (January 11, 2023). "WGA Awards 2023: Abbott Elementary, Andor, The Bear and Severance Among New Series Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
