Ricesome's Recommendations: The Bear
- Ricesome
- Sep 8, 2023
- 4 min read
Updated: May 3, 2024
As you might know, I have written and referenced various culinary movies, TV series, and food documentaries.......but never have I ever been so mesmerized by the chaos of the kitchen that is depicted in all of these shows....until now.
Recently, I watched the famous TV series by The FX television channel "The Bear" directed by Christopher Storer and starring Jeremy Allen White as the lead. I have heard about this show, and by heard I mean I have seen memes and clips of it online. I am not a cinema fanatic. I only watch movies to learn something or to write about them. The Bear is such a show that catches your attention in the first episode within minutes. It is the story of a young workaholic chef who has worked in restaurants all over the world and decides to take over his brother's restaurant after he (the brother) kills himself. The show cuts right to the chase without any dilly-dallying and so will I. Without further ado, here is why you should watch FX's The Bear.
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CORNER!
A Cook's Life & A Chef's Struggle
Have you ever heard of "Organized Chaos"? No, I don't mean wars between countries or the comments of spiteful women at weddings. I mean portraying and being able to curate the chaos of a restaurant from pre-preparation to service. I have seen the chaos of restaurants in movies and series before but I have never thought they were......cool. The intensity of chaos in The Bear is not caused by the yelling, the high-action movement of the kitchen staff, or the sheer nature of a professional kitchen. It's the emotional state of the characters. The cooking shots are extremely well-directed and if you observe, even the conversations that happen in the background teases you into what's coming soon. Kudos to Courteney Storer (Christopher Storer's sister), who also worked as a Culinary Supervisor, for making this show as authentic as it could be. She worked alongside Matty Matheson, a famous chef and also a cast member, who ironically isn't found cooking anything on the show.
Right from the get-go, I was completely on board with Carmen's (Jeremy A. White) struggles with maintaining a restaurant. His motivation was to protect something so dear to him- the memories of his brother. Again, I am not a movie critic or fanatic, but in my opinion, that is good storytelling. The journey of Carmen a.k.a Carmy represents the life of all working class chefs and how being a chef is more than just cooking good food. The test of any good cooking show is the number of iconic dishes that can be named from the show. The Bear passes this test beautifully showcasing some amazing dishes such as the Spaghetti, Savoury Cannoli, Omelet with Potato Chips, Cola Braised Short Rib Risotto, and many more to come (hopefully). An entire episode in season 2 is dedicated to one of the characters learning more about food which I found refreshing as compared to other cooking shows.
BEHIND!
Intensity & Personal Struggles
The question that I have in my mind every time I recommend a culinary-centric movie or show is, "Will a layperson like this?". Will a layperson who is unaware of the workings and culture of the restaurant industry like this show? Short answer? Yes. There are many intense scenes in The Bear but the most intensity I have seen in a scene on the show is not even related to the restaurant or the "chef life". It's a scene in Season 2 Episode 6 (Fishes). This scene manages to play off on the audience's emotional attachment to the characters. There is a strong sense of family on the show. The characters are willing to adapt and change according to their situations for their dear ones. I believe that this is one of the recurring sentiments on the show, and this is what provokes the character's development.
The Bear also addresses some mental health issues faced by the protagonist. He goes to Al-Anon (Alcoholics Anonymous) meetings to cope with his brother's death. Many scenes on the show also portray Carmen's mental state and the visions he sees under stressful situations, which gives us a peak into his mind. It is also interesting to see the difficulties encountered by the rest of the staff members both professionally and personally. Each of them has their journey from embracing change to expressing themselves creatively to exercising authority. The thing I like about The Bear is that the show is not at all dependent on the protagonist, rather he is a lens through which we see the workings of their world. A lot of the episodes and scenes survive independently without relying on the protagonist and give us a chance to see the flaws in his character through others.
HANDS!
The Bear is an all-rounder. It manages to have a balance between creating drama and retaining the authenticity of a chef's life. The Bear manages to depict the chaos and detrimental lifestyles of the working-class chefs yet manages to sneak in a ray of optimism through the characters' driving motivation to better themselves.
Finally, I only have one recommendation. If you do decide to watch Season 1 of The Bear, after watching the last episode of the first season, go back and watch the first one. Let me know if you were able to see the "OHHH..." moment. (Hint: It's at the end)
Share this with your friends who have and have not seen the show, and do not 86 this article.....PLEASE.
THANK YOU FOR READING, CHEF!
See you next week.
Chef Sashanko nice article sir..👍🏼
Thank you for recommending this article chef. It is 🤯...