The Bear Season 1-2 Talk

[Hanahope]

I still was confused when some episodes had the place open for lunch, and other times not until dinner when they were suddenly serving sit-down restaurant food.  

they did finally confirm some workers washed the dishes!

I still thought there were too many people in the shop and that Richie only got the 'job' because he was best friends with Carmie's brother.

Will all that money pay off the debt from the "uncle" and still allow the restaurant to be completely renovated and upscaled?  i guess we'll see in S2.  I plan to watch this weekend.

 

[SoMuchTV]

I’m working my way through the new season much faster than one should. I do wish we had separate episode threads because I don’t want to post something that’s spoilery for 95% of folks here so I’m sure I’ll forget some of the things I want to comment on. 

I will just say it’s not disappointing so far, and some non spoilery reviews tell me there’s more to look forward to. 

[Hanahope]

1st Ep-Carmie should have planned the timing better for permits and licenses and construction before agreeing to pay back a loan in 18 months.  
 

what will Richie do?

[possibilities]

I've only watched the first episode of S2 so far, and I'm already stressed out. I also don't remember who it is that is in the hospital bed-- was that something we knew from S1? 

SoMuchTv, maybe you could post comments on each episode, under spoilers, with a label saying what episode it references? 

[SoMuchTV]

3 minutes ago, possibilities said:

SoMuchTv, maybe you could post comments on each episode, under spoilers, with a label saying what episode it references? 

I put in a request for a full forum for the show, so let’s see what happens. They did it for Ted Lasso when it was midway through its second season, so who knows. This show does seem to be getting consistently good reviews.  

[buttersister]

I'm a few episodes in and I may stop for the night (instead of, say, going straight through;-)

+1 for that forum. This is shaping up to show growth for everyone, including Show.

[callie lee 29]

Please yes to a full forum! 

 

I'm just done with the second episode and it's still as anxiety inducing as ever. 

@possibilitiesI think it's Marcus's mom and no, I don't think we knew about her (or at least that she was sick) last season. But I also binge watched that whole season in a weekend so very possible I missed a reference.

Edited June 23, 2023 by callie lee 29

[Irlandesa]

13 hours ago, Rickster said:

The place seems to be a takeout Italian beef place, yet we have the staff in the back organized and working as if this is a fine dining establishment. Veal stock for sandwich gravy? Making their bread? I don’t get it.

I think the fine-dining organization of the kitchen came in with Carmie and Sydney but otherwise, I think they're aiming for a good-quality sandwich.  Making their own broth/juice, bread, and signature desserts would set it apart. 

I don't disagree that them making their own bread is a bit much but everything else doesn't surprise me. 

 

[possibilities]

Things that freak me out:

cooking with a lit cigarette dangling from Carmy's mouth, probably dropping ashes all over the food/kitchen

nobody wears gloves. when I worked in food service, we had to wear gloves! 

[Door County Cherry]

Please don't use spoiler tags for episodes that have aired.  That means, no spoiler tags in this thread for this season since all episodes have dropped.  

If you'd like to help people avoid being spoiled, list the most relevant episode title or number which signals either how far you watched  or which episode you'd like to discuss.

[SoMuchTV]

13 hours ago, SoMuchTV said:

I put in a request for a full forum for the show, so let’s see what happens. They did it for Ted Lasso when it was midway through its second season, so who knows. This show does seem to be getting consistently good reviews.  

13 hours ago, buttersister said:

+1 for that forum. This is shaping up to show growth for everyone, including Show.

13 hours ago, callie lee 29 said:

Please yes to a full forum!

Well, we got a thumbs down for the full forum at this point: 

  In case that post gets deleted - I asked "Is it too late for a full forum..."

Quote

For this season?  Yes.  But if it's renewed for a third, we can reconsider.

I'll try to pay attention & ask again if I hear it's renewed, but please, if someone beats me to it, go for it!  I don't usually know about renewals till I read it here.

I guess I'll be back after I'm finished (I'm already on ep7 ep6, which is so far living up to the hype I've seen elsewhere) and I'll try to be vague if I post anything for the first week or two.

Edited June 23, 2023 by SoMuchTV
Wrong episode

[buttersister]

How disappointing.

[whiporee]

I rewatched season 1 before season 2. 
 

In the pilot, Carmy was opening a can of tomato sauce, but before opening it fully he threw it away out of disgust/frustration. 
 

Just saying. 

[ichbin]

Season 2, Episode 6...yikes! First it was a case of wondering who was going to walk in next..and then came the Emmy submissions.  Intense!

[possibilities]

I finished. I had a hard time during the first part of the season-- I'm just worn out by the stress and asshole behaviors. But by the end of the season, I was all in. I liked seeing each person's story and development.

[susannot]

Wow I loved the episode with Marcus staging at Noma.  Haven't read the rest of the comments because I don't want to be spoiled but that episode was just magical.

[callie lee 29]

So I'm watching episode three and I was wondering who all the people Syd visits were since they had a distinctly non-actor vibe about them (and I very much do not mean that in a bad way) and if seems  they weren't. Fun article from Vulture take about the different places. Definitely lends credibility   and reinforces what I remember hearing during the first season in that chefs and restaurant staff were both obsessed and traumatized by the shows authenticity in his crazy and chaotic (and toxic) restaurants can be.

[Hanahope]

Up through episode 4.  Definitely glad I watched after dinner or I’d be hungry.  Marcus seems more successful than Sydney.  was that caviar?  If so I’m confused since it’s supposed to be dessert? 
 

That building is a mess, I have no idea how they can possibly open in 6 months let alone 3. 

[buttersister]

susannot, you nailed it.  Magical is right. Doesn't hurt that I love Copenhagen, but Marcus' genuine love of learning and his sense of wonder made me want to reach into the TV to give him a hug. And eat one of those pastries.

An hour later, episode 6. Now I'm looking for one of those sleep-inducing rainy night YouTube videos before I can even think of going to bed. 

[possibilities]

I love everything about T (I don't know her full name) this season. Her reaction to being given the promotion, the training, the knife, the responsibility, the appreciation... I love her.

 

I also really loved when Carmy said that you can teach people skills but you can't teach them to give a shit.... and then later

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

that kind of gets proved wrong with Richie.

I also loved when they all decided to just let him stay locked in

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the refrigerator while they handled things.

[Hanahope]

Ep 6. Holy crap what a family.  
 

Ep 7: do 3 star restaurants really research their customers?  What if there is nothing out there about their food likes or prior restaurant experiences?  

Edited June 24, 2023 by Hanahope

[possibilities]

One thing that I don't think was every explained was why 

 

 

 

 

Richie is divorced. They were so happy together in Ep6, and she says she loves him when they talk about her re-marriage later on, so... what happened? 

[luna1122again]

44 minutes ago, possibilities said:

One thing that I don't think was every explained was why 

 

 

 

 

Richie is divorced. They were so happy together in Ep6, and she says she loves him when they talk about her re-marriage later on, so... what happened? 

He's Richie. I think that's what happened. 

[Hanahope]

In EP 6, Richie is what 35 and he’s asking uncle Jimmy for a job.  With a baby on the way, I’m guessing Richie messed up again.  Or he could only get a job at the Beef. 

[susannot]

I really love the show.  Loved Marcus and Sydney.  They really need to get together.  Loved them stepping up and running the service when dumbass Carm got himself locked in the walk-in.  Loved Richie stepping up as a genius expeditor.  All in all, a really good food show.  My dearly beloved son who happened to be visiting watched the whole thing with me and loved it too.  He thought it was grittily realistic unlike almost all chef and cooking shows on TV.

[Hanahope]

Jaime Lee Curtis was amazing 

[buttersister]

Episode 7, Richie's redemption.

If you can see it, you can be it. Not sure there was a better moment for Richie than when the light bulb went on and he got it. The staff modeled what it looked like to be proud of what you do and good at something because you worked your ass off for it until it becomes second nature and who you are. Richie cleaned up good, in many ways. I'll pick up Hulu again for season 3, because the Cousin, I'm Sorry Fest will be something to see.

[possibilities]

In the last Ep, I also really liked that they showed us that

 

 

 

Syd actually did feel really incredibly badly about how she fucked up the opening of the pre-order service at the end of Season1. At the time, she seemed more enraged that Carmy lost his col than she felt sorry for her mistake. So when they had her having flashbacks looking at the receipts, and  being terrified and then puking her guts out, you finally saw for real that she actually did understand her previous failure and its magnitude.

[Mr. R0b0t]

2 hours ago, Hanahope said:

Jaime Lee Curtis was amazing 

She was light years beyond her performance in EEAAO in this show.

[CrystalBlue]

I just watched Episode 1: Beef.

I'm disappointed that we don't have episode threads and I like this show so much that I don't want to read spoilers, so I'll be back later.

Season 1 dropped exactly one year ago and it was 8 episodes.  This season is 10.  I'll miss reading posts as I go along.  That's why I come to this forum. 

[CarpeFelis]

Sydney’s dad tells her some relative can get her a job at Boeing and she says “I don’t want to go like this at the airport”, motioning like she’s directing an airplane on a jetway. The writers should get their facts straight. Boeing in Chicago is just executive offices; no airplanes are built there. (I worked for Boeing for 41 years. Don’t even get me started on that weasely exec move from Seattle to Chicago…) If she went there she’d probably work in the cafeteria, and even then she wouldn’t be working directly for Boeing because that’s contracted out to another company.

Edited June 25, 2023 by CarpeFelis

[paramitch]

Wow. I loved season 1, but for me, season 2 blew it out of the water. This season, even more than last season, was about all of the characters, and I loved that so much. Loved how we got the longer season and so many bigger moments for not just Carmy, but for everyone.

I was so invested in EVERYONE. In Carmy's tentative attempt to find some love and peace. In Syd's search for fulfillment and pride in her work. In Marcus's drive to simply be the best he can be at his work, in Tina's quiet, more tentative search for excellence, in Ebra's fear of change, in Nat's evolution from frantic fixer to someone trying to find her own peace, in Fak becoming a part of the restaurant and not just the handyman, etc.

And, most of all, in Richie's journey. I've always loved him, although his volatility was so off-putting last season. But the way Ebon Moss-Bachrach plays him (for me, the star turn of the show), we can always see that sweet insecure guy underneath, and how so much of his bluster is just this guy who has never had the support or security to outgrow his big mouth. But more on that farther down.

I know we're all watching at different speeds so I'll try to be helpful in how I present feedback here -- wish me luck! (Sorry for the wall of text but I made notes and really loved this season. SPOILERS BELOW EPISODE BY EPISODE!)

FIRST HALF (SPOILERS)

I really enjoyed the first half, and how this was a long, slow race to the opening of THE BEAR. Loved the way they made the money situation SO much more believable, and that Unc may be slightly connected, but as played by Oliver Platt, he is still the sweetest wiseguy around, and you can see how much he cares about them. He's also not stupid, and I especially loved his warm, almost fatherly connection to Nat (see farther in the season but let's just say I get why she needed another parental figure).

EPISODE 4 (SPOILERS)

I loved Syd's experiments with Carmy and especially their visible growing closeness and friendship and artistic rhythm. They finish each other's sentences. They speak the same things at the same time. They are both the same kind of genius, and I love how supportive he is. Most of all, I loved their bringing into the work the ASL "Sorry" gesture. It's beautiful and an instant diffuser of tension.

While I support Carmy trying for romance (Claire is just lovely in pretty much every way), I did resent him for blowing off Syd -- not the first time he's done that. But I absolutely loved her ensuing explorations of the Chicago food scene on her own afterward, and how it inspired her.

EPISODE 5 (SPOILERS)

Oh, my God, what a beautiful episode for Marcus, and one of my favorites across the season. So gorgeously written and created (and I feel it is a deliberate counterpart to Richie's later on). I loved seeing the Copenhagen locale (I visited there once), and loved the restful escape from Chicago (I love this show but at times it genuinely stresses me out). 

I just loved the peace and quiet and intensity of this episode. Loved Marcus's dedication as always and his intense willingness and drive to learn. Loved Will Poulter as the chef teaching him, and doing so with so much patience and kindness and humility. Especially loved Marcus's rescue of the older man on the bike, and the long hug by the old man -- just saying without words his gratitude. The world needs more of this.

I was so charmed and riveted the entire time. When Marcus made the final "flower" dessert so perfectly, it felt so impactful!

EPISODE 6 (SPOILERS)

Okay, this was very very well-done. But I never want to watch this episode again in my life. I come from a rough childhood and while it wasn't this busy and crowded, this episode perfectly captured the many shades of imbalance, addiction, and abuse and the way they can layer together to create an absolutely terrible, sickening sense of stress and dread. The person I felt so deeply for here was Nat, trying so so hard to hold everyone together, to appease everyone, to stop people from being their worst selves.

Jamie Lee Curtis was staggering -- passive-aggressive, drunk, bullying, insecure, poisonously cruel, in an AMAZING performance. Loved that she spent the day slaving, refusing almost all help, getting drunker and drunker on wine and her own narcissistic need to throw her work in people's faces, then when they can finally all sit and eat the beautiful feast at least, she makes sure to absolutely destroy any chance for them to enjoy it.

But what a talented cavalcade of stars to inhabit a truly upsetting single evening. Everyone was terrific. And great to see John Bernthal again. You really saw how mentally ill Mikey was at this point, even though I got why he was so upset -- his father (Odenkirk!) was being incredibly cruel, and just -- oh, man, this entire episode was so tough. I was grateful for the little small moments -- Michelle's kindness to cousin Carmy to help him get out of Chicago to go study -- Stevie's toast, etc. Richie and his wife were so sweet together, and I loved Unc's quiet salvation of Richie later at dinner over the job lie. But oh my God what an upsetting stressful episode and evening. Those poor kids. I did love the way it showed us how Carmy, Nat, Mike, and Richie were each affected and traumatized in their different ways.

EPISODE 7 (SPOILERS)

My favorite episode of the season. Watching Richie go from insecure, furious child-man, terrified of not finding his place in the world, carrying that massive chip on his shoulder -- to finding the simple peace and fulfillment of finding that he could do a job, be part of a team, and do it well -- and that he could find peace and joy in simply doing something beautifully -- was so moving to me! I especially loved his journey from anger to joy, the way he blossoms under the new environment, the kindness of his coworkers even when they are being firm with him, and loved his final conversation with the chef (Olivia Fricking Colman!!). It's everything I have wanted for the character and more. I love that he realized in the end that he does have a talent and a purpose, after all.

EPISODE 8 (SPOILERS)

This episode almost felt like a season finale to me. It was so sweet and kind, so filled with tension, but ultimately so wonderful and joyful. I think my single favorite moment was Carmy quietly giving his best knife to Tina (who is evidently AMAZING at breaking down fish!). Her visible pride was just so lovely.

I was still frustrated at how Carmy would occasionally utterly slack off and leave things to Syd, who is visibly so stressed and desperately needs his support. But the quandary of the safety issue (I loved the revelation that Mikey had been the cause of the gas issues, of course) and the tension of the final fire test was amazing. Loved this episode.

EPISODE 9 (SPOILERS)

Another lovely episode. Especially loved Syd's beautiful omelette for Nat (I wanted to taste it so much!), her wonderful final preparations with Carmy and how close they are now (still love their ASL use of "Sorry"), as they talked about their lives and families. Loved how Richie has this newfound confidence and pride in himself (and Ebon sure wears that suit well). Richie's anger is just so gone! He's so calm now -- it's lovely to see.

EPISODE 10 (SPOILERS)

Wow, this was a rollercoaster. I loved it, but it was also more bittersweet and less satisfying for me than the previous 3. It's much sadder. I loved seeing the staff's excitement and pride, but was so sad for Pete (he was so gentle with Nat's mom -- another amazing moment from Jamie Lee Curtis), and so determined not to tell Nat and ruin her evening. Beautiful performance.

I was so happy to see everyone shine in their big moments, but so frustrated for Carmy because he is the only one who -- as good and talented as he is at what he does -- I don't see any real joy from. Ever. Does he love what he does? Or hate it? I'm not sure. he is the only one on that team who seems to hate what he's doing. Everyone else has blossomed, even in spite of the stress (although I am really worried about poor Syd's health at this point). Carmy just seems to approach it with skill and rage and tension and fear and no joy at all. So unlike wonderful Marcus and Tina and Syd and Richie now, and even Fak and Nat!

Seeing Carmy absolutely lose it -- and then destroy his relationship with Claire was so sad (and the actress was terrific -- her performance outside the walk-in absolutely broke me).

Creatively, even if it saddened me, I loved that Carmy ends the episode trapped. He doesn't get out, even by the end. He's still out in the cold. Or locked in the cold. And while I was sorry to see him end his relationship with Claire, while I didn't want him to dump her, I did want him to own up to abandoning poor Syd several times for his relationship in ways that were not okay.

So that's my take.

Fantastic season. Please let there be a season 3. And please let the writers be paid a working wage (there's been a lot of press about the writer's strike and how little the writers made on season 1, etc.).

Edited June 25, 2023 by paramitch
formatting

[SoMuchTV]

1 hour ago, paramitch said:

EPISODE 6 (SPOILERS)

...

But what a talented cavalcade of stars to inhabit a truly upsetting single evening. Everyone was terrific. And great to see John Bernthal again. You really saw how mentally ill Mikey was at this point, even though I got why he was so upset -- his father (Odenkirk!) was being incredibly cruel, and just -- oh, man, this entire episode was so tough. I was grateful for the little small moments -- Michelle's kindness to cousin Carmy to help him get out of Chicago to go study -- Stevie's toast, etc. Richie and his wife were so sweet together, and I loved Unc's quiet salvation of Richie later at dinner over the job lie. But oh my God what an upsetting stressful episode and evening. Those poor kids. I did love the way it showed us how Carmy, Nat, Mike, and Richie were each affected and traumatized in their different ways.

Wait, Bob Odenkirk was their father??  I thought he was some kind of uncle, but I didn't catch exactly where he was connected.  He did seem awfully familiar (as in able to inflict upset) for an uncle.  Mikey is brother to Carmy and Nat/Sugar, right?

Also, completely agree with your assessment of Episode 7.

[Supagirl]

Bob Odenkirk played Uncle Lee Layne, the L of KBL. Not sure how/if he’s related (might be one of those “cousin”-type scenarios), and not sure what the situation is with their dad. I really don’t understand this family tree at all, tbh. But Lee certainly has been around the family long enough to have some major friction with Mikey 

[Daisychain]

Episode 7 (Richie) was the best for me, unexpected and great, believable character development.  

Episode 6 was such a stress-fest I checked the time counter a couple of times to see how much more screaming there would be.  I wanted to claw my way through the TV, turn off all those timers, and wipe the red sauce off of everything.  Sugar was pretty heartbreaking in that episode.

[BusyOctober]

Jamie Lee Curtis was incredible inEp.6.  I didn’t grow up in a household that chaotic, but I remember as kid feeling the “change in the atmosphere” at certain points at family gatherings.  There was alcoholism, corporal punishment, and anger issues in the house my mom grew up in, so as a kid I may not have known the details but I definitely knew something was about to happen.  JLC and the other actors captured that sense of dread perfectly

Edited June 26, 2023 by BusyOctober
Spelling

[hatchetgirl]

I'm still on S2E1. I love this show so much and want to make it last, along with protecting my own anxious self. I can't wait to process through the season with you all as this episode was fab!

[Nordly Beaumont]

Episode 6 gave me the same feeling I had when I watched Uncut Gems.

[callie lee 29]

For those who do reddit as well they have a pretty good subreddit on the show with individual episode threads and everything.

 

Spoiler

I will say one thing I didn't like about episode 10 was that they left Carly in the fridge the entire time with no one thinking of calling the fridge guy to come and try to get him out. Sure maybe it won't have worked on the end but not even an attempt?? I don't care how big of a douche he's being, he's still the executive chef, it's still his name unfortunately on the line, and it's still his restaurant. 

 

Also, I don't think I like Claire. I don't dislike her, but I don't like her either. 

 

[CarpeFelis]

8 hours ago, Daisychain said:

Episode 7 (Richie) was the best for me, unexpected and great, believable character development.  

Episode 6 was such a stress-fest I checked the time counter a couple of times to see how much more screaming there would be.  I wanted to claw my way through the TV, turn off all those timers, and wipe the red sauce off of everything.  Sugar was pretty heartbreaking in that episode.

Loved the Richie episode. Initially I thought the restaurant was The Bear and that he was just having a dream about what it would be like after it opened. It took me a little while to realize that wasn’t the case. That was a terrific experience for him, and changed his attitude so much I actually started to like him. And he looked really sharp in the suit.

The Christmas episode was so cringeworthy. Jamie Lee’s character seemed absolutely unhinged (even before the car) and had such a huge martyr complex. She says no every time someone offers to help in the kitchen and later bitches that no one helps her(!!!). And after seeing what a complete shit show the dinner was, especially with that uncle repeatedly telling Mikey “You are nothing” I thought it was no damn wonder he did drugs and ended up as he did.

I think Carmy was being an idiot thinking he had to choose between Claire and the restaurant. There is such a thing as burnout and having downtime with her could actually benefit him. That said, I don’t really get what he sees in her.

[txhorns79]

9 hours ago, Daisychain said:

 

Episode 6 was such a stress-fest I checked the time counter a couple of times to see how much more screaming there would be.  I wanted to claw my way through the TV, turn off all those timers, and wipe the red sauce off of everything.  Sugar was pretty heartbreaking in that episode.

Poor Sugar.  She just seemed so beaten down by what must have been years of her mother's mental illness and emotional abuse.   

[paramitch]

If I had named the seventh episode, while I love the "Forks" title, I'd argue that "Say Yes" is another lovely option/subtext.

To echo the big moment in Taylor Swift's "Love Story" played so memorably here, Richie has never "said yes" to self-belief, to precision, to embracing his place at the restaurant. On the other hand, Richie has many times this season said, "I’m not like this because I’m in Van Halen. I’m in Van Halen because I’m like this.”

And that's everyone at "The Bear." They don't act like they do because they are at thir scrappy little restaurant, they are at their restaurant because that's who they are.

But. The thing with Richie is, he thought he was at the restaurant because he was the loser in the group, the waste of space barely hanging on, the doofus who screws up and spends his entire life angry and on the defensive.

What I love here is that for the first time, Richie learns that "what he's like" is not all bad. That there is good to him -- it's so moving to me that he honestly thinks -- even by the end of a life-changing week! -- that the entire staging situation is a punishment for him, not a sign of Carmy's belief in him. 

For me "Forks" is the high point of this absolutely beautiful second season, not least because it is about Richie reaching a "fork" in his own road and realizing... it's not too late. He is allowed to believe in and like himself. He is allowed to think life may actually turnout okay

I have watched "Forks" episode three times and will watch it undoubtedly more times in the future. I'm a sucker for fairy tales and redemption arcs, and watching Richie -- the show's designated "angry guy," the screwup, the failure with no talent -- singing with Taylor Swift at the top of his lungs, filled with joy and self-belief, will stay with me for a long time. (And it's a clever, sweet callback to his love for his daughter while the lyrics also echo the "fairytale" aspect of this arc for him.)

By the end of this episode, Richie is finally saying yes to life, to himself, to the restaurant as a potential calling.

Sorry, but -- it just honestly inspired me at a time when I needed it myself.

Edited June 26, 2023 by paramitch
oops, give episode #

[peeayebee]

On 6/25/2023 at 7:16 AM, paramitch said:

Wow. I loved season 1, but for me, season 2 blew it out of the water. This season, even more than last season, was about all of the characters, and I loved that so much. Loved how we got the longer season and so many bigger moments for not just Carmy, but for everyone.

I was so invested in EVERYONE. In Carmy's tentative attempt to find some love and peace. In Syd's search for fulfillment and pride in her work. In Marcus's drive to simply be the best he can be at his work, in Tina's quiet, more tentative search for excellence, in Ebra's fear of change, in Nat's evolution from frantic fixer to someone trying to find her own peace, in Fak becoming a part of the restaurant and not just the handyman, etc.

And, most of all, in Richie's journey. I've always loved him, although his volatility was so off-putting last season. But the way Ebon Moss-Bachrach plays him (for me, the star turn of the show), we can always see that sweet insecure guy underneath, and how so much of his bluster is just this guy who has never had the support or security to outgrow his big mouth. But more on that farther down.

I know we're all watching at different speeds so I'll try to be helpful in how I present feedback here -- wish me luck! (Sorry for the wall of text but I made notes and really loved this season. SPOILERS BELOW EPISODE BY EPISODE!)

FIRST HALF (SPOILERS)

I really enjoyed the first half, and how this was a long, slow race to the opening of THE BEAR. Loved the way they made the money situation SO much more believable, and that Unc may be slightly connected, but as played by Oliver Platt, he is still the sweetest wiseguy around, and you can see how much he cares about them. He's also not stupid, and I especially loved his warm, almost fatherly connection to Nat (see farther in the season but let's just say I get why she needed another parental figure).

EPISODE 4 (SPOILERS)

I loved Syd's experiments with Carmy and especially their visible growing closeness and friendship and artistic rhythm. They finish each other's sentences. They speak the same things at the same time. They are both the same kind of genius, and I love how supportive he is. Most of all, I loved their bringing into the work the ASL "Sorry" gesture. It's beautiful and an instant diffuser of tension.

While I support Carmy trying for romance (Claire is just lovely in pretty much every way), I did resent him for blowing off Syd -- not the first time he's done that. But I absolutely loved her ensuing explorations of the Chicago food scene on her own afterward, and how it inspired her.

EPISODE 5 (SPOILERS)

Oh, my God, what a beautiful episode for Marcus, and one of my favorites across the season. So gorgeously written and created (and I feel it is a deliberate counterpart to Richie's later on). I loved seeing the Copenhagen locale (I visited there once), and loved the restful escape from Chicago (I love this show but at times it genuinely stresses me out). 

I just loved the peace and quiet and intensity of this episode. Loved Marcus's dedication as always and his intense willingness and drive to learn. Loved Will Poulter as the chef teaching him, and doing so with so much patience and kindness and humility. Especially loved Marcus's rescue of the older man on the bike, and the long hug by the old man -- just saying without words his gratitude. The world needs more of this.

I was so charmed and riveted the entire time. When Marcus made the final "flower" dessert so perfectly, it felt so impactful!

EPISODE 6 (SPOILERS)

Okay, this was very very well-done. But I never want to watch this episode again in my life. I come from a rough childhood and while it wasn't this busy and crowded, this episode perfectly captured the many shades of imbalance, addiction, and abuse and the way they can layer together to create an absolutely terrible, sickening sense of stress and dread. The person I felt so deeply for here was Nat, trying so so hard to hold everyone together, to appease everyone, to stop people from being their worst selves.

Jamie Lee Curtis was staggering -- passive-aggressive, drunk, bullying, insecure, poisonously cruel, in an AMAZING performance. Loved that she spent the day slaving, refusing almost all help, getting drunker and drunker on wine and her own narcissistic need to throw her work in people's faces, then when they can finally all sit and eat the beautiful feast at least, she makes sure to absolutely destroy any chance for them to enjoy it.

But what a talented cavalcade of stars to inhabit a truly upsetting single evening. Everyone was terrific. And great to see John Bernthal again. You really saw how mentally ill Mikey was at this point, even though I got why he was so upset -- his father (Odenkirk!) was being incredibly cruel, and just -- oh, man, this entire episode was so tough. I was grateful for the little small moments -- Michelle's kindness to cousin Carmy to help him get out of Chicago to go study -- Stevie's toast, etc. Richie and his wife were so sweet together, and I loved Unc's quiet salvation of Richie later at dinner over the job lie. But oh my God what an upsetting stressful episode and evening. Those poor kids. I did love the way it showed us how Carmy, Nat, Mike, and Richie were each affected and traumatized in their different ways.

EPISODE 7 (SPOILERS)

My favorite episode of the season. Watching Richie go from insecure, furious child-man, terrified of not finding his place in the world, carrying that massive chip on his shoulder -- to finding the simple peace and fulfillment of finding that he could do a job, be part of a team, and do it well -- and that he could find peace and joy in simply doing something beautifully -- was so moving to me! I especially loved his journey from anger to joy, the way he blossoms under the new environment, the kindness of his coworkers even when they are being firm with him, and loved his final conversation with the chef (Olivia Fricking Colman!!). It's everything I have wanted for the character and more. I love that he realized in the end that he does have a talent and a purpose, after all.

EPISODE 8 (SPOILERS)

This episode almost felt like a season finale to me. It was so sweet and kind, so filled with tension, but ultimately so wonderful and joyful. I think my single favorite moment was Carmy quietly giving his best knife to Tina (who is evidently AMAZING at breaking down fish!). Her visible pride was just so lovely.

I was still frustrated at how Carmy would occasionally utterly slack off and leave things to Syd, who is visibly so stressed and desperately needs his support. But the quandary of the safety issue (I loved the revelation that Mikey had been the cause of the gas issues, of course) and the tension of the final fire test was amazing. Loved this episode.

EPISODE 9 (SPOILERS)

Another lovely episode. Especially loved Syd's beautiful omelette for Nat (I wanted to taste it so much!), her wonderful final preparations with Carmy and how close they are now (still love their ASL use of "Sorry"), as they talked about their lives and families. Loved how Richie has this newfound confidence and pride in himself (and Ebon sure wears that suit well). Richie's anger is just so gone! He's so calm now -- it's lovely to see.

EPISODE 10 (SPOILERS)

Wow, this was a rollercoaster. I loved it, but it was also more bittersweet and less satisfying for me than the previous 3. It's much sadder. I loved seeing the staff's excitement and pride, but was so sad for Pete (he was so gentle with Nat's mom -- another amazing moment from Jamie Lee Curtis), and so determined not to tell Nat and ruin her evening. Beautiful performance.

I was so happy to see everyone shine in their big moments, but so frustrated for Carmy because he is the only one who -- as good and talented as he is at what he does -- I don't see any real joy from. Ever. Does he love what he does? Or hate it? I'm not sure. he is the only one on that team who seems to hate what he's doing. Everyone else has blossomed, even in spite of the stress (although I am really worried about poor Syd's health at this point). Carmy just seems to approach it with skill and rage and tension and fear and no joy at all. So unlike wonderful Marcus and Tina and Syd and Richie now, and even Fak and Nat!

Seeing Carmy absolutely lose it -- and then destroy his relationship with Claire was so sad (and the actress was terrific -- her performance outside the walk-in absolutely broke me).

Creatively, even if it saddened me, I loved that Carmy ends the episode trapped. He doesn't get out, even by the end. He's still out in the cold. Or locked in the cold. And while I was sorry to see him end his relationship with Claire, while I didn't want him to dump her, I did want him to own up to abandoning poor Syd several times for his relationship in ways that were not okay.

So that's my take.

Fantastic season. Please let there be a season 3. And please let the writers be paid a working wage (there's been a lot of press about the writer's strike and how little the writers made on season 1, etc.).

Yes to all of this. Thank you for your comments.

I also loved S1 and agree that S2 was even better. I'd watch one episode and think it was my favorite, but then another would come up, causing me to say, "THAT is my favorite." And so on.

I'm not sure what order to put them in, but in the top are Christmas ep, Marcus in  Copenhagen, Richie in 'Forks.'

I was astounded at all the name actors appearing in the Christmas ep. I was a little worried about John Mulvaney -- I love him, but I was thinking he just wouldn't fit -- but I think he was good. Loved the grace speech he gave. At first I thought it would be bad, but it was actually very sweet and lovely.

Marcus in Copenhagen? What's not to love? Everything in this was beautiful.

I was so so happy to see Richie turn himself around in 'Forks.' 

I like Claire, and I like her with Carmy, but I was kind of pissed off at how she was distracting him from his duties. I know she didn't do it intentionally, and his attention to her was completely understandable, esp since he had no real joy in his life. And this was his first girlfriend! Again, it's understandable that he would often be more focused on her than some other things in the restaurant.

I hope Claire is not completely out of his life. He needs happiness in his life.

OMG, how disgusting was the kitchen in the Christmas ep. So gross with sauce and whatnot splattered all over the place, Donna spreading ... garlic butter? on the bread with her hands. I couldn't stop thinking about the butter being under her long fingernails. Blech.

Loved Tina's karaoke performance. Wow, what a beautiful voice. And of course it was wonderful to see her grow and excel in the kitchen.

Carmy being trapped in the cooler was a great move for the show to take. I certainly felt bad for him and wanted him to get out, but we got to see that they didn't even need him for their opening. Everyone rose to the occasion. As we saw in previous eps, everyone else had grown and improved and found happiness in their endeavors.

I had read complaints elsewhere that since those walk-in coolers have inside releases he shouldn't have been trapped. I wonder if because the outside handle fell off, the interior one wouldn't have worked.

I was so sad to see Carmy and Richie say such mean things to each other thru the door. I hope Richie doesn't backslide. And of course I hope that they will work it out very quickly in S3. (I'm just saying there's going to be a S3.)

I watched S1 and S2 by myself, but I wouldn't mind watching again, esp S1 since my memory is crap, and I don't remember a lot of what happened. I wonder if my sister would enjoy the show.

[Colorado David]

man that christmas episode was insane!!! i loved it.  JLC is crazy good as that character. the whole family gets crazy  at times!! except uncle jimmy he always seems level headed.

[peeayebee]

We know Uncle Jimmy is not exactly legit, but I love him. As played by Oliver Platt, he can be sweet or intimidating. Great character and performance. Of course the same can be said of everyone on the show.

Well, I have to say I didn't think Alex Moffat was a good choice. I was interested when we first see him in the interview. I always liked him on SNL. But when he simply ended up being a somewhat comical drug user, I was disappointed and annoyed. I think a less familiar actor should have been cast as this guy.

[Daisychain]

23 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

Poor Sugar.  She just seemed so beaten down by what must have been years of her mother's mental illness and emotional abuse.   

I binged Season 1 pretty early on and I forgot a lot of details/important plot points.  I started rewatching Season 1 yesterday and one of the most comforting/warming things was that (post the flashback Christmas and before Season 1), Sugar and Pete started going to Al Anon and get Carmy to go too.  Yay.  

Now that I've seen season 2 and went back to rewatch season 1, I love Pete more than ever before.  He's such a fish out of water with that family and such a good person for Sugar.

[aghst]

IIRC, they found money in the wall and now they're going to convert from a lunch sandwich place to some fine dining place, because Sydney keeps talking about getting a (Michelin) star.

They have a healthy budget it seems, because not only are they paying staff while they do this renovation, while not having money coming in, they are sending a couple of people to culinary school and Marcus to Copenhagen for him to learn to make fancy desserts.

Then you had Sydney going around all the restaurants in the city, tasting food.  That takes money as well as a bigger stomach than Sydney seems to have -- how is she putting away all that food in one day?

 

They seem to be going for a higher end restaurant.  I'm only through episode 4 so far.

But you don't have Marcus learning to make those deserts which require using tweezers to put little pieces of sliced nuts into some sculpture.

First of all, those deserts take a long time and I would think the only way they make sense is to price them much higher than the sandwiches they were serving to the local neighborhood residents.

In season one there were indications that they were attracting clientele from across the city, who went out of their way to come at lunch time.

Then Sydney pitched the idea of having dinner service, with fancier menu items, to Carmy.  Then they found the money so I guess Carmy decided to get back into the fine dining game again.

 

I don't know the restaurant business but it seems like these high end places are funded by investors, who love a chef and are willing to finance new restaurant ventures.  Or there's a celebrity theme around it or it's tied to a celebrity.  Like Mike Ditka's restaurant was suppose to be one of the most profitable restaurants in the country, after the Chicago Bears had won a Super Bowl.

So they don't need investors but I don't recall Carmy's backstory, he ran acclaimed restaurants in NY but he didn't build them, he was an employee, wasn't he?  So does he know how to start up a restaurant, the kind of money, logistics and apparently they don't even know what kind of menu they want to create.

Still it seems this season is about them converting to this new restaurant, the journey to this new place.

I like that he's loyal to all the employees of the old restaurant but they obviously don't have experience working at a different type of place than the beef sandwich place.  Is it realistic that not only would he retain them but he'd pay them while they did the renovations and send them to culinary school and overseas trips to learn to learn from some top pastry chef?

[peeayebee]

4 hours ago, aghst said:

IIRC, they found money in the wall and now they're going to convert from a lunch sandwich place to some fine dining place, because Sydney keeps talking about getting a (Michelin) star.

The money was in the cans of tomato paste.

[shelley1234]

I really really love this show.   I started binge watching it last week when it dropped and ended up stopping after Episode 5 to come back to it when I wasn't such a distracted watcher.  

 

I just watched episode 6.  What a hard, but amazing episode to slug though.  And what a great cast.  So many amazing people coming together to show this chaotic dysfunctional family. 

Jamie Lee Curtis.  She's such a force.  Win all the awards.  

Now on to binge my way through to the end.  

[Maximona]

I guess I'm sitting at a table for one at The Bear restaurant because while I liked Season 1 a lot, I really disliked Season 2.

Why?

Because while Season 1 is over the top, it’s still grounded in realism. Some magical realism, true.  But realism.

While for me, Season 2 just reeks of post-modern sentimentality.

Case in point: “Yes, Chef.”

In Season 1, “Yes, Chef,” is a refreshing instigation of basic civility in a hostile environment.

In Season 2, it’s like the verbal prompt by which members of a secret cult recognize one another—as best exemplified by that awful episode in which Richie gets sent off to the Finest Restaurant in the World for a week, where he polishes forks, visits with QEII (who knew she moonlighted as a chef, right?) and learns the true meaning of humility and service.

Richie is the most gratuitous character ever. I am totally UNinterested in Richie’s redemption arc. I just want him to slither out of my Hulu browser and crawl far, far away from me.

Even worse, though, was that awful Christmas episode where Jamie Lee Curtis trotted out her best histrionics in a bid to add the next crown to her EGOT press. (I suppose next she’ll star in a musical production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf and sing on the original cast recording.)

I guess this is what they would call a “pet peeve,” what with me being Southern Italian and all.  But I am really sick of TV and movie representations of Southern Italian dysfunctionality.

Now, I know there are Southern Italian families that scream at each other.

Just like I know there are Black people who enjoy eating watermelon.

But you can bet you’d never get away these days with having a Black character eat watermelon on television just to wring an Ain't It Awful laugh from the viewing audience.