The Bear Season 1-2 Talk

[whiporee]

Because I was curious, I did a little research on how much stuff costs.

Ever in Chicago -- about $320 a plate. Aliena is about $425

Noma -- about $400 a plate

Masa in NYC (considered the most expensive in NYC) -- $975 a plate

Per Se in NYC -- about $400

Guy Savoy in Paris -- $575

A bunch in Vegas are in that range, but Vegas prices are inflated. 

While all of those are very very expensive, I had thought they would be higher. 

[aghst]

A plate or for a menu of several courses and then wine pairing is even more?

Some may also require at least two diners, so if a critic wants to go incognito, they'd need to bring someone?

 

 

 

[Hanahope]

wow, that's actually a lot more than i thought.  i was expecting like half that.  yeah i don't know that i can ever justify that kind of cost.    

[whiporee]

48 minutes ago, aghst said:

A plate or for a menu of several courses and then wine pairing is even more?

Some may also require at least two diners, so if a critic wants to go incognito, they'd need to bring someone?

 

 

 

Most of those are full multi-course meals. I think they include a wine pairing, but you can spend more on wine if you choose. Some places can do stuff a la carte for less, but they are intended to do the chef's menu for the day unless there are dietary restrictions. 

And a lot of them do only offer seating for even-numbered parties. 

[MaggieG]

My favorite episodes this season were Marcus in Copenhagen and Richie being a stage. I loved getting to know their characters better. Especially Richie, I didn't care for him in season 1. 

I was watching Fishes (the crazy family Christmas episode) and checked to see how much longer it was, only to realize it was an hour episode. I turned it off halfway through and finished it the next day. I cannot deal with that amount of yelling and chaos. 

I actually liked Claire and hope she and Carmy work it out. They were so sweet together in their scenes. I wish Carmy realized that yes he is allowed to be happy and he is allowed to have a life outside of the restaurant. I didn't agree with him blowing off Syd but I chalk that up to him finally thinking he has a chance with Claire. It seemed like he'd had a crush on her for years.

I also loved the scene of Syd and Carmy fixing the table. I love the friendship.

I went into this season not knowing anything about the guest stars, but thank you to whoever had Will Poulter kneading bread. I didn't know how much I needed to see that. Oscar Winner Olivia Colman! John Mulaney was oddly adorable. 

[Baltimore Betty]

4 hours ago, whiporee said:

While all of those are very very expensive, I had thought they would be higher. 

I bet the bar tab is an add on, that can be higher than the dinner if someone orders a couple of bottles of wine.

[possibilities]

How does one of those meal prices compare with a ticket to a top Broadway show or Box seats at a baseball game? 

[blixie]

Quote

Ever is very definitely real! I read some comment somewhere noting that the Chicago restaurants shown were stoked for the season to be released.

https://www.ever-restaurant.com
 

And Noma is in Copenhagen so that tracks, but French Laundry is in California and not NY, so is it supposed to be someone other than Thomas Keller and maybe an NYC restaurant?

Oh good to know Ever is real even if Terry is fictional. I know The French Laundry is in California but did they say Carmy was in NY? I know Michelle offered him a place to stay, but it seems weird for him not to mention his time there to Claire, or for her to not to reach out to him when he was. Could maybe be referring to Eleven Madison Park tho if so, I assumed FL because it's one of the most famous 3 Michelin stars in the country, and McHale was probably playing a jagoff CDC. Heh quick google says S1 mentioned he  worked at all three (Noma, EMP, FL) and obviously at some point w/Terry at Ever. I got the impression the last place he was at before The Beef was FL/McHale.

Interestingly he wanted out of that world even early on, Claire knows the name of the restaurant because he talked her about it when they were kids, and then he presented the drawing to Mike and wanted to talk about making it happen while still at the magical Noma. Which sent Mike spiraling, I have to agree that while I love Bernthal, everyone thinking Mike was this amazing great great guy despite all the evidence he was an unholy mess is weird. It's one thing for his siblings raised in the toxic swill with him to look up to him love/awe, but everyone else on staff or off? 

I hope they continue the Francie Fak is a fuckface joke every year going forward. No no she's bad. The worst. Worse than DeeDee?? LOL.

I just rewatched the first six eps and it's amazing how many of the threads I didn't see that were set up from the start including "every second counts" and the fridge guy/walk in handle.

[KittenPokerCheater]

I love how Ritchie grows and steps up at the end.*   He really shined.  I hope is character continues to grow in a positive direction.  Forks may be one of my favorite episodes of television ever.  Also Honeydew.

*until the inevitable crumbling of Camen and their fight).

[possibilities]

It's possible that everybody thinks Mikey is the greatest because Mikey is dead. I've seen people do that after someone's gone. They act like the person was their hero, and refuse to criticize or even acknowledge any rift.

[chaifan]

I'm through Ep 6, Fishes, and I have to say, I'm just not loving this season.  In general, I miss the main characters interacting with each other at the restaurant.  So much of this season has been the characters off on their own. Sydney on her "inspiration" tour (geez, how much can that woman eat in a day???), Marcus in Copenhagen (visually lovely episode), Tina at the culinary school or out with her friends.  Great episodes individually, but there's not enough tying it all back together for me.  Fak and Ritchie yelling at each other about renovations doesn't fill my need for character interaction.

And then this flashback episode...  from a cinematic standpoint I can appreciate it, but as a viewer I felt it was so chaotic I almost turned it off several times. 

I'll probably finish up the remaining episodes in the next few days, then go back and read the comments to see if I'm sitting at a table for one here.  (I hate having a single thread for this show.) 

[SlovakPrincess]

I’m only through the first season and mostly love it, but I have so many questions about Mikey putting all that money in cans of tomato sauce.  When did he have time to do all that without anyone noticing, given the long hours they all work?  How did it take months for them to need tomato sauce and accidentally find it?  Isn’t all that money just going to pay the restaurant’s enormous debt?  How does one report this to the IRS?  
 

It’s mildly hilarious nobody got mad at Sydney for accidentally stabbing Richie … they all know he’s a lot to deal with.  

[CrystalBlue]

5 hours ago, chaifan said:

I'm through Ep 6, Fishes, and I have to say, I'm just not loving this season.  In general, I miss the main characters interacting with each other at the restaurant.  So much of this season has been the characters off on their own. Sydney on her "inspiration" tour (geez, how much can that woman eat in a day???), Marcus in Copenhagen (visually lovely episode), Tina at the culinary school or out with her friends.  Great episodes individually, but there's not enough tying it all back together for me.  Fak and Ritchie yelling at each other about renovations doesn't fill my need for character interaction.

And then this flashback episode...  from a cinematic standpoint I can appreciate it, but as a viewer I felt it was so chaotic I almost turned it off several times. 

I'll probably finish up the remaining episodes in the next few days, then go back and read the comments to see if I'm sitting at a table for one here.  (I hate having a single thread for this show.) 

I needed a vacation after Episode 6.

[callie lee 29]

Everyone talks about the Chris episode and Ritchie's episode but I think my favorite by far is Marcus's episode. It was just lovely on all points.

 

I do miss the characters all interacting at the restaurant together. I miss the Carmy and Syd interaction as well. I would have loved to have seen the two of them so the tasting your together. I definitely don't ship them but they have such a great platonic soul mate connection that just sits at the fire is the show. The two actors have fantastic chemistry together that it would be very easy for the powers that be to make it romantic but I hope they're better than that.

 

I really need season 3 soon.

[crystalball]

I’m halfway thru season 2 and loving it. While the intensity is still there (and heightened in many ways), I haven’t felt as stressed out as my initial reaction to every episode of season 1. 
 

I’m especially enjoying the soundtrack. Wonder if it’s a higher music budget or maybe it’s just that season 1 had so much screaming that I didn’t notice the tunes as much? 

 

[qtpye]

3 hours ago, crystalball said:

I’m halfway thru season 2 and loving it. While the intensity is still there (and heightened in many ways), I haven’t felt as stressed out as my initial reaction to every episode of season 1. 
 

I’m especially enjoying the soundtrack. Wonder if it’s a higher music budget or maybe it’s just that season 1 had so much screaming that I didn’t notice the tunes as much? 

 

I think the show is just coming together better as we now feel familiar with these characters and finding the right vibes.

Okay, I was totally confused about Bob O's character. I thought he was just a nice man who was dating the mother and thought "Mikey" was a total loser that was taking advantage of the mother.

However, we see how the mother abuses all the children, particularly the daughter...so who knows?

I also don't really know who Faq is to the family but I kind of love him and his brother.

[pasdetrois]

Episode 3 dragged for me. I'd rather the show focus on the restaurant characters. Also, it seems odd that Carmy would disappear to make goo-goo eyes at Claire despite the intense pressure to open the restaurant in six weeks.

Quote

my favorite by far is Marcus's episode

It was so lovely. Lucky actor to work in Copenhagen.

Edited July 6, 2023 by pasdetrois

[txhorns79]

I actually am fine with things not working out with Claire and Carm.  It's no one's fault.  It's just bad timing.  I think this new place needs 100% of his focus or things get missed and he gets locked in a storage fridge he forgot to have fixed.

And seriously, give Jamie Lee Curtis an Emmy on top of the Emmy she gets for the flashback episode.  She has maybe five minutes of screentime in the last episode, but manages so many emotions.  Just the reaction to her finding out that Sugar was pregnant and had not told her, just heartbreaking.  Also, Sugar is lucky to have such a good husband.        

[aghst]

Claire and Carm both have very demanding job, insane hours the norm.

So they'd have difficulties holding it together.

[ribboninthesky1]

On 7/5/2023 at 10:05 AM, chaifan said:

I'm through Ep 6, Fishes, and I have to say, I'm just not loving this season.  In general, I miss the main characters interacting with each other at the restaurant.  So much of this season has been the characters off on their own. Sydney on her "inspiration" tour (geez, how much can that woman eat in a day???), Marcus in Copenhagen (visually lovely episode), Tina at the culinary school or out with her friends.  Great episodes individually, but there's not enough tying it all back together for me.  Fak and Ritchie yelling at each other about renovations doesn't fill my need for character interaction.

And then this flashback episode...  from a cinematic standpoint I can appreciate it, but as a viewer I felt it was so chaotic I almost turned it off several times. 

I'll probably finish up the remaining episodes in the next few days, then go back and read the comments to see if I'm sitting at a table for one here.  (I hate having a single thread for this show.) 

You are not alone.  I got halfway through Fishes several days ago and stopped. It's not just the chaos, I was mostly bored. Still noodling on whether to watch the remaining episodes.

The season is celebrated and I feel like I've missed something because I've struggled to get through 6 (ok, 5.5) episodes.  I think the bolded really nails it for me. 

[chaifan]

I've watched the last 4 episodes over the last 2 days. 

"Forks" really delivered, finally a chance to see Ritchie doing something (anything!) other than yelling at other people.  It was really great to see Ritchie in a calm, appreciative mode, and the episode wants me to to find other things that actor is in.  I also loved the insight it gave the viewers into the behinds the scenes workings of that type/level of restaurant.  I seriously could watch a show just about Ritchie in that kitchen for a week or two.  (Working title - I Wear Suits Now.)  It also really drove home what strong connections Carm has in the culinary world, for another Chef to take their time training someone who won't even be working in their restaurant.  Olivia Coleman was great in this role.

The finale was amazing!  It brought in everything, held back nothing.  I loved that the mom showed up (another amazing performance by JLC) but didn't go in.  Carm getting stuck in the freezer - ok, I was spoiled by a few comments, so I knew it was going to happen.  (Actually, I thought it was going to happen in the previous episode.)  I liked that it removed Carm from the kitchen at a critical moment, and made the others rise to the task(s), especially Ritchie.  But the thing that kept bugging me was...  how did they not need any food from the cooler for the remainder of the night?  There had to be things that were prepped in there.  I would have liked Carm to have gotten out earlier, at least to see the very tail end of the kitchen finishing up and see the diners.  I really don't care about Carm and Claire, that whole scene did nothing for me. 

@ribboninthesky1 my advice...  yes, keep watching.  Skip the second 1/2 of Fishes if you want.  Watch Forks, you could skip Bolognase (ep 8), but watch the last two.  I think you'll get what you've been looking for out of this season.  (I'm not saying Ep 8 is bad, but if you're on the fence, it's the one ep of the last 4 that could be skipped.)

And now, time for questions...

First, what was with the banana for Uncle Jimmy?  I'm guessing I missed a reference somewhere along the line.  Same with whatever drinks were brought out for Syd's dad.

Second, can someone explain the kitchen call out process?  When Syd/Ritchie are calling out orders, how do people know who is doing what?  What was happening with the ticket system at the end - was it out of paper?  Why was it ticking with nothing coming out?  If it's a set tasting menu, why are there tickets in the first place - doesn't everyone get the same thing (except for allergies)?

Third, why does Tina call Carm Jeff or Jeffrey?  At first I thought I was hearing Jeff instead of Chef.  But CC had Jeff several times.  And then a few times she clearly called him Jeffrey. 

Fourth, going back to Ep 8, I really did not understand the epiphany Fak had about Michael doing a work around on the fire suppression system.  Did Michael jimmy the system so it didn't work, or did he figure out a way to rig it to pass the test?  Can anyone explain?

Finally, will there be a third season???

ETA: I meant to comment on the quick flash to Marcus' phone...  the missed calls and text from his mom's caregiver.  That was so sad.  You know his mom has passed, and he's going to beat himself up because he was so busy with the opening that he missed it.  I hope Season 3 (if there is one) deals with that. 

Edited July 7, 2023 by chaifan

[aghst]

Overall, the second season showed the effects of a larger budget.

A lot of drone shots and you noticed all the music that they cleared.  I definitely don't recall these elements from season 1.

Of course you had celebrity guest appearances and the setting expanded well beyond that claustrophobic but intimate restaurant to even beyond Chicago.

Not all these higher production cost features are necessarily good.  I remember after the first couple of seasons of The Chi, you had these spectacular night skyline shots, maybe from drones.  But that might as well have been from another city, another part of the world, because the Chicago skyscrapers are metaphorically distant from the hood where the characters live.

In a way, these elements can pull you out of the story, the immersion.  Hear a famous track and sometimes you just recognize the song, not how it relates or reflects the scene over which it's played.

Just as the Fishes episode, you saw all these guest stars who are much better known than most of the cast.

I assume there will be a third season, probably they have an agreement that they haven't announced yet.  Because the way season 2 ended there's a lot more story to tell.

Maybe they will pull back on some of these noticeable signs of greater production spending.  Sometimes, you get the sense that they used them just to spend the more money they had, not necessarily that they made the show better.

[MaryHedwig]

3 hours ago, chaifan said:

Third, why does Tina call Carm Jeff or Jeffrey?  At first I thought I was hearing Jeff instead of Chef.  But CC had Jeff several times.  And then a few times she clearly called him Jeffrey. 

I can tackle this one. In the very first episode, Carmy responds to Tina with, "Yes, Chef." Tina hears that not as Chef but 'Jeff'. Carmy explains he said Chef and that he did so as a sign of respect, While the 'Chef' stuck, the 'Jeff' did as well. Tina even calls him Jeffrey at least once, and one staff member (Sweeps?) calls him Jefferson once. While Tina might have meant said it at first to mock Carmy, I believe over time she uses it as a sign of affection/respect.

[Hanahope]

4 hours ago, chaifan said:

Fourth, going back to Ep 8, I really did not understand the epiphany Fak had about Michael doing a work around on the fire suppression system.  Did Michael jimmy the system so it didn't work, or did he figure out a way to rig it to pass the test?  Can anyone explain?

In a prior scene, Sydney hit the wall of the office where a poster of a baseball stadium (i think?) and her hand went right through.  Richie came in and pulled off the poster saying that Michael thought about torching the sandwich shop for the insurance money and that hole was part of an effort that didn't work, or he decided against it.  the poster covered up the hole.

later when the restaurant kept failing the fire suppression test, Fak suddenly realized that if Michael was going to torch the shop, he would not have wanted the fire suppression system to work, so he must have done something to deactivate it or prevent it from working.  so Fak fixed whatever it was that Michael did and now the fire suppression system worked.  

[peeayebee]

To answer another two of chaifan's questions...

The chocolate-covered banana in the finale was a callback to 'Fishes.' Richie's wife, Tiffany, was going thru morning sickness and could eat only a banana. So Jimmy tells a story:

Quote

On the drive out here we actually passed the stand my dad used to take me to get ’em. I swear to god I could smell ’em, you know? And him. It’s weird, right? We remember smells. Cologne. Anyway, it’s kinda been sittin’ with me, you know? Sittin’ on my chest. All of a sudden after all these years I’m missing that fat fuck? And here you are you’re eating a banana. Anyways it’s kind of funny.

 

Re the tickets printing out, that seemed to be Sydney getting super stressed and kind of flashing back to S1's ep where the call-in orders were getting way out of hand. It wasn't really happening in the finale.

[Door County Cherry]

14 hours ago, chaifan said:

Second, can someone explain the kitchen call out process?  When Syd/Ritchie are calling out orders, how do people know who is doing what? 

Everyone in the kitchen has their station so when he calls out four ribeye, the chef (or chefs) on the ribeye station fire up that order which then gets brought up  and directed to a table.  And he should know how long things take so if a ticket contains an item that takes 15 minutes to prepare and another item that takes 10 then he might wait a few minutes before he calls the second item. 

And even with tasting menus there's timing since most kitchens aren't equipped to serve everyone at the same time and diners move through courses at a different pace.  

16 hours ago, chaifan said:

Same with whatever drinks were brought out for Syd's dad.

When Richie approached the table to take the drinks order at the table of Syd's dad, Syd's dad mentioned that he didn't drink alcohol.  Richie said he knew and rolled up a special cart.  I'm assuming there were mocktail options on that cart her dad could choose from.  Both the drinks and the chocolate covered banana were to showcase that personal touch Richie learned at Ever. 

On 7/3/2023 at 6:26 PM, possibilities said:

How does one of those meal prices compare with a ticket to a top Broadway show or Box seats at a baseball game? 

That's my POV.  It's easy to think that it's too much to spend on a meal but these restaurants are often going for a memorable experience. That can be through plating, tricks or unexpected flavor combinations.  It can be surprising just how good a dish can be. It's rare that people go to them just to satisfy their hunger. Not everyone wants that experience but there are plenty of people who do and would happily pay for it just like there are people who'd pay hundreds of dollars to go to a concert. 

On 7/2/2023 at 4:53 PM, paramitch said:

My one slight issue with E6 is that it is so stuffed with famous actors even in small bit roles that it did break immersion for me a bit.

I'm still very divided on E6.

I'm divided on 6 and this whole season (as I finally finished it).  

I too thought it was initially overstuffed with famous actors but most of them are strong enough (Bob O, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sarah Paulson, Gillian*) that I eventually just saw the characters even if they were playing versions of someone they'd played before.  The one who absolutely didn't work for me was John Mulaney.  Every time he came on the screen, all I saw was John Mulaney. 

But I had a hard time connecting to with the chaos displayed in the episode and the act that it was one of the longest episodes didn't help.  

In fact, for the most part, that's my issue with the season.  I still really loved Season 2 but it missed some of the smallness of the first season where the goal was just to keep the restaurant afloat and exploring why Carmy was driven to do it.  This season was so clearly more traditionally written.  Instead of a small sandwich shop, they're suddenly spending hundreds of thousands of dollars trying to develop a Michelin star restaurant. They're sending the staff to cooking school or abroad as if everyone who worked in a sandwich shop is suddenly capable of working at a top tier restaurant. 

Fishes was the most obvious example of it.  Instead of the chaos feeling natural, I felt like the writers were going "look at the chaos" with the yelling and the talk of the seven fishes and the "gravy" and the bits of food stuck to the hood of the oven.  

But I did like watching Carm and Sydney work in their communication and I do feel like there is more to explore there with their partnership.  Syd got some great advice about making sure she knew where she stood in the business--partner or employee--and I don't know that we saw them ever finalize anything.  

I also loved Forks because it did what Season 1 managed to do and show me something about restaurants, in this case one with a Michelin star, and their POV of customer service. 

I look forward to a Season 3 (assuming they get one but considering Hulu was touting this season's success, I imagine it'll happen.)

[SoMuchTV]

On 7/5/2023 at 5:39 PM, callie lee 29 said:

I really need season 3 soon.

 

On 7/7/2023 at 9:27 AM, chaifan said:

Finally, will there be a third season???

 

7 hours ago, Door County Cherry said:

I look forward to a Season 3 (assuming they get one but considering Hulu was touting this season's success, I imagine it'll happen.)

If anyone hears news of a third season before I do (that's pretty likely), please consider commenting on / bumping the request for a full forum in the "new show forum requests" area:

https://forums.primetimer.com/forum/4393-new-show-forum-requests/

The one I submitted a few weeks ago (rejected for now) is still out there; hopefully that means they will reconsider if it's renewed.

Other shows with less activity and acclaim are getting full forums.  I can only assume this one didn't because nobody requested it at the appropriate time.

[Door County Cherry]

Oops, one more thing I forgot to add when I put an star next to Gillian's name in my post above, the creator of the show definitely seems like he's a Community fan.  Not only did Joel McHale and Gillian Jacobs guest star so far, but I believe Richie used the term "streets ahead."  Technically, it turns out Community didn't invent that phrase but there was definitely a story surrounding its use and it's not a common US expression. 

[meep.meep]

When you think about this from a business point of view, it doesn't make much sense.  What would make sense is if they had given Uncle Jimmy his money back from the cans, and then sold the restaurant.  (Apparently, they own it or Carmy couldn't have made that part of the bet.)  They could have then scouted locations that would be better for the new style of restaurant that they want to open and bought something in reasonable shape.  Instead, they've invested hundreds of thousands into a building that had to have everything rebuilt because of deferred maintenance and Mikey trying to burn it down for the insurance money.  And it's in a location that may be good for a sandwich shop, but it's iffy for fine dining.

[qtpye]

On 7/5/2023 at 5:39 PM, callie lee 29 said:

Everyone talks about the Chris episode and Ritchie's episode but I think my favorite by far is Marcus's episode. It was just lovely on all points.

 

I do miss the characters all interacting at the restaurant together. I miss the Carmy and Syd interaction as well. I would have loved to have seen the two of them so the tasting your together. I definitely don't ship them but they have such a great platonic soul mate connection that just sits at the fire is the show. The two actors have fantastic chemistry together that it would be very easy for the powers that be to make it romantic but I hope they're better than that.

 

I really need season 3 soon.

The Marcus episode was one of the most beautiful and hopeful episode of tv that I have seen in a long time.

I do think people overestimate the power of romantic relationships and underestimate how powerful platonic relationships can be.

Carmy is the perfect teacher for Syd and she is his perfect pupil because they both share the same passion for perfection.

Syd's relatively stable upbringing allows her to come from a spiritually healthy place while Carmy's terrible home life makes his love seem like torment.

Edited July 9, 2023 by qtpye

[qtpye]

I am rewatching season 2 and am now appreciating the small moments in the chaos.

The moment in the first episode where Tina's face absolutely melts into rapturous joy when Syd asks her to be her Sous Chef is a moment of pure beauty.

[qtpye]

Another small moment.

Carmy's ratty green sweater mirrors Syd's ratty blue sweatshirt.

It's a smart visual way to show that they are on the same page at the moment.

The costuming on this show can be overlooked because it feels so organic but it really is genius.

The way Richie cleaned up after being exposed to the restaurant was a great visual representation of his psyche.

 

[Shenanigan7070]

Quote

Not only did Joel McHale and Gillian Jacobs guest star so far, but I believe Richie used the term "streets ahead."  Technically, it turns out Community didn't invent that phrase but there was definitely a story surrounding its use and it's not a common US expression. 

Thank you! I knew I'd heard that expression somewhere and it was driving me crazy! 

[luna1122again]

On 7/8/2023 at 3:40 PM, Door County Cherry said:

Oops, one more thing I forgot to add when I put an star next to Gillian's name in my post above, the creator of the show definitely seems like he's a Community fan.  Not only did Joel McHale and Gillian Jacobs guest star so far, but I believe Richie used the term "streets ahead."  Technically, it turns out Community didn't invent that phrase but there was definitely a story surrounding its use and it's not a common US expression. 

Christopher Storer is Gillian's longtime partner, though they're not super public about it, apparently. 

[ribboninthesky1]

On 7/7/2023 at 9:27 AM, chaifan said:

@ribboninthesky1 my advice...  yes, keep watching.  Skip the second 1/2 of Fishes if you want.  Watch Forks, you could skip Bolognase (ep 8), but watch the last two.  I think you'll get what you've been looking for out of this season.  (I'm not saying Ep 8 is bad, but if you're on the fence, it's the one ep of the last 4 that could be skipped.)

Thanks for the suggestion. I skipped the last half of Fishes, and watched the rest of the season.  

I had a different take on the last 4 episodes - I enjoyed ep 8 the most of the bunch. I liked Forks, but it had nothing to do with Richie (of whom I was never a fan, and I was not sold on his character arc). As @Door County Cherry shared, it was nice to see restaurant staff that worked well together.  

I thought it was a mistake to sideline Carmy for half of the finale.  I don't mind his lack of focus biting him in the ass, but to take him out of the action didn't work for me.    

The Claire/Carmy breakup was so ridiculous because one minute Carmy was talking to Tina, then the next, the kitchen is entirely empty with only Claire listening? And so what, she walked to the fridge, didn't announce herself, and just stood there? And she heard him through a thick door when he was speaking barely above sotto voce by the time he was blathering on about not needing amusement or entertainment or whatever? OK, show. 

Overall, not a fan of season 2.  I thought it tried to do too much.  There was a lot of yelling in season one, but the conflict and drama seemed more...organic?  There were only 2 additional episodes in season 2, but it seemed like more because of the silly melodrama.  

[TV Diva Queen]

Just finished last night and I enjoyed this season, however not having Carm in the kitchen ruined it for me.  

[BonnieD]

Quote

 I think this new place needs 100% of his focus or things get missed and he gets locked in a storage fridge he forgot to have fixed.

I think a relationship could still be managed as long as both partners acknowledge the space he's in right now. ie. Why didn't Claire just text and say good luck tonight. Cant wait to see you. ? Clearly a phone message during one of the most important days of his life was not the way to go. AS an ER nurse, she, if anyone should know about stress jobs and when and where is a good time for deep conversations.
If there's any reason they shouldn't be together, it's not because of work. It's because he is an emotional basket case with mother issues, who needs some serious therapy and solo work before he's ready to take on a romantic partner to share a life with.

[Milburn Stone]

Loved the season and I don't care if restaurant kitchens aren't really that crazy, they are for these people.

Can't believe Alex Moffat took a role that gave him that little screen time in a whole season. (What was it in total, about 14 seconds?) Is he one step away from homelessness in real life or something?

Apparently star Chicago chef Rick Bayless isn't happy with how the show portrayed restaurant work. He said the show makes cooking "look like the worst profession in the world," and that the show has set the cooking profession "back another 20 years." (Not sure what the first blow was, but I assume Covid.) Michael Muser, co-owner of Ever, has said "the level of passion feels authentic" but maybe some of the show's depictions are a tad over-the-top. In any case he was glad to cooperate with filming because "it does a great job of paying homage to our extraordinary city" and "anything we can do to help represent the city in a good light, we will."

Whole article is here.

[possibilities]

I can't think of any show that is 100% realistic and not a little over the top.

[blixie]

It is very over the top, no doubt, the amount of yes Chef's even when the employee's aren't chefs seems like overkill. But kitchens are rough, there are few delicate flowers, tho there are some Head Chef's who are more in the quiet peaceful zen area in high end dining, there are probably 5 high stress ass jobs for every one of those. Even with the zen types, a kitchen/restaurant can be a high stress place whether it's Olive Garden or Alinea.

[peeayebee]

I'm very glad for the show's Emmy nominations, but the way shows are plugged into categories is weird. Yes, The Bear has funny stuff in it, but I wouldn't call it a comedy.

Outstanding Comedy Series
Jeremy Allen White, Outstanding Lead Actor in Comedy Series
Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Outstanding Supporting Actor in Comedy Series
Ayo Edebiri, Outstanding Supporting Actress in Comedy Series
Jon Bernthal, Outstanding Guest Actor in Comedy Series
Oliver Platt, Outstanding Supporting Actor in Comedy Series
 

[arachne]

I think The Bear is categorized as "comedy" because most of the eps are roughly a half-hour long -- and everybody knows TV dramas are at least an hour. 🙄

I too am glad to see all the nominations. But I wonder, can the Emmys run clips of this show without "bleeping" them into oblivion?

Overall, I'm happy with this show. If it continues, it may just define this decade for me the way, say, Game of Thrones defined the last one.

I'm just a little sad that Anthony Bourdain isn't around to see it. I read Kitchen Confidential years ago, and The Bear looks a lot like what he wrote about. (Speaking of Bourdain, I noticed that his picture was taken down in the Season 2 opener, as the restaurant was being renovated. I was peeved at first, and then I realized that it had to be. This was a whole different establishment going up.) 

[Hanahope]

8 hours ago, possibilities said:

I can't think of any show that is 100% realistic and not a little over the top.

Oh yeah, like legal shows are so realistic 

[possibilities]

And medical shows! 

Restaurants just aren't used to being used for tv drama.

[slowpoked]

I just finished S2 E7 and wow, what a fantastic episode! Probably the best of the series so far. I didn't care much for the Richie character in S1 - in fact, I almost gave up on the show because I could not take in all the swearing and yelling and the "COUSIN!!!" every 2 minutes. I really liked it that they toned down Richie this season and gave him a great episode to shine. 

I'm one of those people who enjoy fine dining, so this season is more interesting to me than S1, although I did end up liking S1 as a whole, the sum of its parts. I've been to the famous one in California, and another one in CA too but unfortunately got burned down. The service is truly topnotch and personalized. Before I had the impression that these kinds of restaurants would have the hoity toity attitude, but so far I've been quite as impressed with the service as we were with the food. So I guess that's why I especially enjoyed E7. It was nice to see the inner workings of the service in fine dining, because most of the time, when fine dining is featured in shows, it's mostly about the food. 

Edited July 13, 2023 by slowpoked

[buttersister]

22 hours ago, arachne said:

I think The Bear is categorized as "comedy" because most of the eps are roughly a half-hour long -- and everybody knows TV dramas are at least an hour. 🙄

 

Heh, I think you're right. Either that, or for the life of this show, it would have been swamped by Succession in the drama category.

[Milburn Stone]

16 minutes ago, buttersister said:

Heh, I think you're right. Either that, or for the life of this show, it would have been swamped by Succession in the drama category.

And Succession is funnier than The Bear! Oh, the irony.

[TV Diva Queen]

On 7/12/2023 at 12:32 PM, Milburn Stone said:

Loved the season and I don't care if restaurant kitchens aren't really that crazy, they are for these people.

Can't believe Alex Moffat took a role that gave him that little screen time in a whole season. (What was it in total, about 14 seconds?) Is he one step away from homelessness in real life or something?

Apparently star Chicago chef Rick Bayless isn't happy with how the show portrayed restaurant work. He said the show makes cooking "look like the worst profession in the world," and that the show has set the cooking profession "back another 20 years." (Not sure what the first blow was, but I assume Covid.) Michael Muser, co-owner of Ever, has said "the level of passion feels authentic" but maybe some of the show's depictions are a tad over-the-top. In any case he was glad to cooperate with filming because "it does a great job of paying homage to our extraordinary city" and "anything we can do to help represent the city in a good light, we will."

Whole article is here.

If Rick Bayless hates it...in my eyes, it has to be good.  I live and work in Chicago and have been to his restaurant years ago, several times for lunch BEFORE he "made it big"  It would be just some work friends, crossing the river for lunch, not even a big deal - and then when I heard that he was "taking off"  I was like "who, that a-hole from frontera?" 

I didn't like him them, and I don't like him now.  

[Gloriosa]

I just rewatched the first two episodes.  Am I to deduce that Carmy threw away $5K when he tossed that can of tomatoes into the trash?

[Hanahope]

that appears to be likely.