Honeydew

Following on from Syd's episode, this outing focuses on Marcus and his experience in Copenhagen, as he is trained by guest Will Poulter in his cameo appearance.

A conversation between the pair at the halfway mark depicts a brief moment of connection; these two men are from vastly different walks of life, tied together by the struggle of modern living, surviving within the culinary world, coping with illness, loss and various family issues. It's a nice moment, one that feels real, thoughtful and endearing. It's also what I've liked the most about 'The Bear' so far in its second season, it's delivering these heartwarming moments frequently throughout each and every episode.

That's a microcosm for the episode as a whole. Marcus is given his time to shine; he is one of the most likeable characters on television currently. The cinematography is gorgeous, and various montages follow on from those prevalent within the previous Syd-focused episode, however, there's further dialogue and a deeper focus on Marcus' personal life, his mother's health, which take this outing up a notch.

I think Season 2 of 'The Bear' is taking what made Season 1 so special, turning it up to 100 and thoroughly outclassing it on a episode-by-episode basis. That's not an easy feat, but if this quality continues then I think the show may just pull it off.

Marcus traveling to Denmark to learn more about baking is something I didn't know I needed, but now after watching this has moved him up to a top 3 character in this show for me. The chef that teaches him is another surprise guest star. I won't give away who it is, but he had an amazing scene when Marcus and him were talking about their pasts and pondering if the life he has was worth all the struggle. Honestly, I was getting to the end and realized how happy I was watching this. The other shoe had to drop sometime and it never happened. If nothing else came from this, then at least it made want to visit Denmark.

Its been made clear that this season was going to take a different approach. While the ultimate goal is the opening of the restaurant it also prioritizes on character growth and I think that is truly shown here.

I really liked how Marcus was the main focus here. We get to know more about his passion but also about his personal life. He's always been a character that hasn't really been showcased too much but this episode certainly changed that.

He has always been an interesting character to me because he's such a genuine person who is not as chaotic compared to the rest of the crew. Giving him his own episode where he ventures on a journey of discovery is something that was needed from him.

Also the addition of Will Poulter was quite a surprise and it definitely gave this episode a massive boost.

Wow! This episode was truely something else! Suddenly the vibe changed as Marcus went on this beautifull and inspirering journey of culinary discovery!

Since I am from Denmark and live close to Copenhagen i have to praise the episode for capturering the beauty and charm of the danish capital! It is clear the people behind the show has always had a thing for Copenhagen since it is broad up numerous times, and now they get to show it in this episode!

Will Poulter also completely steals the show as Luca! He gives of such a deep and heartwarming performance and he just feels dedicated to a point where you can feel his passion just by looking at him!

The food alomg with the shots of Copenhagen makes for a visually pleasing episode with a lot of heart!

What an episode...television just doesn't get any better than this. The rhythm, the cinematography, the sensitivity, the music, the location (a character in itself), the direction, the depth of character, the acting, the hug - woah...Tears in my eyes in multiple moments.

As an actor I must congratulate Will Poulter on his performance - beautifully balanced, subtle, truthful, understated, the perfect dish - bravo.

Only complaint: why don't we get more TV like this!?

The Bear is such a joy and delivers on every level, I didn't know how they could possibly improve upon season 1 and yet somehow they've made that feel like an amuse bouche.

Can't recommend this series and this episode highly enough.