System

I've been waiting a long time to watch this show so the hype was real. I finally got my Hulu account and this was my first choice, I can say I got the plattaform speccially to see this series.

The pace is great and a lot happened in just 28 minutes of run time, which talks of great direction. Solid supporting cast, and great camara work. Very akward, yet engaging. Back to the direction, a lot happens in a small location and the way the camera is handled, makes you feel part of that kitchen and gets you into the dynamic of how is it to run a food business.

The soundtrack is catchy and really elevates the excellent cinematography.

8.5.

This show has gotten some pretty solid praise from the critics and has already won some awards. But lets face it. The show has to start somewhere. This episode gives us a quick glance at the principle characters. It gives us background as to why the sandwich shop is so important to everyone or an anathema to others. It establishes a level of intensity that will turn some off. Let's see if this is sustained as we move on. There are a number of internal conflicts that are going to be continued. I'm willing to accept the scattergun approach to shows like this because the promise is something unique and unconventional. I think I'll hang around for a while.

Having worked in a few kitchens, I'm familiar with all the conflict and other things that can blow up inside. The writers tried too hard, as did the director, to create a bunch of conflict all at once by rushing everything. Any one of the several things introduced could have made an interesting conflict to deal with in this first episode. Maybe even two, but not ten. Going through all of them at once with break-neck dialog and people talking over each other with kitchen noise does nothing but confuse the story. Give the audience a break. Not everybody knows all the lingo used in professional kitchens. If you slow it down, viewers get more in context. Yes, all these first episode things can happen, but they never happen all at once. I often criticize TV shows for taking a movie script and stretching it out for ten episodes. The opposite isn't better. I'm going to watch the first few episodes to see if it starts to become more coherent and intentional. If it doesn't, it will be sad, because I can tell this series has promise.

Right, so I've finally given in and started The Bear. After years of hearing people go on about it, I went in expecting another overhyped dramedy. What I got was something far more raw.

Jeremy Allen White's Carmen is immediately compelling... a classically trained chef drowning in the inherited chaos of his late brother's Chicago sandwich shop. The pilot doesn't muck about with exposition. Instead, it throws you straight into the claustrophobic nightmare of a dysfunctional kitchen where everyone's shouting, nothing works properly, and the debt collectors are circling.

What struck me most is how authentic the workplace dysfunction feels. This isn't Kitchen Nightmares theatrics... it's genuinely stressful watching systems fall apart in real time. The writing captures that particular brand of working-class exhaustion where pride and desperation dance together.

Abby Elliott's Sydney provides the perfect counterpoint: optimism meeting reality head-on. Their dynamic already hints at something deeper brewing beneath the surface chaos.

I'm intrigued but not yet convinced. The acclaimed emotional depths everyone goes on about remain hidden. For now, it's a solid workplace drama with cracking performances and genuine grit.

7.5/10 More episodes needed to justify the universal praise.

FX doesn't miss w/ their shows for the most part, "The Bear", so far, is nothing short of that. There's a mystery around why Carmen is called the bear, maybe a name from childhood, maybe he's been bullied w/ the name & that's why he has visions or maybe he had some experience w/ an actual bear. Regardless, it makes the show even more interesting than it is and somehow the nickname fits right in with his character. I love the dichotomy between Carm and his workers, its all too toxic but feels all too real when it comes to the food service... Not to mention the dichotomy between him and his cousin who seeming co-owns(?) the restaurant they are all working at. Yeah, they captured what it feels like to work with family here, it's not all stars and stripes. I also love the hardcore and punk music laced throughout the show, Refused's "New Noise" plays through a re-written melody for the sure that just fits like a glove oddly. One of the chefs and family friends wears a Harm's Way shirt and Pearl Jam plays at the end. This show is so oddly infectious it reminds me of how I felt when I first watched Freaks And Geeks, it's infectious but you don't know why, it goes straight for your soul and wants you coming back for more. I'm glad I started watching this after I saw my friends post about the music in the show and how good it is, this show is truly starting to be a gem & its rare to see ratings go up in episodes over a season on this website. Can't wait to watch more.