The Bear Season 2 Review
Season two of Hulu’s The Bear has yet again hit it out of the park, but that doesn’t mean they didn't have a few strikes along the way.
Season one of The Bear set a high bar after its near perfect ending two episodes. The Bear prides itself on its unyielding loyalty to authenticity and its depth of character using little to no exposition. Throughout the eight episode season, the audience was given small glimpses into the background and history of the characters through off hand comments, short tangents, and brief flashbacks. This left the audience with just enough questions that needed answers when it came to the history of The Beef, the Berzatto family and the rest of the cast, to set up an exciting second season. Season one also had little room for character development as the choice to focus on the struggle to keep The Beef open captured much of the first season’s attention. Going into season two, the writers had some developing to do.
Tension is one of the core tenants of The Bear. The first season constantly kept a sense of stress and urgency in each scene, eventually culminating with the finale, putting the season’s central conflict to rest. With the high-stress environment of the first season eventually boiling over in the climactic finale, how would the plot adapt moving forward? Season two adapts by sticking to what it knows. Immediately in the first episode, the tension that was lost in the finale is reignited in a different form. Instead of that constant battle to keep The Beef' being present in every scene and interaction, the struggle to get to opening day of The Bear (The Beef’s successor) acts as an undercurrent. This provides a much more relaxed first half of the season, which builds up to the finale.
With such a distinctly different tone in the first couple of episodes, The Bear initially loses its footing, but quickly regains it going into episode four.
The first couple of episodes are markedly relaxed compared to both the first season as a whole and the latter half of season two. While this is not inherently bad, the tone is unfamiliar, leading to clunky dialogue and a general sense of something being simply off. Characters crack more jokes, something rarely seen in the first season, so they seem more like characters and less like genuine people. Luckily, this problem is remedied quickly.
By keeping the tension in the background, season two has more room to focus on character development and backstories. In season two, we see the blossoming of characters like Richie and Marcus, gaining greater depth as characters and more time on the screen to have the audience get familiar with them.
Richie’s episode-long arc is one that has been a long time coming. Richie, throughout the first season, acted as an“old guard” type of character, someone who wants to stop as much deviation from the original restaurant as possible. By the end of the first season, Richie is forced to adapt and accept the change in The Beef, reflecting a slight shift in character, but nowhere near the depth of change seen in Episode 7, titled “Forks.” “Forks” acts as a complete redefining of Richie, forcing him to confront his insecurities and lack of meaning and guide him towards the potential he always had. Prior to Episode 7, Richie’s backstory and relation to the Berzattos is fleshed out a bit more, adding dimension to his character previously unseen. This fleshing out helps to explain his current state of being and why his character is so abrasive. The Bear creates a great amount of sympathy for his character, leading up to a very satisfying arc that allows Richie to change for the better. Episode 7 surrounds Richie with people who have what he lacks: meaning and purpose. Once Richie witnesses the love and passion that each of the people around him put into their jobs, he, too, finds ambition and drive.. The motto shown throughout the episode really captures the change that occurs within Richie, that “Every second counts,” proving to Richie that it is never too late to start over and that he should devote every ounce of his being to what he loves doing.
Marcus’s episode, on the other hand, is a much slower one that allows the audience to cozy up to him as a character through his staging at a restaurant in Amsterdam. Throughout the episode, Marcus puts himself into unfamiliar situations and challenges himself as a pastry chef. Unlike Richie, Marcus is already an emotionally developed character, so instead the episode treats the audience to a stroll through Amsterdam, with Marcus acting as the guide.
This episode takes a similar pace to the first couple of episodes, but it feels much more realistic in its portrayal and tone. The episode starts off with Marcus visiting his mother who’s in a coma, setting a somber tone going into the fourth episode. This already distinguishes the episode from the previous ones, which lacked this grounded look into a character. Personal tragedy or struggle is something shared among the characters, which contributes to that grounded feel in the first season, because everyone has, or will, experience a tragedy in their life. This allows from that point on a relation to Marcus that makes the episode much more endearing than if the scene had been cut out, and returns the show to the realism found in the earlier episodes.
The show puts a specific focus on the small events in Marcus’ trip, like leaving out water for a cat that may or may not exist, trying pastries from a local cafe, and walking around the famous landmarks of Amsterdam. All of these little moments add to Marcus’ character, as the audience sees him live his life outside of just being a pastry chef (although that is why he is in Amsterdam in the first place). Episode four acts as a pretty much standalone episode, similar to that of Richie’s episode, in that it happens in complete isolation from the cast.
These two episodes stand out in their one off nature and represent a departure from the normal flow of events within the storyline of The Bear. These are the two best episodes of the season other than the finale.
Episode six is also worth mentioning because it provides context to season one and season two. Episode six, titled “Fishes,” dives into the history of the Berzattos, depicting a past family holiday when Carmy’s brother, Mikey, was still alive. This allows for a unique exploration of the dynamics of the cast before Mikey’s death, the event that led to Carmy returning to The Beef and putting into motion the events of season one. This episode acts as a great contrast to season two, showing how far the cast has come. The episode also gives the audience a veritable character piece on the Berzatto family and the longtime employees of The Beef. “Fishes” is a great flashback episode in that it foreshadows many of the events and character development witnessed in the first and second season. The episode is riddled with moments that give glimpses into the tragedy that befell the Berzattos, as throughout the episode Mikey struggles to maintain his happy facade. The scene in the pantry epitomizes this: Carmy gives Mikey a sketch of the restaurant that they, since their childhood, promised they were going to open together. Once Carmy leaves to help their mother, the camera stays focused on Mikey, silently crying to himself, punching himself to make the tears stop. This again portrays tragedy, or the lead up to one, providing relatability to the Berzattos and the rest of this cast.
The finale, on the other hand, operates as the culmination of the overarching plot of the season. Throughout the second season, much attention has been paid to Carmy’s life outside the kitchen, providing a contrast, as well as a point of tension to the rest of the cast. During the season, Carmy gets into his first romantic relationship, providing him a source of distraction from the restaurant. This is the opposite of how Carmy and the other characters acted during the first season, when they were singularly focused on getting the restaurant to opening day. This tension comes to a head in the finale when, on opening night, Carmy lockshimself in the walk-in freezer because the handle breaks, a handle he was supposed to replace. Carmy, powerless to change his situation, allows his darkest thoughts to bubble to surface, leading to a confession that he feels he doesn't deserve or need happiness and that the happiness he derived from anything outside of his work was worthless. This proves to be one of the most poignant moments in the whole season, as with the confession, Carmy inadvertently divulges to his girlfriend that she has acted only as a distraction to him. Hearing this admission, she leaves him to be stuck in that freezer to contemplate his thoughts. This acts as a great ending to an emotionally turbulent season and sets up a high stakes third season.
Overall, season two proved to be a much more character driven drama than the previous season. New insights added dimension to characters and a new appreciation for their changes throughout the story. Although the second season lost its footing with the first few episodes, it quickly regained momentum with some of the most memorable character explorations and emotionally complex episodes of the series yet.
By Holden Gruel