From the series’ opening seconds of Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto waking up from a dream where he uncages a bear that immediately screams into his face and the ensuing mishmash of scenes of him struggling to procure cash to restock the restaurant’s kitchen, Christopher Storer’s The Bear is a rush to behold.
Before watching the pilot episode “System,” and having only seen the trailer, the show seemed like it would be some sort of feel-good familial drama centered around cooking in a family restaurant. That expectation soon wavered upon seeing the series’ ominous opening dream sequence: the camera focused on a bridge in the dead of night where Carmy confronts a bear. The show’s immediate tone is one of tense, psychological drama (maybe even horror/crime), which quickly gives way as viewers are immersed in Carmy working in his grimy kitchen–montages of piled up bills and unpaid notices, restocking food, scrounging up coins, calling in quick favors–and the rest of the show’s ensemble is introduced. There is the new kitchen hire Sydney Adamu (portrayed by Ayo Edebiri), Carmy’s hotheaded and troublesome cousin Richie (played by Ebon Moss-Bachrach), Marcus (played by Lionel Boyce), Tina (portrayed by Liza Colon-Zayas), and Carmy’s sister Natalie “Sugar” Berzatto (portrayed by Abby Elliot).
The writing, directing, and acting are all top-notch–particularly Jeremy Allen White’s portrayal of Carmy (also referred to as “Bear” at times by his fellow chefs). White is able to capture his character’s pent-up determination to save the restaurant with an undercurrent of pensiveness that belies questions about his past (What was he doing before he came back to Chicago? Why does he want to save the restaurant so badly instead of just selling it? What issues did he have with his brother?). The camera often closes in on Carmy’s pensive face and wide eyes, with White’s mysterious and troubled performance powering this kitchen-centric drama.
Overall, The Bear is a well balanced dramedy from the FX network, deftly mixing in the protagonist’s personal drama and mystery with comedic situations with co-workers and customers.
