The Bear

[MaxMovieMan 354]

Just binged this entire series. Really incredible. Every character is extremely well thought out and perfectly cast. The way the show balances the humor and the drama is amazing and there are genuine moments where I nearly cried. Also the show makes you very hungry. 
 

The show follows a world renowned named Carmy who moves back to his hometown of Chicago to run his recently deceased brother’s sandwich shop. The shop is a chaotic mess with constant screaming and arguing which forces Carmy into an environment he’s not used to whatsoever. Over the course of the 3 seasons released so far Carmy transforms the sandwich shop into something much more with the help of his staff that includes the second main character, Sydney, an aspiring chef who wants to create a stable fine-dining work environment. Each season is labeled as a “part” so season 1 is “Part 1” etc. and I feel like we will end up with 5 total parts that reflect the 5 acts of a Shakespearean tragedy. I love flawed main characters and this show has one of the best in Carmy. He, like many of my other favorite MC’s, has the fatal problem of doing anything in his power to achieve his goal, even if it hurts those around him or himself… He’s like a combination of Kendall Roy and Walter White.

 

I thought the way the show used different songs by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross/Nine Inch Nails for the score was well done and added a lot to the scenes they were in. I think there was an original score in season 1 but since then it got replaced by preexisting music.

 

If you haven’t watched this show please do I don’t want to spoil anything but truly this is a gem. It takes itself seriously and still knows how to have fun.

[tomsmoviemadness 4,996]

Season 1 was fantastic!

Season 2 was brilliant! With some of the best episodes ever on tv.

Season 3 is really tough to get through. It's taking me more than 2 months now and I'm only halfway through. Something this season just doesn't work for me.

[MaxMovieMan 354]

Yeah season 3 is a much more subdued one. Style over substance for sure. And they took their own advice too much when they “subtracted” all of the different elements of the show that worked so well together and put them each in their own episode. Episode 1 was basically one long montage. However for me because I still really love the characters and that I can tell that they’re putting effort behind every episode I still can sit back and vibe to it. It’s mainly food porn and atmosphere but I still enjoyed it. Also helps that I’m binging the entire series rather than having to wait week-to-week because that would drive me insane. I think season 4 will go back to the roots hopefully.

[tomsmoviemadness 4,996]

All 3 seasons have been bingedrops on release. It was never weekly.

[Gabriel Bezerra 793]

Carmy's actions in Season 3 lead to a argument between me and my mom while we were making sandwiches, felt like I was in an episode of The Bear

[MaxMovieMan 354]

7 hours ago, tomsmoviemadness said:

All 3 seasons have been bingedrops on release. It was never weekly.

Oh shoot didn’t realize that. Makes me even more hyped for season 4 then. Also I find it easy to relax and go to bed with season 3 which is a change from the previous two seasons but is still something I enjoy watching. I think it’s cool that this show can be so versatile.

[Jay 46,747]

The creators intended it to be a 3 season show of 10 episodes each.

 

It became such a huge hit, FX told them to split their 3rd season into two seasons.

That's why season 3 is so slow and ends on a weird cliffhanger.  It's just the first half of their intended 3rd season, stretched to double its intended length.

[Jay 46,747]

The Bear 4x01 Groundhogs

 

I LOVED the opening scene with Mikey and Carmy!  Every bit of it was perfect.

 

I disliked the middle of the episode, every second of which felt like filler added when FX stretched their 3 season plan out to 4.  So we get scenes reminding us where all the characters are at, and then dumb new stakes out of the blue with the 2 month window they now have to be a success.

 

But then, damn if the last third of the episode didn't get me, the long montage of all the changes they are making and things improving at the restaurant.  Always love these parts of the show!

 

One question.  When the severs from that fancy restaurant Richie worked at in "Forks" showed up, was that something set up last season, or a random new surprise that had no set up whatsoever?  I was so confused.  Are we supposed to believe they all quit their jobs at the other restuarant to work at The Bear now?  Or did Olivia Coleman give them leave or something?

[Jay 46,747]

The Bear 4x02 Soubise

 

I liked it.  This added stake of Unc now lessening their budget on top of the deadline feel like more "stretching things out" material (more random obstacles to overcome on top of all the ones they already have), but there were many good character moments.  Not only Carmy calling his sister (I'm sorry but its insane that he hasn't even MET the baby yet after all these months(?) later, thats insane),  but also Syd with Marcus, Carmy with Richie, and Carmy with Syd.  Carmy's new attitude of agreeing with everything Syd says feels like it came out of nowhere to me, but I'm probably forgetting some growth he had at the end of last season (which wouldn't have been that long ago if they hadn't split the season up).  I also keep forgetting that there's a running plot element where Syd hasn't signed the partnership agreement (while debating between doing that or going to work for Shapiro), probably because its been dragged out forever with no change in it at all.

[Jay 46,747]

The Bear 4x03 Scallop

 

Wow this was like 2 episodes in one... or more like a full episode and then a sneak attack emotional punch tacked on at the end.  I loved the restaurant parts that made up the bulk of the episode - Carmy approving Sydney's scallop dish and immediately putting it on the menu was nice (but I honestly couldn't tell if he was being completely sincere or if he was holding back some level of criticism)... Ebraheim hiring Ron Reiner (!) to consult on ways to improve the Beef window business.... Carmy also loving Marcus' dessert creations, then promising he'll get him more "firepower" (no idea what that's gonna be!)... and of course, the big snow-scene sequence to please the out of town guests.  I loved the bit where Ritchie was about to bring out The Beef sandwich to them, but Carmy stops him and Ritchie is clearly holding back extreme frustration, until Carmy finishes what he's doing and Ritchie loves it.  And the whole crew gathering outside to enjoy the snow was a nice moment too.  The guy who saw the sandwich and the snow is clearly the next guy who's going to drop a review of the restaurant right?  Oh!  And also in here was the return of Jamie Lee Curtis as Carmy and Sugar's mom, apparently a Realtor now (?), selling Jimmy's house (?) for him?  How much time has passed since she couldn't bring herself to go to The Bear's soft opening?

 

But then after what felt like a whole, satisfying episode's worth of content, Carmy finally goes to see Claire and apologize.  This was a really well-acted scene, but it seems so weird that he's apologizing for what happened at the end of SEASON 2, a third of the way into season FOUR.  This stretching out of things really is hurting the pacing of some storylines.  At least there's a path towards some kind of resolution for these two now!  I am really curious what it was about this conversation that made Carmy want to call Pete to change the partnership agreement with Syd?  I love that Pete is still stored in Carmy's phone as "Sugar's New Boyfriend (Pete?)"  

[Jay 46,747]

The Bear 4x04 Worms

 

A Sydney episode!  Has she had one before?  I remember the Marcus episode, the Ritchie episode, the Tina episode.... This one was really good.  I liked the back and forth between Sydney and her cousin, and also Sydney and her niece.  I thought it was funny that she made actual Hamburger Helper (with some extra stuff added) instead of a whole thing from scratch (since they did go to the grocery store after all), and helped her niece out with her sleepover dilemma (at least I think she did...)  The part where she was talking about the sleepover options while actually talking about choosing between Carmy and Shapiro was fun and clever.  When she goes to see Shapiro again, it felt redundant, we already know what the differences would be between working for him and working for Carm - I really hope this gets resolved soon, its been dragging on forever.  When she calls Shapiro at the end of the episode, does that mean she's made her choice?

 

A really nice part of the episode was the repeating shots of the oven clock blinking 12:00, a perfect contrast to the count-down clock that Jimmy & Computer installed at The Bear.  There, Sydney is constantly under pressure of what will happen when the clock runs out; Here with her cousin, time is "stopped" and she doesn't have to worry about that.  Oh, and another nice contrast was at the end of the episode where she looks at her phone and the Faks are blowing up her texts about some kind of issue - that they eventually resolved, compared to the nice easy conversation she has with Shapiro at his place.  The Berzatto family is shown to be most at home in chaos due to their upbringing, and I think Sydney has to decide if she is built like that too, or if she' do better in a much calmer (theoretically) establishment...

[Jay 46,747]

The Bear 4x05 Replicants

 

That opening scene with Kate Berlant delivering a long monologue about her alcoholic brother was incredible.  This show really gives guest actors a chance to shine like most other shows never would.  Sydney gets the updated partnership agreement from Carm, but still doesn't open it.  What was the change he made after talking to Claire?!  Marcus' roomate is in real estate now, just like Carm and Sugar's mom is randomly in real estate now?  What is this?  There's also parallels this season with both Syd and Marcus ignoring calls from their fathers, and of course the season opens with Carm and Mikey talking about their father...

 

I can't believe the firepower Carmy promised Marcus ends up being freaking Luka?  Just like Ritchie hiring the trio from Ever, I'm so confused, are these people quitting their other jobs to work at The Bear instead because they have faith in it?  It seems so risky...  Although, with Carmy locking the menu (finally!) maybe things will get better.  I still can't tell if Carmy is being sincere in his apologies for changing it every day and making things too hard... does he really feel that way or is he just learning how to be more of a team player?  Sugar showing up with Sophie was adorable (and the Faks were hilarious!), but damn I guess I hadn't realized Carmy STILL hadn't gone to see the baby (I figured it was gonna happen off screen).  That phone call Sydney gets at the end though... goddamn.

[Jay 46,747]

The Bear 4x06 Sophie

 

Sugar and the baby were so cute, especially with everybody but the Faks getting to hold her, and them talking about the baby's smell and stuff  Lots of good character bonding this episode.  We had Claire comfort Sydney at the hospital, and I think she did a really good job there.  Ritchie talking to Jess about Tiff remarrying and what it means for his daughter... and I thought she had some really good advice about the teddy bear and what it really meant.  Rob Reiner's storyline with Ebraheim has been a very amusing one, and now where learn where its going - franchising The Beef window!  Is this what's going to keep the rest of the restaurant afloat!?

 

But man, the absolute funniest running bit of the whole season so far is Francie Fak, starting with Pete running into her in a gym with Sugar saying SHE KNOWS WHAT SHE DID; Her thinking about texting her and her contact being labeled as Francie Fak Bitch Fuckface or whatever it was, and then in this episode Neil Fak having to childishly admit to her that he invited Francie to the wedding and her response was just gold!  I can't wait to see this wedding and who they got to play Francie Fak (getting John Cena to play a Fak last season was incredible), which I assume is the next episode!

[Jay 46,747]

The Bear 4x07 Bears

 

Boy, this episode was good.  The kind of episode you can only do when you've developed your characters so well, and know how to write new interactions between different factions of them so well.  Realistically there's no good reason why Sydney, Marcus, Marcus's roommate (!), and the Faks (!!) would be at Tiff and Frank's wedding, but it makes the episode more fun and interesting (and funny) having them here.

 

I loved the scene where Carmy is forced to interact with his mom.  I don't think I had remembered that he hadn't actually see her in person since the Christmas incident where she drove the car into the house, which I think was something like 7 years before the start of the show?  The acting here was fantastic, and I love how Richie gave Carmy a perfect out at the perfect time.  Great stuff.

 

But more interesting was the conversation that Carmy has with Lee.  Of course he doesn't believe that Mikey and Lee had become friends (since the last time he was them presumably was when Mikey was throwing forks at Lee at the same Christmas as the car incident), but when he eventually does and it makes him re-evaluate everything he thought he knew about Mikey was so good.  When Lee insists that Donna is changing, I feel like Carmy feels like he has to actually belive that too.

 

I had forgotten that Josh Hartnett was playing Tiff's new boyfriend (now husband), and man, he was really good here!  The fact that he feels insecure about his new stepdaughter's relationship with him compared to Richie was a nice problem for Richie to help with him, and I liked that Richie just did it, selflessly, without even thinking about it.  Richie is probably my favorite character on the show and the one that has had the best growth.  The best little bit was when he politely lied about how his daughter is always bringing up Frank when she's with him, and when Frank's not around and someone asked him if that was true and he was like "hell no!"

 

John Mulaney also did good work this episode, talking to Frank about being an honorary Bear by marrying into the family (since Tiff basically is one forever now - nice backstory that her own mother isn't even at her wedding.  The Bears are her family now).  His delight at the drama was both funny and just kind of explained his character really well.

 

Claire being at the wedding was nice too as it enabled her and Carm to have some nice moments together.  You can tell she is still wounded by what he did, but not completely closed off to a reconciliation, and that he is still trying to figure out his shit.  When he tells her that his hand scar wasn't an accident, but that he burned it on purpose when he heard about Mikey's suicide, it was a nice moment of both being more honest and open, and being more vulnerable as well.  I have to think these two will get back together eventually.

The running bit about Richie's daughter hiding under the table because she doesn't want to dance was a bit odd at first, started to get funny as more and more people joined her under there, and eventually hilarious as practically the whole cast of the show was under there with her. I swear the size of the table actually grows in between shots It was fun to have everyone state a fear, some of which might have chosen a child-friendly thing to say and some who definitely did not  

 

By far the funniest part of the episode was finally getting to the bottom of this Francie Fak / Natalie quarrel they've been building up all season.  I knew she was gonna be a big name since that's what this show does, and Brie Larson was the perfect choice!  The way her and Nat fought throughout the episode was so funny, and when we finally get to the cause of it all I loved that it was messy and they were talking over each other and I'm not even sure I understand it all.  I guess the big thing is that they were best friends, who then advanced to dating, but had a breakup and now they lost the friendship?  There must be more to the story.  The reconciliation at the end was good, I wonder if she'll turn up again.

 

Oh, and I loved Richie's dialogue about how he realized that he's not a lone rock in a zen garden, he's the sand bringing everyone together.  Brilliantly shown throughout the episode the way he immediately helps out Frank and his daughter, and brings everyone under the table together.

 

 

[Gabriel Bezerra 793]

On 27/06/2025 at 11:39 AM, Jay said:

Are we supposed to believe they all quit their jobs at the other restuarant to work at The Bear now?

Coleman closed her restaurant at the end of Season 3, that also sets up Carmy's arc this season.

[Jay 46,747]

Oh yes, I think I ended up remembering that eventually 

[Jay 46,747]

The Bear 4x08 Green

 

Holy cow, that opening dream sequence Sydney had was crazy!  I like when the show goes into territory like this, it kind of reminds me of The Sopranos doing Tony's dreams.

 

FINALLY!  Sydney makes a choice and chooses the Bears over Shapiro. I cannot blame him at all for the way he lashed out at her when she did, because she legit dragged him along for months (and SEASONS of the show), but damn dude, if you gave her more of an ultimatum and maybe had some sort of backup plan, you wouldn't be where you are now.

 

I LOVE the bonding moment between Richie and Jessica this episode, and they fix each other's ties, and he opens up about Mikey to her.  She didn't pressure him into revealing anything, but gently opened the door and he came right in.  I am sure these two will end up together by the end of the show.

 

I'm not sure if I liked Luca's advice to Tina to try to get her pasta dish done quicker.  He basically tells her to embrace the pressure, and then your problem will flip to figuring out to live when you're not under pressure.  This does not sound like a good thing to me?

 

I'm not sure what to make of the story they've been running this season with Marcus and his dad.  It feels underdeveloped (or I'm forgetting something from prior seasons), and Luca's advice to him seems to help, but I'm left not really knowing why.

 

Natalie has a fun little arc this morning, starting in bed with Peter and their daughter, content as can be, wishing things could stay like this forever.  When she says she wishes they could stay like this forever, and he jokes that they've gotta fuck the kid up a little in order to turn out like Nat, he means it as an ultimate compliment but she doesn't seem to think the same.  But then later after Computer shows up and asks her why she wants to keep the restaurant going even though they've run out of money, the look on her face seem to indicate she is perfectly happy the way things have turned out as she looks at the wall of photos of everyone that's part of The Bear (and the Bears).

 

Carmy agreeing to bring the photos to his mom surely never would have happened if not for all the progress he made the prior episode, but he still needs an extra nudge to actually go inside once he's done driving there.  Claire's request to look for her old sweatshirt is the perfect excuse.  They better end up together too!

[Jay 46,747]

The Bear 4x09 Tonnato

 

The big Carmy/Donna scene was tough to watch, but a major breakthrough for both characters that was well-earned.  Donna is apparently not only sober now (for a year), but has also come to the understanding (or belief) that it is her fault that her and Carmy don't really know each other.  Carmy was never ready for this until this point, after 4 seasons of growth and especially the last 2 episodes' worth.  I like that the way he can tell her that he loves her is to make her a meal.

 

I like that Rob Reiner's character has come up with the franchise plan that he thinks Ebraheim will be on board with - three locations, two of them full restaurants in the north and south, ,one commissary kitchen in between.  Makes more sense to me for that one to just be a full location too...  I do wonder what Reiner's confidence level is that this will work in the long run, vs just finding a model that will get him a commission (or whatever) that he can cut and run with.  I guess we'll find out...

 

Some nice new character combos this week, with Jimmy and Syd bonding a bit, and then Rob Reiner meeting Computer!  That was a meeting I didn't know I wanted but was immediately super into!  The fact that Computer loved the franchise idea is great for everyone, I think.  Will this be what saves the restaurant?

 

I really don't understand the Tina pasta situation any more.  She can't get it done in under 3 minutes during service.  Last episode Luca tells her to learn to thrive under the pressure.  But then this episode, he calmly tells her to make a test version randomly, hours before service, and she does it in under 3 minutes.  So does that prove his advice in the prior episode was bad?  Am I missing something?  Will she be able to do it under the pressure of service time now or not?

 

The funniest part of the episode was Marcus's roommate showing up and meeting Luca and spending the rest of the episode fawning over him.  I loved the bit where Food and Wine called Sugar to tell her that they won't be running a review of the restaurant, but that someone there has won their Best New Chef award.  I loved the reveal that it was Marcus!  Well deserved, from everything we've seen, and a great fulfillment of the character arc he's had across all four seasons.  

 

So FINALLY we learn what Carmy changed about the agreement Syd has to sign way back in episode 3: He's cutting himself out, the agreement is that only Syd and Sugar share half the business with Jimmy.  WTF!?

 

[Jay 46,747]

The Bear 4x10 Goodbye

 

I don't think I liked this episode very much, because I don't feel like Carmy wanting to quit the restaurant was EVER the writer's original intentions.  I think we have a case here of the writers wanting to tell a great story in 3 acts over 3 seasons, but FX saw $$$ and is forcing them to keep going indefinitely now.  So season 3 was only half of the original final act with some extra stuff added, and now this season ended up being a tiny bit of major plot movement and a lot of character development.  The character stuff was as great as always, but this Carmy quitting stuff, I dunno.  It just feels like Jeremy Allen White's career is taking off so he can't be on the show full time any more, so the writers had to adjust.

 

Of course, the long argument / make up scene with Carmy and Syd, then Carmy, Syd and Richie, was incredibly well acted.  All 3 of them really did great here.  And the Carmy/Richie part especially felt earned, they've been tense the entire show so far and them finally laying out their side of things (Carmy felt shame over not being there for Mikey and lashed out at Richie as a result, taking too long to realize Richie lost someone too; Richie has been assuming Carmy was blaming him for not watching Mikey close enough)

 

So with Carmy not wanting to be a business owner, Syd only agrees to the new agreement if Richie is added to it, which I actually wasn't sure how he would reply, but he does get on board pretty quickly.  Then Natalie joins, and I remembered that there was a scene earlier this season where she told Carmy it was OK if he didn't love doing this any more, so maybe she was ready for something like this because she doesn't really freak out that much, just kind of hugs Carm (after the shock that he was at Mikey's funeral at least).

 

So then the clock runs out, and I guess we have to wait till next season to learn if they even know about Ebraheim's franchise plan yet!  Carmy said he had a plan to save the restaurant; Was it that or something else?

[Gabriel Bezerra 793]

I think his inability to manage having a private life and continuing with The Bear was leading to this decision. It did felt drawn out over 2 seasons but to me it was a natural conclusion to his arc.

[Jay 46,747]

Maybe I'll like it more in time.

[Jay 46,747]

Is The Bear Ending? Jamie Lee Curtis Hints At A Season 5 Wrap-Up

[filmmusic 3,315]

I thought this thread was about this:

 

 

I'm outta here.. 

[Jay 46,747]

‘The Bear’ to End with Season 5

[Jay 46,747]

Apparently the first episode of the final season just surprise dropped on Hulu

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Ebon Moss-Bachrach (@ebonmossbachrach)

 

Yup, there it is:

https://www.hulu.com/series/8c779d24-233d-4453-a22d-455a1862f913

[Jay 46,747]

Season 5 drops June 25th

 

[Jay 46,747]

First teaser for season 5

 

https://old.reddit.com/r/TheBear/comments/1tnxetc/the_bear_season_5_first_teaser_trailer_fx/

 

 

[Quintus 6,644]

I watched the first series and really enjoyed it. But then you realise it's pretty similar to Handmaid's Tale in a way. Just swap out the misery porn for shouting. It all gets a bit much, and I didn't stick it.

[Jay 46,747]

The yelling settles down as the seasons go on.  The show becomes more about vacillating between atmospheric food prep and city shots, and delving deeper into each character's backstories and current struggles.  The plot about opening the restaurant and then keeping it open moves very slowly.

[Jay 46,747]

The Bear 4x11 Gary

 

That was pretty good.  Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Jon Bernthal really shined here and the crew they hang out with at the bar for most of the episode were fun, especially the red-haired woman that gets friendly with Mikey.  Apparently she (Marin Ireland) was in Hell or High Water and I've been meaning to watch that again so now I have one more reason.  The way the episode builds up to Mikey's drug-fueled rant was pretty well done.  His story before it happens about his mother's parenting problems really explain nicely how hurt people hurt people.  Mikey wasn't able to break the cycle ultimately and you really hope Carmy and Natalie will be able to.  The final bit with Richie in the present day getting t-boned was brutal; Richie not being able to manage the restaurant until he heals will just be one more stresser on Carmy in the final season!

[Jay 46,747]

Final season trailer is here

 

 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 12,622]

Another show that ends with 5 seasons. I wonder if thats the max nowadays?

[Jay 46,747]

Did no one else on JWFan watch "Gary"?

[Jay 46,747]

Well I hadn't watch the trailer before but now I have.  Looks pretty good, though I read somewhere that the entire final season takes place over the course of one day, which the trailer certainly doesn't contradict.  How I Met Your Mother tried this trick with their final season and it was a disaster so here's hoping The Bear does it better.

 

This is coming out in 2 days!  Anyone excited?  Does ANYONE here want to share their thoughts on "Gary"?

[Gabriel Bezerra 793]

I didn't know what to expect out of Gary. While watching it I didn't know how to feel about it until that whole segment at the bar. It's a given that Ebon and Bernthal can act, they're the ones making this somewhat unpleasant hour work, but I'm not sure it gave any new insights into Ritchie or Michael that wasn't already implied at least.

 

I hope the new season doesn't take place in only a day, I think that'll be a disservice.

[tomsmoviemadness 4,996]

I never got past the first or second episode of Season 3. I might watch the rest at some point, but I was sort of done with it.

[Jay 46,747]

Aw that's too bad.  There's some really good stuff in seasons 3 and 4.  I think the show will end strong.

 

But ultimately didn't need to be 5 seasons, that's for sure.

[Jay 46,747]

The Bear 5x01 Soda

 

I loved it!  I'm glad the show has consistently come back for 5 years in a row in June and will be ending on what I think is a high note.  I'm pretty sure it was FX's idea to stretch Storer's 3 season plan out longer and seasons 3 and 4 suffered as a result, but something about this episode made me think that Storer has figured out how to make the extended series length work and I really felt like things were just cooking (no pun intended) this whole episode.  Checking in with all the characters at the start of the day that the season will cover was really well done, and I can't wait to see how everyone's best laid plans start falling apart before ultimately coming together in what I sure HOPE will be a happy ending!

 

The biggest surprise for me was that the Ritchie car crash at the very end of Gary was not a foreshadowing to a crazy event that will occur midway through the season, but just a minor fender bender that leads to him arriving at work a little late.  Maybe if it hadn't happened, he wouldn't have been able to talk to Uncle Jimmy outside, or maybe other repercussions will show up later (did he leave something important in the car perhaps?)  I really loved the opening with Tina making food at home before coming in, and Sydney's early morning preparations.  Sugar dropping the baby off with Aunt DD will probably create some fun tension at just the right time (I like that she has constant monitoring in her ears), and Luca's first McGriddle experience was really fun too. 

 

The ending with the pipes exploding all over the Faks just as it cut to credits was hilarious, especially since you got to hear them dealing with it without visuals for half of the credits

 

Just glad to be back for one final ride!

[Gabriel Bezerra 793]

I was skeptical, but the mad lad did it. Just finished Season 5 and it was a blast. Somehow it tied everything with a bow (still didn't made Gary that relevant but that isn't this season's fault). 

[Jay 46,747]

The Bear 5x02 Lamb

 

Continuing to really enjoy this!  The stakes keep getting higher and higher but there's a good mix of comedy along the way, like the pipe exploding on Teddy again  

 

Jimmy cutting the wagyu order was a shitty thing to do, but the whole thing introduced last episode where he is pushing the place to fail so he can sell it because he made a bad investment seems like a retcon and not something they had in mind last season but idk.  The new character Cheese (because her name is Cheddario LOL) is a nice addition to the Jimmy/Computer angle.

 

Some nice touching moments in this episode, like Sugar lamenting her daughter growing up while she's at work all the time, Sydney and Carmy's back and forth about his energy level, and Sydney not elevating to the anger level she's see at the restaurant over and over again.  Loved watching Luca prep that lamb, too!  I also like Ritchie's new work ethic, his discovery of that tax thing, etc.  I doubt it will be enough to save the restaurant, but every little bit helps theoretically.

[Jay 46,747]

Oh and another thing, the scenes of Tina talking to the dishwashers in the locker room.... I'm watching on Hulu, and when they spoke in spanish, it wasn't subtitled.  I turned the subtitles on, and it just said "[SPEAKING SPANISH]".  Is it like that everywhere or is there something wrong with my Hulu set up?

[Gabriel Bezerra 793]

2 hours ago, Jay said:

Oh and another thing, the scenes of Tina talking to the dishwashers in the locker room.... I'm watching on Hulu, and when they spoke in spanish, it wasn't subtitled.  I turned the subtitles on, and it just said "[SPEAKING SPANISH]".  Is it like that everywhere or is there something wrong with my Hulu set up?

Disney+ also didn't had it. Asked my mom what they said and she said Tina said something like "if you already have other place in mind for work, better look it up just in case".

 

One thing that bothered me, is that the end credits had "Music Produced by Hans Zimmer" very in your face, but the actual composer was lost in the "general slides", dick move.

[Jay 46,747]

The original score in these two episodes was really good. Perfectly amped up the tension. I feel like we're going to get 7 1/2 episodes of this kind of stuff until we get a classic needle drop or two when the long day is over

[Bellosh 4,552]

I didn't like this show until season 3 until each episode felt contained and a piece of art.

[Jay 46,747]

I love the blend of artistic storytelling and hilarious situations. Gonna miss it.

[Jay 46,747]

The Bear 3x03 Mint

 

Another winner.  I loved the scenes with Carmy and Syd working side by side.  Seeing that as good as Syd is, Carm is still on such a higher level.  He knew the fish sauce was needed, but didn't push it and let her realize it on her own.  Also loved the side by side work of Luca and Marcus was great too, so curious to see what this "candle" dessert that they've come up with is, whether or not Marcus' dad will like it, and if adding mint makes it better or not.

 

The water issues continue to be more funny than anything else, with the walkie talkie "over and out" stuff, Teddy Fak on the roof, Neil Fak wanting blood to put on the doors to keep out demons or whatever, etc.  THe ending with Teddy crashing through the roof in the middle of Syd's big moment was hialrious, especially with it continuing through the end credits like the prevous episode.

 

Smart idea to cut down on the number of course to get people out the door sooner, though I have no idea how they are going to have enough food with the whole 3 turns situation.  They also introduce a spoon thief subplot this episode, no idea where that is headed!  Plus, the power just went out at Deedee's house...

 

Sydney accidentally revealing to everyone that Carmy was quitting was a great story turn that feels like we've hit the end of Act 1 now and heading into Act 2.  I really can't wait to dive more into Carmy's decision (like if the reasons he states are the only reasons) and how it will all play out.

 

[Jay 46,747]

Oh, and does anybody understand what the "air rights" subplot is about?  It seemed like something Jimmy was relying on, but what is it?  Does it maybe mean The Bear will be able to stay afloat if like, a skyscraper is built upwards on top of it while it remains at ground level?  But how does that work with the potential sinkhole they talked about in the first episode?

 

And then there was the scene where it seemed like Jimmy was mad at Deedee for selling the air rights?  How would that work?

[Johnnyecks 67]

4 hours ago, Jay said:

Oh, and does anybody understand what the "air rights" subplot is about?  It seemed like something Jimmy was relying on, but what is it?  Does it maybe mean The Bear will be able to stay afloat if like, a skyscraper is built upwards on top of it while it remains at ground level?  But how does that work with the potential sinkhole they talked about in the first episode?

 

And then there was the scene where it seemed like Jimmy was mad at Deedee for selling the air rights?  How would that work?

That subplot confused me a bit.

 

I just finished the series. I won't spoil anything, but it was incredibly satisfying. It is sad to see these characters go.

 

This show was so well written, loved the entire run.

 

The score in the last three episodes was very good as well.

[Jay 46,747]

The Bear 5x04 Ribs

 

I think every episode this season is better than the last!  More great stuff here, starting with Carmy and Richie's conversation in the tent to start the episode.  Of course it's been clear the whole time that Carmy had turned himself into a workaholic to avoid thinking about all the trauma in his life, but hearing him say it out loud to Richie was huge.  But there's a difference being just doing prep work with Syd in charge where you don't have to think.... about running the restaurant, but your mind still could wander back to your trauma..... vs being in charge of everything so constantly having to think about the restaurant and not having time to think about your trauma. I loved that Richie told him that he should try to get to know his coworkers and he immediately starts by asking Richie how he's doing and Richie's reply was like "NOT GOOD!" lol

 

I thought that the Fak falling through the roof into the PREP area would be a bigger deal since they need that place to be more sanitary than anywhere else but I guess the roof fall was really more for comedy than another stresser.  There is a new stresser though - three servers quit!!  Bloody hell.

 

Loved the scene between Carmy and Sugar talking about their mom.  Sugar's impersonation of her was so good!  I thought that her losing power at her house at the end of last episode meant something, like maybe they wouldn't be able to monitor her at all any more?  But I guess not?  What did Sugar do, just put a cell phone in the baby carrier and its just gonna be like a 16 hour phone call?

 

Carmy's a-ha moment about the tuna cans was fun, as was him talking to Neil Fak in the bathroom  and it was interesting seeing Richie relenting to having to call people to cancel their reservations on them, only to be unable to do it at all   I loved the Marcus scenes this episode!  You can really tell that he's as dedicated to his craft as Carmy is, but doesn't have the same mental traumas that go with it.  Him watching old movies to get inspiration was super neat.  Tina telling Syd that she's always be her Jeff was so nice too!

 

The family meal before service was so quiet, ayiyi.  It definitely felt more funereal than joyous!  But after it was over, holy shit the end of the episode was hype!  The original score they are using this scene is perfect, it amped everything so much as they all worked together to prepare everything, it was a great montage.  And I loved the return of the ORIGINAL BERF shirts, so happy that I own one myself!  Richie's speech was awesome to, I am so happy he finally gave up on reading quotes and spoke from the heart.  Bringing everything back to the Berzotto household was great.

 

The only thing I was a bit confused by was the very ending, when they notice one reservation changed from 4 to 2 and that made them assume its a Michelin star reviewer.  Maybe I am missing something but don't we already know that they got their Michelin star, its just that they don't know yet?  There was an episode where there was a guest that got treated really well and also saw them bring the beef sandwich to the out-of-towners, and also create the snow outside for them.  I figured that was the moment that they earned their star but they just haven't found out yet.  Am I crazy?

[Jay 46,747]

The Bear 5x05 Raspberries 

 

Another good one, and so funny that after last episode built up perfectly to service finally starting... we get another whole episode before it finally starts!  I don't think it's very plausible that any amount of rain would cause so many people to be so ridiculously late for their reservations, but I'll roll with it.  Seemed like the delay gave them more time to figure out how to make the portions even smaller and turn the tables over even quicker.  Some more nice characters moments, like Sydney and Luca's talk about Luca's former restaurant where the owner said goodbye to everything before leaving (but nobody said goodbye to him), and also Sydney making Tina her Chef De Cuisine.  Adorable!  Also good was Jesse helping Richie out and them holding hands... also adorable!  The way Syd saw it and Richie talked to her about it but didn't want to tell Carmy was great.  But Richie and Carmy did have a nice scene where Carmy praised him for how the main dining area looks, since he never gets to see it before service.  Very nice little scene.

 

Not so good was Marcus and Luca this episode.  Marcus seems really butthurt about Luca leaving, which is funny because he never let on that was the case through the first half of the season, and Carmy just praised Marcus last episode for how good he is at not letting things get to him.... or not showing it at least!   The raspberries thing was kind of understandable because it is Marcus' call, but when Luca came back and apologized for the way he let Marcus know he was leaving, it was a bit of a shock to see him still be acting so cold.  I wonder if his dad showing up will make things better or worse.

Speaking of parents showing up, Sugar invites Donna to come to the restaurant because the power is out at her house!?  WTF!? Seems like such a bad idea, oi....  And then, PETE shows up!  That was a funny reveal when they thought it was a customer.  It was so funny that he was asking for food, but Sugar immediately puts him to work.... but THEN he gets immediately involved in the confusing air rights subplot!  Honestly, I did not have a clue who this person that they went to visit was (I thought a couple episodes ago they said that Donna had the air rights?), who this "Raymond" was that they didn't want to see (was it the dog or a person?), what it means that they couldn't buy them off her (did they think getting the air rights back could save the restaurant?) or what idea Jimmy has at the end to get enough money to invest in Rob Reiner's franchise idea.

 

Speaking of Rob Reiner's character (sorry I forget the name), early this season we saw Ebraham talk to him on the phone I think, but I wonder if we'll see him?  Did he film scenes for this season before he died in other words?