Richie finding purpose in taking care of other people (stereotypically a female task) in direct opposition of what he THOUGHT he should do, maintenance (more of a manly task) felt so subtle and so rewarding
SO rewarding. I’ve been rewatching specifically his arcs and the moments where you see he rounds that corner (forks and the scene where he decides to run expo)
Idk maybe it’s because I have very little meaning in my life but that build up to his success and understanding of what his life can be made me cry for the first time in a while when he was singing that stupid Taylor swift song ( I hate Taylor swift) because I can relate so much to someone like Richie because his character is so real just like everyone else in the show. What an amazing season I almost wish they didn’t release it all at once so I could still have more episodes to look forward to
In the finale, the contrast from Richie telling Claire "I love him too, but don't tell him" in the beginning to Richie shouting through Carmy's cursing at him at the other side of the fridge "I fucking love you, man" over and over again broke my heart. Richie grew so much
season 3 NEEDS a Tina episode, something maybe around her having to hold her own as sous chef. I love her leaning into her softness this season and peaks of her confidence coming through in culinary school. Literally the karaoke scene made my heart grow 3 x bigger. I know so many women like Tina who deserve to find a dream and selfhood outside of motherhood and the hardness the world forces on them.
Yes!! I almost cried when Syd asked her to be the Sous, and when Carmy gave her his knife 🥺🥺🥺 She's my favorite character, because I can relate to both how she is bitter and upset about how things are changing in the first part of season 1, and how she grows when is given praise and the opportunity for growth 🥰🥰🥰
Right?? But, if you're her--a hardworking, perhaps under-educated single, brown mom, working as a short-order cook--who wouldn't jump at the chance to learn a real skill when someone offers to pay for your cooking school, and feel good about your accomplishments, for a change? She shines. Her arc is beautiful to watch... partially because so many people aren't given these breaks.
It's interesting that Richie starts off polishing forks when Mickey was throwing them. Richie was able to handle life difficulties and grow while maybe Mikey was unable to do so.
That had me tearing up. Pete is such an underrated character. Unflinching positivity and compassion in the face of all this intensity is so hard to find.
Richie’s episode was so good I rewatched it immediately after finishing it. It feels so relatable, and it works so well, you could watch it out of context and still get who Richie was before, and who he becomes after finding out his purpose. Mastercrafted TV
The bear is prove you cant have AI writing scripts. This show is art. Inspired by the human experiences, expressed in writing, and brought to life by creators and actors who understands what it means to live.
I love so much the amount of meanings Carmie locking himself in the freezer has. He didn't answer the fridge guy due to his trauma of his old boss and thinking he saw the man who put him through so much pain sent him to the freezer in the first place. Every character in the show this season including Sydney grew and evolved but Carmie was the only one who didn't. He still carried his trauma of his past and his brother dying, he started dating his childhood crush and he's still in the kitchen working. I love how in both season 1 with the episode Review and The Bear the show is setting the standard that everytime Carmie explodes and pushes away those he needs (shown when his panic attack is stopped by him thinking of Sydney) he's immediately punished for it. In Review Sydney and Marcus leave him and in The Bear he becomes literally locked away from his success. He becomes the person Richie feared becoming left to watch the world go by him while being stuck where he is. I think for season 3 we'll focus mainly on Carmie and him hopefully processing his trauma of his family, his brother and his boss that still looms over him and prevents him from being "the guy." The way Carmie also acts while locked in the fridge, continuing to bang and scream throughout the service, he comes across as someone who's suffering from addiction and needs a fix. He's desperate, angry and sad all at once. For Carmie, being in the kitchen is his addiciton, and when he loses his escape from all the outside noise, all the mental pressure he puts on himself, he's trying everything to get it back.
Actually cooking being his addiction is such a nice reading of the story. Addiction runs through his family, and if his brother got the substance abuse, he gets the “addiction” of cooking. As we see in the Christmas episode, his mum cooks a wonderful meal, but it’s done through so much pain and toxicity, which I think Carmy is trying to fix.
I feel like Natalie's character being logical and the character to bounce off of actually, I think, fits her character as because she grew up with such a volatile household, she became immensely attuned to people's shifts in mannerisms and mood, and because she so viscerally has to make sure her mother is okay, she also does the same in her daily life, just on a subtler level because the triggers are much more manageable than her home life for most of her life
I saw the photo but did not make that connection. Thank you for pointing that out because i already loved that episode but this made it so much better.
Carmy also talked about his past in the kitchen as a competition, that a new stage was coming in and he was "gonna smoke that guy", which completely aligns with Luca's prodigy story he shared with Marcus
Also want to point out the motif of FORKS! Which forks to buy. Mike throwing forks. Ritchie polishing forks. Running out of forks. It's this looked down upon item because it's so ubiquitous, yet it's used as the basic tool for eating, as a weapon, as a meditative practice, and something so easily overlooked at within the same season.
Watching this review, it hit me. Pete bringing the fish was a joke sure, but thinking back to what their mom said about nobody making anything beautiful for her and he was the ONLY one who actually brought something that showed he thought and cared about her....and then remembering the scene with both of them outside of the restaurant and her validating how good he is was a perfect way to tie it together, but in turn it wrecks him. He gets acknowledged and IS apart of the family in a way that the mother had to damage him fully for it be complete. Dude the writing in this show is something else. Hard agree on the episode highlights as well. 4, 6, & 7 we're just amazing.
This is the first time I've sat through a 40 minute youtube show analysis in one go. The line "what is social media but watching a thousand trains leave without you" is just art, and somehow it was just comforting to sit and listen to someone articulate so much about a show that absolutely blew me away. Really hoping they land season 3
It just didn't feel that Claire had any real dimension to her. She was the girl next door, the perfect girlfriend, the scholar - just archetypes - but who is she as a human? I think she was written in such an empty way to illustrate how Carmy is looking for a perfect escape away from the chaos of his life. Yes , Claire is perfect on paper, but in no way does this perfection help Carmy be his perfect self... the creative chef genius we know he is.
That may be true, but arguably isn't the point. She was brought in to illustrate Carmy's inability to balance work and life, and to illustrate that no matter who the girl is, he's got so much trauma and self-loathing to work through, he can't really have a romantic relationship with anybody, right now.
That’s because she isn’t a main character, and getting to know her as a person independent from Carmy isn’t necessary to the story they’re talking about the restaurant. If they had wasted time on her over Tina, or Ebra, or anyone who works at the restaurant, it wouldn’t have added anything to the story excerpt length.
I thought so too, and while I still think that holds validity I think it’s also true to some degree that Claire’s character maybe wasn’t truly meant to be fleshed out in the way Richie’s or Marcus’ has, at least in this season. Claire was more meant to represent an idea rather than a person; Carmy’s struggle to maintain a healthy lifestyle outside of the kitchen. But more than that I think that Claire was made or showcased to be perfect to highlight Carmy’s inability to think of anyone outside of himself. In Carmy’s eyes Claire was this perfect person who was always witty, smart, kind, etc., something that he struggled with on a daily basis. Claire was his savior, devoid of all the negativities that plagued his everyday life. It’s only in the finale when he completely shatters her heart with his selfishness does he realize that she’s an entire person with flaws and insecurities and worries and most of all a full life outside of his own. Only then does he realize the repercussions of his actions. Despite this it still leaves me unsatisfied knowing that her character essentially served as a vehicle for Carmy’s development and hopefully we get to explore more of her character in a third season.
@@Jen-de9spI feel like the gloves will be coming off in terms of Claire Bear's approach to our broken down Carmy next season. She's gonna hit him with some hard truths about how he gets on with people. What he does with that though, will be very interesting to see. She had a lot of time and sympathy for him this season because it is evident she knew what his home life was like growing up. But now that he's gone full monologue about how he shouldn't have her in his life because she's just a distraction from the life he *should* be living... she's gonna have to get real with him about how skewed his perceptions of reality are. **He's** the one responsible for the fridge fuck up, and **only** him, not her being with him.
Richie had the best character arc this season, and it really surprised me. I found him hard to love in season 1 and it was so great to see him come into his own and find new purpose. Loved the video! Glad I stumbled across your channel and will be checking out more of your videos.
I think you highlighted why this show is superior to Ted Lasso. This show has characters that EARN their feel good moments. Episode 7 of this season is legitimately one of my favorite episodes of TV ever because we’ve invested in Richie despite his flaws and finally seeing him realize his potential is so fucking wholesome. Ted Lasso’s wholesome moments more or less come out of nowhere just to make the audience feel good. The characters that we root for in Ted Lasso seemingly have no flaws that are completely their fault. They don’t feel like real people. Richie on the other hand has some massive flaws. I’ve met hundreds of Richie’s in my life. but he works on his flaws. He doesn’t let them define him. He earns his success. Every second truly counts in The Bear.
The best part is Richie’s flaws still shine through after he’s more or less “redeemed” himself. He still cusses and in the finale he has a full blown out argument with Carmy while he was trapped inside the walk-in fridge, after the dinner rush he yells and had to compose himself when he realized that guests were still in the dining room.
Carmie teaching Sydney the ASL "I'm sorry" sign was a key part of this whole season for me. I've actually taught it to my grand daughter as something you can use when tempers are high but you want to say "Let's talk later."
My favorite element of the biker in Honeydew being a representation of letting go is the big hug between them. Showing there's no love lost with the act of letting go.
Something I don’t hear enough people talking about is the symbolism from every episode leading up to the finale of S2. The episode opens with the dreadful sound of the printer that we first heard in the Review episode, almost as a call to chaos. Another callback to Review, we get a 12 minute one-shot take that perfectly describes the chaotic nature of the restaurant. Something to take notice is that the one-take ends when Carmy is stuck in the walk-in. While the team is thinking “we’re fucked”, Syd and Richie (completing his Hero story) take control and complete the task at hand. Something peculiar I noticed is how they left Carmy in the walk-in, with no one to try and help or even keep him company. It may be a callback to the trains, and how the world moves on. Carmy being stuck in the freezer is a metaphor to him being stuck in his ways of digging deeper into the lonely hole he dug for himself. Sorry for the long explanation, let me know if I was just rambling lol
I also just wanted Carmy to get back in the kitchen and do what he does best. But I also understand why the insertion of Claire was necessary. I personally disliked all the close up face shots of Carmy and Claire, but I get that we're so up close because it's sort of the way they feel- they have tunnel vision for each other. So their surroundings melt away. In turn it can sort of feel suffocating too, which I suppose Carmy also felt at times- the overwhelming feelings of finally being with someone you were sort of in love with forever.
I like that tunnel-vision contrast to the way the Beef used to feel, especially in Episode 7 last season. When Carmy is with Claire, his world becomes even smaller than that cramped little kitchen that he desperately loves. I think that absolutely terrifies him; he loses sight of the kitchen and Mikey both when he's with Claire.
That love scene (if I can call it that) between Claire and Carmy felt so off, specifically at the end where Carm looks like he's being smothered, I can't even understand if he's in sheets or Claire's arms... That whole scene was off and claustrophobic. Anyways with the Nine Inch Nails music playing, I knew that relationship was doomed.😅
Everywhere Carmy is gets too close, claustrophobic, cramped, and everyone that is there with him will get sucked in too, even Claire. It's why it hits so hard when Richie calls him Donna in the end of the last episode. He does the same as she. He's just still in progress to eventually become as destructive as her, or to own it up and solve it. It's so good
I feel like the issue with Sydney and Carmy in this season is that it's their middle chapter, and they're both stuck, unable to grow. That's often hard to watch. The show countered it nicely with this incredibly moving, almost fairy-tale episodes of Richie and Marcus transforming. And meanwhile, Sugar, Tina, and Ebra all grow, or get second chances. That all served to balance how stuck the two main characters are. People came away with the idea that Carmy's relationship with Clair is a dangerous distraction from his "real" work on the restaurant, but that seems like a toxic notion. Carmy isn't distracted because of the relationship, he's distracted because he doesn't know how to balance work and life, because he's never had a life. So he doesn't know what to make of actually enjoying his time with someone he adores, and how it makes the restaurant feel like even less of a joy, even more of a burden. And more importantly, he sees love as a constant state of emergency. He can't see his time with Claire as restorative and rewarding, even though that's exactly what it is. When he thinks about it, all he feels is a sense of impending disaster, because that's all love has ever been for him. Love means waiting for a car to drive through the wall. Love means waiting for bad news. Love is the feeling you have before catastrophe strikes. So of course, even though catastrophe wasn't going to strike his relationship with Claire, his fears bring about the thing he dreads. Meanwhile, Sydney is so desperate to succeed, and succeed right now, she sabotages herself too, taking on more than she can handle, and then freezing, unable to endure the stress. Luckily, she's not alone. She had the whole team to back her up, which is what a good leader always wants. But she's greedy for success, and for the success to be hers. She's desperate to prove to her father that she can do it. So she's always trying to run before she can walk. And when Carmy, or anyone, tell her she's not ready, or her effort isn't perfect, or she's made a mistake, she gets angry with them, or she gets angry with herself. The problem with being unable to take criticism is that you get stuck, unable to improve. And that seems to be where Sydney is now, stuck in a pattern of wanting to prove she's ready to lead, showing that she's not, and then getting angry at everyone, including herself, for letting her down, rather than simply working on improving. There's been some chatter about a romantic connection between Carmy and Sydney. I suspect there's something to that, and we'll see the two try dating next season. But I don't see it going well. Once again, in the Swiss-watch craft of the show, each character represents to the other their most toxic desires. In Carmy, Sydney sees the ideal she wants to achieve, ignoring what a mess he is. And in Sydney, Carmy will see a way to get his love needs met by the restaurant industry. I suspect that may be the source of the next season's core drama.
Season 1 Richie references Philip K. Dick was one of the super odd one-off lines that really stuck with me. The man is clearly smart, well read but just dealt kind of a shit hand. Forks had me sobbing and jumping up and down.
Yoooo mikey as christ figure fantastic analysis. IDK how that hadn't occurred to me before given all the redemption in the show is predicated on him dying first. Wild
this is a really great analysis! as for sydney’s arc i felt like it was an arc of frustration and slight growth on purpose. watching her doubt carmy and hers partnership was needed as it clearly wasn’t equal at all this season and it felt like she was doing pretty much everything. it was so frustrating to watch the first turn into this when she is excited to go try foods with carmy and he’s not answering her and just straight up ghosts her, that frustration with him carried through the rest of the season and i think without carmy she couldn’t grow as much as she has the potential for because he wasn’t picking up the slack he was SUPPOSED TO. so she had to compensate for all he wasn’t doing instead of completely focusing on how to be a better leader and chef. i also think that syd and camrys relationship will progress slow but surely into something romantic. if not for the little things then for two big things 1. the thought of sydney calming down carmy during a panic attack about claire and his family and 2. the table scene and gift scene. especially when she talks about melting and he says he won’t let her then she looks up at him and they stare a eachother for a couple seconds while he shakes his head. really excited for the next season!!!! a perfect show.
If Carmy’s going to have a romantic relationship in the show it only makes sense to me that it should be with someone within the business, someone with the same level of focus required to make the restaurant a success, to me, the only person that meets that standard is Syd.
I actually really hope that doesn't happen as I think there are too few shows that show deep platonic, non-romantic friendships/partnerships between men and women. Also I don't think mixing business with romantic partnership is necessarily a smart decision.
@@Tony2dH I agree with you. I think people are so used to the main characters falling in love that they start shipping Syd and Carmy, but I don’t see them fitting together romantically. I also would like to see a show where a man and woman can grow together in platonic relationship.
this is a great video analysis of the show, appreciate you making this. As for my favorite part of the season i feel it's almost impossible to watch the taylor swift scene without a big dumb smile on my face and happy tears. Finally seeing some direction and clarity in Richie's life after all the instability and strife that he goes through with everything up until that point is great to see. Also I think that's the best use of a pop song in a tv scene ever, up there with the "run away with me" scene in Mr Robot.
@@skwibblez9239 yes!! i love that and also love that richie reading murakami is now canon. i wonder if they had the book somewhere in the background of his apartment in episode 7
Cant stop introducing people to this show. And when they tell me that they've finished the first season I cant help but get even more excited because truthfully, the first season is all setup and S2 is a lot more payoff. Especially with the episodes you highlighted. Brilliant television
Your channel needs more attention. This was some of the most thoughtful and intelligent analysis of a piece of art that I've seen in a very long time. Your dedication to the craft and consumption of storytelling is abundantly apparent throughout this video. You gave me tons of insights into things I barely noticed before, and I tend to be a super observant viewer! Well done, I will be binging all your videos for sure
It’s a real bummer, but a lot of people in this industry have the exact same mentality as Carmy, you can’t be the best if you have something else on your mind. Give up on family, give up on health, give up on happiness, nothing else matters. There’s a reason chefs are notorious for drug and alcohol abuse, why we die young, and why we’re so depressed.
I too wanted more food scenes like the omelette one, which I suppose we did get from Marcus in Amsterdam and also at Chef Terry's restaurant, but I think I wanted more.
Man, this show is so great. I also loved Forks, that was my favourite episode too. It was a difficult season to watch, especially bc I feel so connected to Carmy. He was… not at his best this season. I think there’s a lot of feeling like Claire was poorly written or there was no point to her character… honestly, I thought she was incredible in the sense that she embodied a plot device perfectly. I felt deeply uncomfortable watching their scenes and I think that was intended. It all felt kind of unreal. I think Carmy might have felt like she was helping him move forward, but being so intrinsically linked to his traumatic childhood, suggests their relationship might be more of a regression. His whole family loved her so much and wanted her for him, which feels like ‘not a good sign’, considering their dysfunction. In the end, Claire was a teenage fantasy that wasn’t grounded (or grounding) in reality. Too intense. Too fast. We didn’t get to know her more because her character only really existed inside Carmy. That scene of her working felt like a pretty representation of what Carmy imagined her work-life was like. She’s kind and clean, gentle, and in control. Didn’t feel at all like the ER medicine she described. She also hinted at her past, managing drunk people at parties, and shoplifting as a teenager. Feels like Carmy might perceive her (and us, through his eyes) as something she isn’t. Seemed like there was an edgier, obsessive streak in her, but he idolised her, which is why he/we didn’t see it, thus her character not feeling ‘real’. I don’t think you can have a healthy relationship in that kind of dynamic, so, I gotta say, I hope we leave her in Season 2. I think she served her purpose and truly aced the role. He’s gonna shut down big time after this, but he’ll have to learn he can’t live his life by beating himself into submission, or escaping into fantasy. Balance - like you said. I hope in the next season he’ll find that balance with the people in his life who are real and grounded in reality. I think that’s his little family at The Bear.
I think that's a good observation about Claire. Personally, I would be totally OK with Claire coming back as long as they develop her character more. She was that idealized version of a person when a relationship is new and you're madly in love with the person --you think they are--. Once you get over the "honeymoon" stage and get to know them better, things change. I have all the confidence in the world that this team of writers can develop the imperfect side of Claire and make her a more real and interesting character in season 3 if they wanted to go that route.
I appreciate that analysis tbh and I really, really hope that is the path moving forward with Claire! Very good thinking. It definitely seems too idealistic. I think a big portion of my personal disliking regarding Claire really is the fact her presence and her scenes really do just feel... out of place almost, 'too idealistic' as I mentioned. Maybe that's the point, whatever, but it still feels out of place purposefully or not. Almost corny in a way. Overall though, there was a lot more convenience and melodrama and obviously staged moments (the wall falling down as Sugar is talking about a secret she didn't want anyone to know, the dramatic TV show pauses in between dialogue, the entire walk-in scene, etc.). Maybe this was a thing in season 1 too but idk, I notice it a lot more in season 2. It's just off-putting because s1 was so real, so visceral, and easily connected to any average day working in a real life kitchen, and s2 loses a bit of that, especially with Claire.
This is a very insightful view of the show, particularly eps 6 and 7. Nice catch with the "Last Supper"/13 people & Christ-like references. Very interesting and had not thought of those before. Generational trauma for sure. The ep with Richie finding his purpose and getting inspired again after so much loss was beautiful. Would like to know how Donna got that anxious (or mentally ill--driving a car through a house goes beyond garden-variety anxiety). And the big mystery of the show--WHERE is Carmy's, Mike's and Nat's DAD?? It's implied that he's still alive and that his flippant choice to become a "restauranteur" may have caused the stress for the mother and therefore, for Mikey and the Beef.
So I rewatched Fishes, twice (I'm pretty twisted from a whole bunch of shit, don't ask). First time, I knew immediately that shit was going down, because I have had many a Christmas like that, pounding a beer and chain-smoking cigarettes out the front for a bit of peace and quiet, away from the impending chaos and looming eruption. Walking back into that house, is like being the person at the end of a zombie movie or horror movie, and having to go back into the madness. I felt that. I still felt like I was walking into the House of the Dead the second and third times, but it's like when you've played a game from start to finish, you know what to expect and roughly when to expect it. That's what it's like for them, having to be packed into that house with all that venom and Donna looming over you like the last boss who dips in and out over the course of the story. Kinda like Albert Wesker in resident evil, to be honest, LOL. They all gave insanely good performances, but that episode is pure emotional trauma.
I have seen "Forks" 4 times already. And I started watching the show only 2 weeks ago. If I ever need inspiration, I used to watch the first episode "Curahee" of Band of Brothers. Now I also have "Forks".
This might be one of the smartest videos I’ve seen on the internet, especially the breakdown of the Forks episode, truly spectacular, I had some inclinations about the scenes between mentor/mentee but your inclusion of the meaning of Pequod and Murakami's character about the trains is something that hit me really hard, kinda why I went back to those scenes over and over again, you put into words what I couldn't articulate, thank you so much for this 👏👏👏
Great review! In my opinion, the Bear is the most captivating and thoughtful show of all time. “Every second counts” perfectly encapsulates how the show is created, the amount of subtle references and meticulous detail put into every little shot is unparalleled. There might be shows that are more enjoyable to watch, but I’m not sure that there are any objectively better made. From the writing, to the camera work, to the top-tier acting and perfect casting choices, the show really has no fat on it. “Every second counts”
It's always a pleasure to see Gillian Jacobs in things. Britta for the win! On a more serious note, these episodes were easily the most striking in a very impactful series.
you pinpointed exactly why I thought the cameos in fishes were integral to the episodes quality. it simply doesn't work with lesser known actors and it's because of what you stated, we'd know where to look, way too easily. fishes requires us to stay on our toes; not a moments rest, the boiling pot that's ready to tip over, the ticking bomb; every second counts. it's the greatest episode of television I've ever watched
Loved to see the diagram of "The Hero's Journey" ... I felt with the finale (and throughout season 2), they were definitely trying to keep the star chef (Carmy) with his hands tied behind his back through his rekindling with Claire & his trauma and panic attacks. He was always shown on screen with a lack of focus and needing to move from one issue to another (without resolving the former). For the purpose of the story, it helps elevate the characters around him, specifically Syd & Richie, to give them purpose to rise above their own issues to have a relatively successful opening night. I feel like next season, for The Bear to truly be profitable and (possibly) get a star - and if we're using sports analogies - they will need their star, Carmen, in MVP form. He has to also rise above his past, repair his relationship with a great stage-to-be in Richie, welcome something good in Claire, and truly be a better leader - the kind he wish he had in NYC - to Syd. There was great foreshadowings and dialogue of Carmy's brilliance in Marcus & Richie's training in Denmark & NYC and for the viewers, we haven't quite seen much of it in either seasons of The Bear. Looking forward to his moment soon, hopefully. But not every story is optimistic or sunshine and roses....We've seen Carmy's mother not have anything resolved since "Fishes" and continues to portray herself as an awful mother. Is Carmy the Kendall Roy to Dee's Logan?
This is my new favorite TH-cam channel - I love that you did Station 11 too, along with The Bear we're talking about the best TV show of 2021 (Station 11), best TV show of 2022 and 2023 again (The Bear) edit: actually on 2nd thought probably in 2022 season 2 of Reservation Dogs is higher in my list than season 1 of The Bear... that's a show you should totally explore in its third and final season, coming up in a few days...
This video was absolutely fantastic. The attention to detail and clarity with which you broke down this show’s narrative was just amazing. I’ve never seen one of your videos before, but I will 100% be hitting that subscribe button after watching this. Stupendous job. 10/10.
Great video! Agreed with pretty much every single one of your points. As much as I liked season 1 of the bear, season 2 caused me to absolutely love this show, and I can’t say enough about how what initially seems like a simple comedy show about the stresses of working in a restaurant has become a show that has made me laugh, cry, and root for everyone’s success, even when they do things that make you want to pull your hair out. What an amazing show, I can’t say enough about it! And your videos, which are amazing as well! Great job
This is one of those shows that I started because I knew people talked about it. And when I started it I couldn’t tell why I wanted to keep watching. And by the time I got to season 2 I realized that it was mainly because of the characters. It’s similar to how I felt about watching the show Lost, I was more invested in the characters and their growth rather than the overall plot line. Although The Bear definitely has an engaging plot line. The other thing that caught my eye was how amazing the pacing and overall vibe of the show it. Shows often leave a lot of open space for lines to land with audiences, but I love when dialogue doesn’t let you breathe, it makes you pay attention. I also love how impressive the one shot takes are. I don’t know how many in total there are in the show, but it feels like there was more than 3 (someone pls let me know if you know the answer). When I was watching the haunting of hill house there was like a 15 minute one shot scene or something and it was very impressive. But it was very advertised with a lot of behind the scenes and it was really the only big one of the show. Which is fine and absolutely still worth praise and admiration because any one shot is not easy. But the easy flowing nature of The Bears one shot scenes really amazed me. It was like you didn’t notice it was a one shot because it just felt like you were watching real life chaos
Pete showing up with a tuna casserole was great to me. I felt the same sort of dread about it as everyone else did that if Donna even got a whiff of it she might explode. But at the same time, he's the only person who took any initiative to make and bring something at all, even if it was an easy school night dinner. Pete is a well meaning and sweet guy, and his being actively excluded by everybody except Sugar probably has some baring on why he brought exactly the wrong dish. I also suspect that they all lowkey hate Pete because he is a kinder, more thoughtful person than any of the Berzatto family (either literal or figurative). I don't know if it's a thing where seeing a genuinely good dude makes them feel shitty about themselves, or if they just can't be comfortable and unsuspicious of it.
you’re quickly becoming my favorite video essayist. i honestly eat up everything you say! please keep making videos, i enjoy them so so much. lovely work❤
I took my family to Copenhagen last year on summer holiday, it was my first time there and I constantly thought about how it was such a beautiful and generally nice city. Guest director Ramy Youseff captured that energy perfectly in Ep 4 with Marcus' journey. I could totally feel that energy of uncertain excitement and peace Marcus was feeling during his experience of high end dessert boot camp, not being a brutal time but a invigorating and enlightening time for him
Theres a double meaning to "every second counts". First in the kitchen it means you gotta hurry your ass up and not miss a damn detail. But in life it also means to slow down and savour every moment, I think thats pretty neat.
Loved your reviews, so well articulated, thank you. Another interesting thought I had regards to Carmy having his love interest and being gradually drifted away from his role in the kitchen. I see this contrast between us audience (at least I feel that many of us do) wants him to stay focus on restaurant opening, to devote as much as he would've as we were introduced and shown in season 1; that inside of The Bear world, Carmy's family- actual friends and family like Richie, Unc, Fak- they're all beyond thrilled to see him having an actual normal-people-like life outside of the kitchen. It's just funny to see this contrast.
I love that Carmy sent Marcus to learn from Will Poulter, because he clearly respects his ability and skill, but Will Poulter basically explains how much better he thinks Carmy was than him. Shows Carmys humility
fantastic show! fantastic breakdown and insight on your part! I finished season 2 last night and literally have found it hard to watch anything else since. Nothing matches the perfection of this show, writing, editing, acting, production design, directing, sound, musical score, lighting...on and on! Incredible casting, incredible show! Thank you HULU for offering such a quality show. Cried when I had to say goodbye to Ted Lasso, but then I found The Bear! ps...I subscribed, too.
I get what you are trying to accomplish with the comparisons between The Bear and Ted Lasso. I found value in both and greatly enjoyed both. I did derive very different things in the watching of the two shows so the comparison felt a little like apples and oranges. I did enjoy your deep dive into The Bear and help flesh out even more themes from great story telling so THANK YOU!!!
I just realized something. The Fishes episode culminates with Michael throwing a fork, so the fork is something we come to associate with the dysfunctional family that constantly seems to be at a boiling point. In the Forks episode, Richie's path to redemption involves him spending day after day... Polishing forks. That can't be a coincidence.
As a Syd stan, (I support her rights and her wrongs) I can definitely say her learning to be a better listener and team player is a level of growth from her season one arc. While I do think Carmy and Richie were being a holes during The Review, it had been displayed throughout the first season that Sydney had a tendency to be impatient and not listen. I feel like her reading that book on leadership and seeing through a lot of things that previously would have made her give up is a part of her growth, but I also think that her growth was stunted because she was meant to develop as a leader and partner with Carmy who was absent.
Absolutely beautiful thoughtpiece! I've seen many video essays on this show but I've never seen anyone articulate my thoughts about it quite as well as you!
Fabulously written essay. Instant subscribe. I fell in love with this show a week ago, binged it, already starting a rewatch. Been itching for some Good Takes
"Glass, Concrete and Stone" by David Byrne in Forks is perfect, something about how it builds fits so well with Richie's road to self improvement to me
Thank you for this video. I love the bear and the 2nd season was so great. What upsets me is that they dropped all the episodes at once. I should be able to marinate my thoughts and enjoyment for a whole week before I see the next episode. That is what made succession so great to watch. That is my only complaint on the bear.
OK, but you *are* able to watch one episode a week if that's really what you want to do. Take all the time you want. No one is forcing you to binge it.
The Bear also doesn't fall for the same tropes so many other shows do Relationships aren't as stylized as most shows portray them Carmy and Claire start hanging out. Another show would probably have them hooking up in the first episode they make contact. But The Bear treats its audience with respect, and portrays this relationship as one should. Carmy is dealing with a lot. And just being outright horny and having sex immediately makes no sense in his mindset. Instead it shows them building and talking before they even have any intimacy at all It's funny that after a couple of decades of gritty crime dramas, stories of motorcycle gangs, and plastic surgeons doing insane crap, FX's best show is about a kitchen and the people within
Here’s where S2 fails for me; Claire is a plot device and not a character. Everything we know about Carmie in S1 has established he has one singular purpose and that is to maintain the restaurant his dead brother left behind. No romance, not even really references to Carmen’s romantic past, and yet we are supposed to believe he will so quickly drop the ball reopening the restaurant for a girl who he grew up with? Who is still friends with his friends? Claire gets no real personality developed, despite the best efforts of her actress, because she only exists to create conflict between Syd and Carm. I find it to be the biggest blight on this otherwise well-written show.
I felt the exact same thing about Claire. Like, she was an ER doc which means that she is used to the chaos and that she is LITERALLY the perfect for him because she was able to mindread his anxiety with the shoe drop scene
Forks was so good. Really don't like Taylor swift, which actually made the big music drop of the episode effect me even more, because I got so into it for the first time and just let go my of cynicism, my like Richie in that moment. It was beautiful
I think I relate the most to Carmy. I have past trauma I recreate. I have this aloofness and anxiety because I see a bigger picture I'm working towards. My "restaurant" is also meant to help people and heal my family as well on a medicinal level. I also deal with grief and mourning and the anxiety that sometimes comes with it. As an artist who had my creations destroyed in front of me and over my body. I also get wanting to take back a creation and remixing them to break through a "writers block." It's part of the healing process. The closing of the eyes when hes trying to think is so subtle but you're he's trying to quiet everything else down. The way carmy can turn into a "bear" if pushed to it but its learned behavior from his mother and the family toxicity. *chefs kiss* Richie reminded me of my partner who doesn't know what their purpose is and learning acts of service and taking care of others provides purpose and strength.
"Subscribed to your channel after being thoroughly impressed by your insightful analysis of 'Succession.' Your examination of 'The Bear' was equally compelling. Keep up the great work!"
After growing up in a peaceful household, episode 6 put me into panic mode and took me several days to watch. It's because of that, I'll likely never see it again. But episodes 7-10? I will rewatch over and over because it's the culmination of everything everyone has worked for (aside from the fridge) comes to a head and every victory is deserved, especially since those last 5 minutes of expo were orchestrated by Richie. I know it's fiction but I couldn't be more proud of anyone, in that moment. Honestly, if Disney/Fox wanted to open a companion restaurant in Chicago, I'd fly out (from Jersey) just to have the food.
Richie finding purpose in taking care of other people (stereotypically a female task) in direct opposition of what he THOUGHT he should do, maintenance (more of a manly task) felt so subtle and so rewarding
He wanted to make someone’s day everyday!
SO rewarding. I’ve been rewatching specifically his arcs and the moments where you see he rounds that corner (forks and the scene where he decides to run expo)
Idk maybe it’s because I have very little meaning in my life but that build up to his success and understanding of what his life can be made me cry for the first time in a while when he was singing that stupid Taylor swift song ( I hate Taylor swift) because I can relate so much to someone like Richie because his character is so real just like everyone else in the show. What an amazing season I almost wish they didn’t release it all at once so I could still have more episodes to look forward to
I adore his character, the acting and writing, and can’t wait to see his further growth S3
Richie is by far my least favorite character,but his episode I think is my favorite one.
In the finale, the contrast from Richie telling Claire "I love him too, but don't tell him" in the beginning to Richie shouting through Carmy's cursing at him at the other side of the fridge "I fucking love you, man" over and over again broke my heart. Richie grew so much
He might also be scared of losing him like it already happens with Mickey, I think, that's why he decided to shout it out before it's too late.
Oh jesus, I didn’t even put that together, but that makes so much sense too.
season 3 NEEDS a Tina episode, something maybe around her having to hold her own as sous chef. I love her leaning into her softness this season and peaks of her confidence coming through in culinary school. Literally the karaoke scene made my heart grow 3 x bigger. I know so many women like Tina who deserve to find a dream and selfhood outside of motherhood and the hardness the world forces on them.
I agree!!! I was so so so so thrilled for Tina that she had a beautiful moment at karaoke - she deserves too a beautiful episode.
Yes!! I almost cried when Syd asked her to be the Sous, and when Carmy gave her his knife 🥺🥺🥺 She's my favorite character, because I can relate to both how she is bitter and upset about how things are changing in the first part of season 1, and how she grows when is given praise and the opportunity for growth 🥰🥰🥰
Right?? But, if you're her--a hardworking, perhaps under-educated single, brown mom, working as a short-order cook--who wouldn't jump at the chance to learn a real skill when someone offers to pay for your cooking school, and feel good about your accomplishments, for a change? She shines. Her arc is beautiful to watch... partially because so many people aren't given these breaks.
Yeeeessss!
Tina’s moment where she was calling out orders and everyone calling back “Chef!” was outstanding for me. I love her arc
It's interesting that Richie starts off polishing forks when Mickey was throwing them. Richie was able to handle life difficulties and grow while maybe Mikey was unable to do so.
brb crying over this great observation
WOWWWW this is such a great observation
perfect because “fork in the road” and when Mikey lost purpose he took one path while when Richie did he took a different one
DANGG awesome analysis here
Yes, I was confused when I was looking back at the episodes and realized that "Forks" isn't the Christmas flashback.
"what is social media but watching a thousand trains leave without you" what a line
This one made me stop in my tracks.
it fits very well
I caught my breath in my throat at that line. Holy smokes 😮
💯🔥
Another scene I liked was when Pete returns to the table after seeing Donna outside
omg that broke me!!
I was in tears
That had me tearing up. Pete is such an underrated character. Unflinching positivity and compassion in the face of all this intensity is so hard to find.
@@MoonEnvoy YES and yes and yes my boy Peter is so important.
Richie’s episode was so good I rewatched it immediately after finishing it. It feels so relatable, and it works so well, you could watch it out of context and still get who Richie was before, and who he becomes after finding out his purpose. Mastercrafted TV
It feels so real and so human
it feels like media/art that I can come back to for a long time to give me hope and find peace with life without getting tired on it
It genuinely plays like a short movie
That episode could be a short film by itself
The bear is prove you cant have AI writing scripts. This show is art. Inspired by the human experiences, expressed in writing, and brought to life by creators and actors who understands what it means to live.
It’s simple: I’ve never watched a series that feels so real and… human. I loved it.
I love so much the amount of meanings Carmie locking himself in the freezer has. He didn't answer the fridge guy due to his trauma of his old boss and thinking he saw the man who put him through so much pain sent him to the freezer in the first place. Every character in the show this season including Sydney grew and evolved but Carmie was the only one who didn't. He still carried his trauma of his past and his brother dying, he started dating his childhood crush and he's still in the kitchen working. I love how in both season 1 with the episode Review and The Bear the show is setting the standard that everytime Carmie explodes and pushes away those he needs (shown when his panic attack is stopped by him thinking of Sydney) he's immediately punished for it. In Review Sydney and Marcus leave him and in The Bear he becomes literally locked away from his success. He becomes the person Richie feared becoming left to watch the world go by him while being stuck where he is. I think for season 3 we'll focus mainly on Carmie and him hopefully processing his trauma of his family, his brother and his boss that still looms over him and prevents him from being "the guy." The way Carmie also acts while locked in the fridge, continuing to bang and scream throughout the service, he comes across as someone who's suffering from addiction and needs a fix. He's desperate, angry and sad all at once. For Carmie, being in the kitchen is his addiciton, and when he loses his escape from all the outside noise, all the mental pressure he puts on himself, he's trying everything to get it back.
Actually cooking being his addiction is such a nice reading of the story. Addiction runs through his family, and if his brother got the substance abuse, he gets the “addiction” of cooking. As we see in the Christmas episode, his mum cooks a wonderful meal, but it’s done through so much pain and toxicity, which I think Carmy is trying to fix.
I feel like Natalie's character being logical and the character to bounce off of actually, I think, fits her character as because she grew up with such a volatile household, she became immensely attuned to people's shifts in mannerisms and mood, and because she so viscerally has to make sure her mother is okay, she also does the same in her daily life, just on a subtler level because the triggers are much more manageable than her home life for most of her life
This is why Pete is actually perfect for her. He's calm and easygoing even if he's a doofus. He's an emotional refuge for Natalie.
We see in episode seven a photo of Carmen and Luca, when Luca said he wasn’t the best he was talking about carmy!
Noticed that too
Yep this was a very cool touch
I saw the photo but did not make that connection. Thank you for pointing that out because i already loved that episode but this made it so much better.
Carmy also talked about his past in the kitchen as a competition, that a new stage was coming in and he was "gonna smoke that guy", which completely aligns with Luca's prodigy story he shared with Marcus
Also want to point out the motif of FORKS! Which forks to buy. Mike throwing forks. Ritchie polishing forks. Running out of forks. It's this looked down upon item because it's so ubiquitous, yet it's used as the basic tool for eating, as a weapon, as a meditative practice, and something so easily overlooked at within the same season.
Watching this review, it hit me. Pete bringing the fish was a joke sure, but thinking back to what their mom said about nobody making anything beautiful for her and he was the ONLY one who actually brought something that showed he thought and cared about her....and then remembering the scene with both of them outside of the restaurant and her validating how good he is was a perfect way to tie it together, but in turn it wrecks him. He gets acknowledged and IS apart of the family in a way that the mother had to damage him fully for it be complete. Dude the writing in this show is something else. Hard agree on the episode highlights as well. 4, 6, & 7 we're just amazing.
Damn I didn't even pick up on that, that's a really good point.
This is the first time I've sat through a 40 minute youtube show analysis in one go. The line "what is social media but watching a thousand trains leave without you" is just art, and somehow it was just comforting to sit and listen to someone articulate so much about a show that absolutely blew me away. Really hoping they land season 3
"I wear suits now." - Richie
It just didn't feel that Claire had any real dimension to her. She was the girl next door, the perfect girlfriend, the scholar - just archetypes - but who is she as a human? I think she was written in such an empty way to illustrate how Carmy is looking for a perfect escape away from the chaos of his life. Yes , Claire is perfect on paper, but in no way does this perfection help Carmy be his perfect self... the creative chef genius we know he is.
That may be true, but arguably isn't the point. She was brought in to illustrate Carmy's inability to balance work and life, and to illustrate that no matter who the girl is, he's got so much trauma and self-loathing to work through, he can't really have a romantic relationship with anybody, right now.
That’s because she isn’t a main character, and getting to know her as a person independent from Carmy isn’t necessary to the story they’re talking about the restaurant. If they had wasted time on her over Tina, or Ebra, or anyone who works at the restaurant, it wouldn’t have added anything to the story excerpt length.
I thought so too, and while I still think that holds validity I think it’s also true to some degree that Claire’s character maybe wasn’t truly meant to be fleshed out in the way Richie’s or Marcus’ has, at least in this season. Claire was more meant to represent an idea rather than a person; Carmy’s struggle to maintain a healthy lifestyle outside of the kitchen. But more than that I think that Claire was made or showcased to be perfect to highlight Carmy’s inability to think of anyone outside of himself. In Carmy’s eyes Claire was this perfect person who was always witty, smart, kind, etc., something that he struggled with on a daily basis. Claire was his savior, devoid of all the negativities that plagued his everyday life. It’s only in the finale when he completely shatters her heart with his selfishness does he realize that she’s an entire person with flaws and insecurities and worries and most of all a full life outside of his own. Only then does he realize the repercussions of his actions. Despite this it still leaves me unsatisfied knowing that her character essentially served as a vehicle for Carmy’s development and hopefully we get to explore more of her character in a third season.
She’s past incarnate. Nothing more, nothing less. There’s no oxygen in Carmy’s life for Claire.
@@Jen-de9spI feel like the gloves will be coming off in terms of Claire Bear's approach to our broken down Carmy next season.
She's gonna hit him with some hard truths about how he gets on with people.
What he does with that though, will be very interesting to see.
She had a lot of time and sympathy for him this season because it is evident she knew what his home life was like growing up.
But now that he's gone full monologue about how he shouldn't have her in his life because she's just a distraction from the life he *should* be living... she's gonna have to get real with him about how skewed his perceptions of reality are.
**He's** the one responsible for the fridge fuck up, and **only** him, not her being with him.
Richie had the best character arc this season, and it really surprised me. I found him hard to love in season 1 and it was so great to see him come into his own and find new purpose. Loved the video! Glad I stumbled across your channel and will be checking out more of your videos.
I think you highlighted why this show is superior to Ted Lasso. This show has characters that EARN their feel good moments. Episode 7 of this season is legitimately one of my favorite episodes of TV ever because we’ve invested in Richie despite his flaws and finally seeing him realize his potential is so fucking wholesome. Ted Lasso’s wholesome moments more or less come out of nowhere just to make the audience feel good. The characters that we root for in Ted Lasso seemingly have no flaws that are completely their fault. They don’t feel like real people. Richie on the other hand has some massive flaws. I’ve met hundreds of Richie’s in my life. but he works on his flaws. He doesn’t let them define him. He earns his success. Every second truly counts in The Bear.
I loved that episode so much
The best part is Richie’s flaws still shine through after he’s more or less “redeemed” himself. He still cusses and in the finale he has a full blown out argument with Carmy while he was trapped inside the walk-in fridge, after the dinner rush he yells and had to compose himself when he realized that guests were still in the dining room.
Ted Lasso Season 3 is the biggest downfall I have ever seen on TV
@@AKPolo-bm7vt There were some great moments, but yeah, compared to season 1 it didn't feel the same
@@AKPolo-bm7vt*Game of Thrones Season 8 has entered the chat*
Carmie teaching Sydney the ASL "I'm sorry" sign was a key part of this whole season for me. I've actually taught it to my grand daughter as something you can use when tempers are high but you want to say "Let's talk later."
My favorite element of the biker in Honeydew being a representation of letting go is the big hug between them. Showing there's no love lost with the act of letting go.
Something I don’t hear enough people talking about is the symbolism from every episode leading up to the finale of S2. The episode opens with the dreadful sound of the printer that we first heard in the Review episode, almost as a call to chaos. Another callback to Review, we get a 12 minute one-shot take that perfectly describes the chaotic nature of the restaurant. Something to take notice is that the one-take ends when Carmy is stuck in the walk-in. While the team is thinking “we’re fucked”, Syd and Richie (completing his Hero story) take control and complete the task at hand. Something peculiar I noticed is how they left Carmy in the walk-in, with no one to try and help or even keep him company. It may be a callback to the trains, and how the world moves on. Carmy being stuck in the freezer is a metaphor to him being stuck in his ways of digging deeper into the lonely hole he dug for himself.
Sorry for the long explanation, let me know if I was just rambling lol
“When you put something on the backburner, it should still be cooking” goes inexplicably crazy
I also just wanted Carmy to get back in the kitchen and do what he does best. But I also understand why the insertion of Claire was necessary.
I personally disliked all the close up face shots of Carmy and Claire, but I get that we're so up close because it's sort of the way they feel- they have tunnel vision for each other. So their surroundings melt away. In turn it can sort of feel suffocating too, which I suppose Carmy also felt at times- the overwhelming feelings of finally being with someone you were sort of in love with forever.
I like that tunnel-vision contrast to the way the Beef used to feel, especially in Episode 7 last season. When Carmy is with Claire, his world becomes even smaller than that cramped little kitchen that he desperately loves. I think that absolutely terrifies him; he loses sight of the kitchen and Mikey both when he's with Claire.
That love scene (if I can call it that) between Claire and Carmy felt so off, specifically at the end where Carm looks like he's being smothered, I can't even understand if he's in sheets or Claire's arms... That whole scene was off and claustrophobic. Anyways with the Nine Inch Nails music playing, I knew that relationship was doomed.😅
Everywhere Carmy is gets too close, claustrophobic, cramped, and everyone that is there with him will get sucked in too, even Claire. It's why it hits so hard when Richie calls him Donna in the end of the last episode. He does the same as she. He's just still in progress to eventually become as destructive as her, or to own it up and solve it. It's so good
@@Liu484he calms down at the thought of Sydney.
I feel like the issue with Sydney and Carmy in this season is that it's their middle chapter, and they're both stuck, unable to grow. That's often hard to watch. The show countered it nicely with this incredibly moving, almost fairy-tale episodes of Richie and Marcus transforming. And meanwhile, Sugar, Tina, and Ebra all grow, or get second chances. That all served to balance how stuck the two main characters are.
People came away with the idea that Carmy's relationship with Clair is a dangerous distraction from his "real" work on the restaurant, but that seems like a toxic notion. Carmy isn't distracted because of the relationship, he's distracted because he doesn't know how to balance work and life, because he's never had a life. So he doesn't know what to make of actually enjoying his time with someone he adores, and how it makes the restaurant feel like even less of a joy, even more of a burden. And more importantly, he sees love as a constant state of emergency. He can't see his time with Claire as restorative and rewarding, even though that's exactly what it is. When he thinks about it, all he feels is a sense of impending disaster, because that's all love has ever been for him. Love means waiting for a car to drive through the wall. Love means waiting for bad news. Love is the feeling you have before catastrophe strikes. So of course, even though catastrophe wasn't going to strike his relationship with Claire, his fears bring about the thing he dreads.
Meanwhile, Sydney is so desperate to succeed, and succeed right now, she sabotages herself too, taking on more than she can handle, and then freezing, unable to endure the stress. Luckily, she's not alone. She had the whole team to back her up, which is what a good leader always wants. But she's greedy for success, and for the success to be hers. She's desperate to prove to her father that she can do it. So she's always trying to run before she can walk. And when Carmy, or anyone, tell her she's not ready, or her effort isn't perfect, or she's made a mistake, she gets angry with them, or she gets angry with herself. The problem with being unable to take criticism is that you get stuck, unable to improve. And that seems to be where Sydney is now, stuck in a pattern of wanting to prove she's ready to lead, showing that she's not, and then getting angry at everyone, including herself, for letting her down, rather than simply working on improving.
There's been some chatter about a romantic connection between Carmy and Sydney. I suspect there's something to that, and we'll see the two try dating next season. But I don't see it going well. Once again, in the Swiss-watch craft of the show, each character represents to the other their most toxic desires. In Carmy, Sydney sees the ideal she wants to achieve, ignoring what a mess he is. And in Sydney, Carmy will see a way to get his love needs met by the restaurant industry. I suspect that may be the source of the next season's core drama.
Season 1 Richie references Philip K. Dick was one of the super odd one-off lines that really stuck with me. The man is clearly smart, well read but just dealt kind of a shit hand.
Forks had me sobbing and jumping up and down.
Yoooo mikey as christ figure fantastic analysis. IDK how that hadn't occurred to me before given all the redemption in the show is predicated on him dying first. Wild
this is a really great analysis! as for sydney’s arc i felt like it was an arc of frustration and slight growth on purpose. watching her doubt carmy and hers partnership was needed as it clearly wasn’t equal at all this season and it felt like she was doing pretty much everything. it was so frustrating to watch the first turn into this when she is excited to go try foods with carmy and he’s not answering her and just straight up ghosts her, that frustration with him carried through the rest of the season and i think without carmy she couldn’t grow as much as she has the potential for because he wasn’t picking up the slack he was SUPPOSED TO. so she had to compensate for all he wasn’t doing instead of completely focusing on how to be a better leader and chef.
i also think that syd and camrys relationship will progress slow but surely into something romantic. if not for the little things then for two big things 1. the thought of sydney calming down carmy during a panic attack about claire and his family and 2. the table scene and gift scene. especially when she talks about melting and he says he won’t let her then she looks up at him and they stare a eachother for a couple seconds while he shakes his head.
really excited for the next season!!!! a perfect show.
If Carmy’s going to have a romantic relationship in the show it only makes sense to me that it should be with someone within the business, someone with the same level of focus required to make the restaurant a success, to me, the only person that meets that standard is Syd.
I actually really hope that doesn't happen as I think there are too few shows that show deep platonic, non-romantic friendships/partnerships between men and women. Also I don't think mixing business with romantic partnership is necessarily a smart decision.
@@Tony2dH I agree with you. I think people are so used to the main characters falling in love that they start shipping Syd and Carmy, but I don’t see them fitting together romantically. I also would like to see a show where a man and woman can grow together in platonic relationship.
this is a great video analysis of the show, appreciate you making this. As for my favorite part of the season i feel it's almost impossible to watch the taylor swift scene without a big dumb smile on my face and happy tears. Finally seeing some direction and clarity in Richie's life after all the instability and strife that he goes through with everything up until that point is great to see. Also I think that's the best use of a pop song in a tv scene ever, up there with the "run away with me" scene in Mr Robot.
THANK YOU for pointing out the Murakami reference! When I saw that I got so excited and I haven’t seen anyone else catch that. Great analysis video!
Is it Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki??
@@hellajanice yup!
@@skwibblez9239 yes!! i love that and also love that richie reading murakami is now canon.
i wonder if they had the book somewhere in the background of his apartment in episode 7
@@hellajanice Richie being both a Murakami and Taylor Swift fan definitely blew my mind :)
Cant stop introducing people to this show. And when they tell me that they've finished the first season I cant help but get even more excited because truthfully, the first season is all setup and S2 is a lot more payoff. Especially with the episodes you highlighted. Brilliant television
Your channel needs more attention. This was some of the most thoughtful and intelligent analysis of a piece of art that I've seen in a very long time. Your dedication to the craft and consumption of storytelling is abundantly apparent throughout this video. You gave me tons of insights into things I barely noticed before, and I tend to be a super observant viewer! Well done, I will be binging all your videos for sure
It’s a real bummer, but a lot of people in this industry have the exact same mentality as Carmy, you can’t be the best if you have something else on your mind. Give up on family, give up on health, give up on happiness, nothing else matters.
There’s a reason chefs are notorious for drug and alcohol abuse, why we die young, and why we’re so depressed.
I too wanted more food scenes like the omelette one, which I suppose we did get from Marcus in Amsterdam and also at Chef Terry's restaurant, but I think I wanted more.
I get that this season was about setting up the restaurant but I did really miss the cooking focused scenes from the first season.
Copenhagen not Amsterdam
Efficiency and density; there’s so much nuance
Really great breakdown! Really enjoyed the video.
hey thank you !!
Man, this show is so great. I also loved Forks, that was my favourite episode too. It was a difficult season to watch, especially bc I feel so connected to Carmy. He was… not at his best this season. I think there’s a lot of feeling like Claire was poorly written or there was no point to her character… honestly, I thought she was incredible in the sense that she embodied a plot device perfectly. I felt deeply uncomfortable watching their scenes and I think that was intended. It all felt kind of unreal. I think Carmy might have felt like she was helping him move forward, but being so intrinsically linked to his traumatic childhood, suggests their relationship might be more of a regression. His whole family loved her so much and wanted her for him, which feels like ‘not a good sign’, considering their dysfunction. In the end, Claire was a teenage fantasy that wasn’t grounded (or grounding) in reality. Too intense. Too fast. We didn’t get to know her more because her character only really existed inside Carmy. That scene of her working felt like a pretty representation of what Carmy imagined her work-life was like. She’s kind and clean, gentle, and in control. Didn’t feel at all like the ER medicine she described. She also hinted at her past, managing drunk people at parties, and shoplifting as a teenager. Feels like Carmy might perceive her (and us, through his eyes) as something she isn’t. Seemed like there was an edgier, obsessive streak in her, but he idolised her, which is why he/we didn’t see it, thus her character not feeling ‘real’. I don’t think you can have a healthy relationship in that kind of dynamic, so, I gotta say, I hope we leave her in Season 2. I think she served her purpose and truly aced the role. He’s gonna shut down big time after this, but he’ll have to learn he can’t live his life by beating himself into submission, or escaping into fantasy. Balance - like you said. I hope in the next season he’ll find that balance with the people in his life who are real and grounded in reality. I think that’s his little family at The Bear.
I think that's a good observation about Claire. Personally, I would be totally OK with Claire coming back as long as they develop her character more. She was that idealized version of a person when a relationship is new and you're madly in love with the person --you think they are--. Once you get over the "honeymoon" stage and get to know them better, things change.
I have all the confidence in the world that this team of writers can develop the imperfect side of Claire and make her a more real and interesting character in season 3 if they wanted to go that route.
I appreciate that analysis tbh and I really, really hope that is the path moving forward with Claire! Very good thinking. It definitely seems too idealistic.
I think a big portion of my personal disliking regarding Claire really is the fact her presence and her scenes really do just feel... out of place almost, 'too idealistic' as I mentioned. Maybe that's the point, whatever, but it still feels out of place purposefully or not. Almost corny in a way. Overall though, there was a lot more convenience and melodrama and obviously staged moments (the wall falling down as Sugar is talking about a secret she didn't want anyone to know, the dramatic TV show pauses in between dialogue, the entire walk-in scene, etc.). Maybe this was a thing in season 1 too but idk, I notice it a lot more in season 2. It's just off-putting because s1 was so real, so visceral, and easily connected to any average day working in a real life kitchen, and s2 loses a bit of that, especially with Claire.
This is a very insightful view of the show, particularly eps 6 and 7. Nice catch with the "Last Supper"/13 people & Christ-like references. Very interesting and had not thought of those before. Generational trauma for sure. The ep with Richie finding his purpose and getting inspired again after so much loss was beautiful. Would like to know how Donna got that anxious (or mentally ill--driving a car through a house goes beyond garden-variety anxiety). And the big mystery of the show--WHERE is Carmy's, Mike's and Nat's DAD?? It's implied that he's still alive and that his flippant choice to become a "restauranteur" may have caused the stress for the mother and therefore, for Mikey and the Beef.
So I rewatched Fishes, twice (I'm pretty twisted from a whole bunch of shit, don't ask).
First time, I knew immediately that shit was going down, because I have had many a Christmas like that, pounding a beer and chain-smoking cigarettes out the front for a bit of peace and quiet, away from the impending chaos and looming eruption.
Walking back into that house, is like being the person at the end of a zombie movie or horror movie, and having to go back into the madness. I felt that.
I still felt like I was walking into the House of the Dead the second and third times, but it's like when you've played a game from start to finish, you know what to expect and roughly when to expect it.
That's what it's like for them, having to be packed into that house with all that venom and Donna looming over you like the last boss who dips in and out over the course of the story.
Kinda like Albert Wesker in resident evil, to be honest, LOL.
They all gave insanely good performances, but that episode is pure emotional trauma.
I have seen "Forks" 4 times already. And I started watching the show only 2 weeks ago. If I ever need inspiration, I used to watch the first episode "Curahee" of Band of Brothers. Now I also have "Forks".
This might be one of the smartest videos I’ve seen on the internet, especially the breakdown of the Forks episode, truly spectacular, I had some inclinations about the scenes between mentor/mentee but your inclusion of the meaning of Pequod and Murakami's character about the trains is something that hit me really hard, kinda why I went back to those scenes over and over again, you put into words what I couldn't articulate, thank you so much for this 👏👏👏
Great review! In my opinion, the Bear is the most captivating and thoughtful show of all time. “Every second counts” perfectly encapsulates how the show is created, the amount of subtle references and meticulous detail put into every little shot is unparalleled. There might be shows that are more enjoyable to watch, but I’m not sure that there are any objectively better made. From the writing, to the camera work, to the top-tier acting and perfect casting choices, the show really has no fat on it. “Every second counts”
It's always a pleasure to see Gillian Jacobs in things. Britta for the win!
On a more serious note, these episodes were easily the most striking in a very impactful series.
I love everything about this, thoughtful, articulate and engaging. Bravo!
thank you so very much!
you pinpointed exactly why I thought the cameos in fishes were integral to the episodes quality. it simply doesn't work with lesser known actors and it's because of what you stated, we'd know where to look, way too easily. fishes requires us to stay on our toes; not a moments rest, the boiling pot that's ready to tip over, the ticking bomb; every second counts. it's the greatest episode of television I've ever watched
Loved to see the diagram of "The Hero's Journey" ... I felt with the finale (and throughout season 2), they were definitely trying to keep the star chef (Carmy) with his hands tied behind his back through his rekindling with Claire & his trauma and panic attacks. He was always shown on screen with a lack of focus and needing to move from one issue to another (without resolving the former). For the purpose of the story, it helps elevate the characters around him, specifically Syd & Richie, to give them purpose to rise above their own issues to have a relatively successful opening night.
I feel like next season, for The Bear to truly be profitable and (possibly) get a star - and if we're using sports analogies - they will need their star, Carmen, in MVP form. He has to also rise above his past, repair his relationship with a great stage-to-be in Richie, welcome something good in Claire, and truly be a better leader - the kind he wish he had in NYC - to Syd. There was great foreshadowings and dialogue of Carmy's brilliance in Marcus & Richie's training in Denmark & NYC and for the viewers, we haven't quite seen much of it in either seasons of The Bear. Looking forward to his moment soon, hopefully.
But not every story is optimistic or sunshine and roses....We've seen Carmy's mother not have anything resolved since "Fishes" and continues to portray herself as an awful mother. Is Carmy the Kendall Roy to Dee's Logan?
Any amazing analysis! Episode 4,6,7 were some of the best episodes of TV I've seen in quite some time.
This is my new favorite TH-cam channel - I love that you did Station 11 too, along with The Bear we're talking about the best TV show of 2021 (Station 11), best TV show of 2022 and 2023 again (The Bear)
edit: actually on 2nd thought probably in 2022 season 2 of Reservation Dogs is higher in my list than season 1 of The Bear... that's a show you should totally explore in its third and final season, coming up in a few days...
This video was absolutely fantastic. The attention to detail and clarity with which you broke down this show’s narrative was just amazing. I’ve never seen one of your videos before, but I will 100% be hitting that subscribe button after watching this. Stupendous job. 10/10.
Great video! Agreed with pretty much every single one of your points. As much as I liked season 1 of the bear, season 2 caused me to absolutely love this show, and I can’t say enough about how what initially seems like a simple comedy show about the stresses of working in a restaurant has become a show that has made me laugh, cry, and root for everyone’s success, even when they do things that make you want to pull your hair out. What an amazing show, I can’t say enough about it! And your videos, which are amazing as well! Great job
This is one of those shows that I started because I knew people talked about it. And when I started it I couldn’t tell why I wanted to keep watching. And by the time I got to season 2 I realized that it was mainly because of the characters. It’s similar to how I felt about watching the show Lost, I was more invested in the characters and their growth rather than the overall plot line. Although The Bear definitely has an engaging plot line.
The other thing that caught my eye was how amazing the pacing and overall vibe of the show it. Shows often leave a lot of open space for lines to land with audiences, but I love when dialogue doesn’t let you breathe, it makes you pay attention. I also love how impressive the one shot takes are. I don’t know how many in total there are in the show, but it feels like there was more than 3 (someone pls let me know if you know the answer). When I was watching the haunting of hill house there was like a 15 minute one shot scene or something and it was very impressive. But it was very advertised with a lot of behind the scenes and it was really the only big one of the show. Which is fine and absolutely still worth praise and admiration because any one shot is not easy. But the easy flowing nature of The Bears one shot scenes really amazed me. It was like you didn’t notice it was a one shot because it just felt like you were watching real life chaos
Your critique is utterly brilliant.
This has been one of the best seasons of TV ever. Thanks for highlighting these three episodes, really great analysis
Pete showing up with a tuna casserole was great to me. I felt the same sort of dread about it as everyone else did that if Donna even got a whiff of it she might explode. But at the same time, he's the only person who took any initiative to make and bring something at all, even if it was an easy school night dinner. Pete is a well meaning and sweet guy, and his being actively excluded by everybody except Sugar probably has some baring on why he brought exactly the wrong dish.
I also suspect that they all lowkey hate Pete because he is a kinder, more thoughtful person than any of the Berzatto family (either literal or figurative). I don't know if it's a thing where seeing a genuinely good dude makes them feel shitty about themselves, or if they just can't be comfortable and unsuspicious of it.
"Sometimes the best way to understand the Forrest is to look closely at a few trees." Well said!
I've loved this show since it's first season and this season solidified that love. It's brilliant!
This is the in depth longform video essay on The Bear that I was waiting for. Excellent job.
"pristinely organized thematic centrality"....yeah, that's it. Wonderful essay.
you’re quickly becoming my favorite video essayist. i honestly eat up everything you say! please keep making videos, i enjoy them so so much. lovely work❤
Thank you so so much for this lovely comment !
I took my family to Copenhagen last year on summer holiday, it was my first time there and I constantly thought about how it was such a beautiful and generally nice city. Guest director Ramy Youseff captured that energy perfectly in Ep 4 with Marcus' journey. I could totally feel that energy of uncertain excitement and peace Marcus was feeling during his experience of high end dessert boot camp, not being a brutal time but a invigorating and enlightening time for him
OK, so I am always happy to see a JRR Talkin’ video. Getting into this one and the analysis is terrific. Please keep these coming!
Theres a double meaning to "every second counts". First in the kitchen it means you gotta hurry your ass up and not miss a damn detail. But in life it also means to slow down and savour every moment, I think thats pretty neat.
Also that even "second tries" count -- it's not required that a person get it all correct the first time around.
Excellent analysis. Thanks for taking the time to make this, it helps me appreciate the show more (which I didn't even think was possible lol)
Loved your reviews, so well articulated, thank you.
Another interesting thought I had regards to Carmy having his love interest and being gradually drifted away from his role in the kitchen. I see this contrast between us audience (at least I feel that many of us do) wants him to stay focus on restaurant opening, to devote as much as he would've as we were introduced and shown in season 1; that inside of The Bear world, Carmy's family- actual friends and family like Richie, Unc, Fak- they're all beyond thrilled to see him having an actual normal-people-like life outside of the kitchen. It's just funny to see this contrast.
Fabulous video, thank you.
Yes to all of that.
This is a phenomenal video!! I want to go rewatch the show for the hundredth time because of it
My favorite video so far on dissecting The Bear S02.
Thank you.
I love that Carmy sent Marcus to learn from Will Poulter, because he clearly respects his ability and skill, but Will Poulter basically explains how much better he thinks Carmy was than him. Shows Carmys humility
Thank you for your eloquent breakdown of this mind-blowing show. Excellent story-telling. Excellence by You too. YES!!
Speaking of great writing, this essay is beautifully composed and done so well. Love it, and am happily going to subscribe :D
This is such a brilliant video essay about the second season. You've concisely put so many feelings i have about these wonderful characters
fantastic show! fantastic breakdown and insight on your part! I finished season 2 last night and literally have found it hard to watch anything else since. Nothing matches the perfection of this show, writing, editing, acting, production design, directing, sound, musical score, lighting...on and on! Incredible casting, incredible show! Thank you HULU for offering such a quality show. Cried when I had to say goodbye to Ted Lasso, but then I found The Bear! ps...I subscribed, too.
The Bear is the best series in years.
This is fucking beautiful. Captured so much of what I was thinking while watching this top-tier season
i'm prepping for season 3 to completely crush my soul. there's no way everyone gets out on top.
Phenomenal review. Thank you
"What is scrolling through social media but watching a thousand trains but leave without you?"
Perfect observation.
I get what you are trying to accomplish with the comparisons between The Bear and Ted Lasso. I found value in both and greatly enjoyed both. I did derive very different things in the watching of the two shows so the comparison felt a little like apples and oranges. I did enjoy your deep dive into The Bear and help flesh out even more themes from great story telling so THANK YOU!!!
I just realized something.
The Fishes episode culminates with Michael throwing a fork, so the fork is something we come to associate with the dysfunctional family that constantly seems to be at a boiling point. In the Forks episode, Richie's path to redemption involves him spending day after day... Polishing forks. That can't be a coincidence.
As a Syd stan, (I support her rights and her wrongs) I can definitely say her learning to be a better listener and team player is a level of growth from her season one arc. While I do think Carmy and Richie were being a holes during The Review, it had been displayed throughout the first season that Sydney had a tendency to be impatient and not listen. I feel like her reading that book on leadership and seeing through a lot of things that previously would have made her give up is a part of her growth, but I also think that her growth was stunted because she was meant to develop as a leader and partner with Carmy who was absent.
Absolutely beautiful thoughtpiece! I've seen many video essays on this show but I've never seen anyone articulate my thoughts about it quite as well as you!
Fabulously written essay. Instant subscribe. I fell in love with this show a week ago, binged it, already starting a rewatch. Been itching for some Good Takes
Superior commentary on a extraordinary series. Well done!
"Glass, Concrete and Stone" by David Byrne in Forks is perfect, something about how it builds fits so well with Richie's road to self improvement to me
Thank you for this video. I love the bear and the 2nd season was so great. What upsets me is that they dropped all the episodes at once. I should be able to marinate my thoughts and enjoyment for a whole week before I see the next episode. That is what made succession so great to watch. That is my only complaint on the bear.
OK, but you *are* able to watch one episode a week if that's really what you want to do. Take all the time you want. No one is forcing you to binge it.
The Bear also doesn't fall for the same tropes so many other shows do
Relationships aren't as stylized as most shows portray them
Carmy and Claire start hanging out. Another show would probably have them hooking up in the first episode they make contact. But The Bear treats its audience with respect, and portrays this relationship as one should. Carmy is dealing with a lot. And just being outright horny and having sex immediately makes no sense in his mindset. Instead it shows them building and talking before they even have any intimacy at all
It's funny that after a couple of decades of gritty crime dramas, stories of motorcycle gangs, and plastic surgeons doing insane crap, FX's best show is about a kitchen and the people within
Here’s where S2 fails for me; Claire is a plot device and not a character. Everything we know about Carmie in S1 has established he has one singular purpose and that is to maintain the restaurant his dead brother left behind. No romance, not even really references to Carmen’s romantic past, and yet we are supposed to believe he will so quickly drop the ball reopening the restaurant for a girl who he grew up with? Who is still friends with his friends? Claire gets no real personality developed, despite the best efforts of her actress, because she only exists to create conflict between Syd and Carm. I find it to be the biggest blight on this otherwise well-written show.
you took analyze & interpret to another level. great video.
You kind of sound like Sydney
Great show. Great video
Thanks for this sweet deep dive analysis. I truly enjoyed listening to it.
this is a very well thought out, concise analysis of the season...well done
You are a fantastic writer, very observant and engaging! Thank you for the wonderful video essay!
I felt the exact same thing about Claire. Like, she was an ER doc which means that she is used to the chaos and that she is LITERALLY the perfect for him because she was able to mindread his anxiety with the shoe drop scene
Forks was so good. Really don't like Taylor swift, which actually made the big music drop of the episode effect me even more, because I got so into it for the first time and just let go my of cynicism, my like Richie in that moment. It was beautiful
I think I relate the most to Carmy. I have past trauma I recreate. I have this aloofness and anxiety because I see a bigger picture I'm working towards. My "restaurant" is also meant to help people and heal my family as well on a medicinal level. I also deal with grief and mourning and the anxiety that sometimes comes with it. As an artist who had my creations destroyed in front of me and over my body. I also get wanting to take back a creation and remixing them to break through a "writers block." It's part of the healing process. The closing of the eyes when hes trying to think is so subtle but you're he's trying to quiet everything else down. The way carmy can turn into a "bear" if pushed to it but its learned behavior from his mother and the family toxicity. *chefs kiss*
Richie reminded me of my partner who doesn't know what their purpose is and learning acts of service and taking care of others provides purpose and strength.
great analysis
"Subscribed to your channel after being thoroughly impressed by your insightful analysis of 'Succession.' Your examination of 'The Bear' was equally compelling. Keep up the great work!"
Great review👌. I'm a subscriber now.
After growing up in a peaceful household, episode 6 put me into panic mode and took me several days to watch. It's because of that, I'll likely never see it again. But episodes 7-10? I will rewatch over and over because it's the culmination of everything everyone has worked for (aside from the fridge) comes to a head and every victory is deserved, especially since those last 5 minutes of expo were orchestrated by Richie. I know it's fiction but I couldn't be more proud of anyone, in that moment.
Honestly, if Disney/Fox wanted to open a companion restaurant in Chicago, I'd fly out (from Jersey) just to have the food.