Like many viewers, I fell in love with The Bear upon finishing its first season. Everything about it hit differently from other shows that were on at the time, all culminating in an ending that was as heart-wrenching as it was beautiful. Because of this, I was actually pretty concerned when I learned it’d been renewed for a second season. I didn’t think it needed one-—and, more to the point, I thought its original spirit would be ruined by a second season.
Part of what made the first season so impactful was how it elicited so much feeling and engagement with so little. We managed to care about the cast despite knowing very little about the majority of them, and the tension of the plot was so human and visceral in execution, it kept us engaged from start to finish just by the nature of its dynamics. I wasn’t sure how a second season was going to accomplish this, or something analogous to it whilst retaining the same level of quality. Many shows have attempted to go beyond a first season, and few actually do it well.
That being said, I’m incredibly pleased to say that The Bear is, in fact, one of those few shows. Its second season doesn’t hit in quite the same way as the first did, but it also wasn’t really trying to, choosing instead to build upon other unexplored areas that helped round out its narrative, while still maintaining its initial character.
Family Style
In order to execute a second season well, The Bear was going to have to deviate ever-so-slightly from its original premise. In other words, it was going to have to take a small step back from Carmy and his perspective, and broaden the show’s perspective to its other characters.
This season gave us more of a look into the lives of Sydney, Marcus, and Richie, each of who had their own episodes. As the crew gears up for the rushed opening of their new restaurant (aptly titled “The Bear”), they all have to go on their own respective journeys to fine-tune their new roles within the restaurant and make things run as smoothly as possible.
We’re given a deeper look into these characters, including the side characters that join them on these journeys. It was, in the end, a necessary decision for the plot of this show, because while we did come to love these characters initially, we couldn’t really know them without taking them out of their original context. Now we know that Sydney, while comfortable on her own, works better with a partner; that Marcus’ talents will bring him far, provided he gets to share them with people he loves; and Richie’s search for purpose was right under his nose this whole time. (Richie’s episode was far and away my favorite of the season.)
In turn, this focus away from Carmy actually does end up fleshing out Carmy’s character a little more, as it asks the question: What happens to the man who needs his work to feel alive when he stops prioritizing it so much? While yes, his new relationship with his childhood friend Claire wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, I actually thought it was a realistic exploration of his character and helped to further round out the show’s tone. While it would have been nice to get to know Claire more, it seems as though she got the “season 1 character” treatment, and we’ll probably (hopefully!) learn more about her next season.
Finally, of course, this step away from a narrow focus on Carmy provided us with a better look into the Berzatto household through episode 6, “Fishes.” Without so much emphasis on Carmy, we could now examine this complicated family as a whole. And my god, there’s only so much I can say without undermining or generalizing too much. You just gotta watch this one.
The Biz
The other half of what made this season work was how it explored another side of the restaurant industry: opening a new restaurant. I think a lot of shows and movies tend to romanticize the process of opening a food business, while what made The Bear so gripping was just how raw it was in its realism.
We got all the blood, sweat, and grit in the first season. This season was all about brass tacks and the process—stressful and monotonous all at once. The cooks are sent to culinary school to refine their craft, Richie learns how to be a good host and lean in, Sydney rings in favors to learn from other restaurants, and sweet Sugar tries to juggle all the bureaucracy while pregnant. This kind of plot doesn’t quite elicit that feeling of a flame lit under your ass like the first season did, but what it invokes instead is a process that’s just as compelling.
After all, every show needs a hook, and with food being The Bear‘s, it would only make sense for the show-runners to continue to lean into that and not serve us scraps. My only real complaint, in this regard (and regarding the whole season), is that I was so excited by the time the restaurant was about to get up and running—and then the season ends! That cliffhanger ending completely blindsided me and left me wanting more immediately!
Ultimately though, I suppose that’s just yet another sign of this season’s quality. Time will tell if they’ll be able to keep it up, but if they managed to do so already when they had every opportunity to ruin the magic of the first season, I’m sure the third will be just as compelling. It just can’t come soon enough.
(Featured Image: FX on Hulu)
