The Bear season 2 review: Finally some good food

In the time since it premiered on Hulu as the surprise hit of last summer, FX’s The Bear has often been regarded as stressful TV — usually in a complementary way. Comedy-drama The Sandwich Shop, which follows the struggle of a Chicago-based sandwich shop in order to remain afloat amid personal and work crises is currently one of most intense series available on streaming services. There are people shouting, alarms beeping, and an accident that could happen at any moment. Calling is important. The BearStressful is a bad word to describe the reason why this show was so captivating, and why people blew through its 10 episode first season. The word “stressful” is not the best one to describe it. . The BearThe show has an energy that is unlike any other TV program on air today. To watch the show, you will feel this pulse beating in your ears.

Now in its second season — premiering all at once on Hulu, like the first — The Bear continues to follow the staff of The Original Beef as they tear down their old sandwich shop and attempt to turn it into something new — a bold, full-service restaurant that will take Chicago by storm. But the problem is that they don’t know how.

The BearThe work is controlled chaos. It’s always chaotic, screaming, and scrambling, trying to reach the 20 minute mark. This mess is transformed into something delicious and coherent. In the first season it was a story about camaraderie and grief, as hot NYC chef Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) returned to Chicago after his brother’s death to keep his sandwich shop afloat but also class it up some. Carmy’s struggle to hold onto his Chef’s Table-esque approach in a grimy hole in the wall proved to be an ideal vehicle for the raw heart of the show — his arrogance kept him from seeing the potential or pain of others, as he ignored the pain of his own grief to stubbornly push forward.

It also meant Carmy was forced to do all sorts of things to keep The Beef afloat, like catering a kid’s birthday party (and accidentally drugging the kids with Xanax).

Chuck Hodes/FX

Everyone is still trying to get better in season 2. But they’re all hopelessly lost. Carmy has joined forces with Sydney, his ex-sous chef (Ayo Edebiri), to convert The Beef in The Bear. The Bear is an ambitious restaurant that is fuelled by Carmy’s vision and Sydney’s. Together, The Beef’s scrappy crew starts from square one, shouting, stumbling, and demolishing their way towards something they can call their own.

Throughout, The BearThis film showcases excellent performances. The same framing is used to observe scenes that are both chaotic and tender. Each line of dialog is spoken against the backdrop of background noises. Move with ease above all else. White’s Carmy leans, itches, and fights his impulses on every frame. In contrast, Edebiri’s Sydney is more measured and unsure of herself, perhaps more physically still but her mind always racing, wondering if she has what it takes and if her partner can be trusted. Together, they’re the center of The Bear’s universe, the Big Bang that every other character spirals out from, like Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), best friend to Carmy’s late brother and a perpetually angry force of nature that The Beef can’t quite live without.

Again: The Bear This is a living, breathing thing, constantly trying to get by, tearing people down, then building them up again, finding ways to complement each other and make the most of their differences. In other words: It’s cooking.