The Bear Season 2 Review: Food for the Soul

Written by Joel Pesantez

TV is currently in a strange, transitionary period. Critic and audience favorites like Succession, Barry, Atlanta, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and Better Call Saul have all come to an end within the past year, leaving an undeniable void. With the hunger for a new prestige show growing, The Bear has come in and filled viewers’ appetites. Improving on its first season in almost every way, the second season of The Bear is a revelation, propelling the show to the forefront for the next decade-defining show.

The Bear’s sophomore season picks up right after Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White, Shameless) and the rest of the staff of his recently deceased brother’s restaurant find thousands of cash tucked away in tomato cans. With his brother’s hidden money and an additional loan from his uncle Cicero (Oliver Platt, The West Wing), Carmy plans to completely overhaul the struggling sandwich shop into a high-end eatery. This deal comes with a major catch; he has three months to prepare for a re-opening or he’ll lose the restaurant. The rest of the season chronicles Carmy and the rest of the staff as they struggle balancing deadlines and relationships.

Where The Bear’s last season was a deep-dive into the fast-paced, headache-inducing restaurant industry, this season delivers a welcomed slower pace. That is not to say this season isn’t as intense as the first, our favorite chefs still manage to cook up some clever insults and swears, but the pacing seems much more deliberate. The mayhem of the Berzatto family dinner in “Fishes” stands out much more when it is contrasted against slice-of-life episodes like Sydney’s taste-testing adventure in “Sundae,” worthwhile distractions the first season rarely indulged in. 

Another major shift is that the show shifts from being a character study of Carmy, an expert chef held back by familial baggage, to an exploration of the entire cast, all of whom have at least one moment to shine. The season opens with Marcus (Lionel Boyce, Loiter Squad), a relatively quiet character throughout the show’s first outing, outside from his outspoken obsession with desserts, sitting at his sick mother’s bedside. Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas, In Treatment), previously characterized as stubborn and bitter, is sent to a culinary school to perfect her skills for the upcoming re-opening.

All of these storylines are held together by this season’s mantra, scribbled onto Carmy’s calendar: “Every second counts.” Burdened by his mother’s looming illness, Marcus learns to appreciate the moments of relief and calmness while shadowing an experienced chef in Denmark. Once hardened by her insecurities, Tina learns to be more spontaneous and accept change, deciding to be more open to her new friends at school. Both characters serve as steady threads throughout the season, offering a welcomed sense of stability in comparison to the stress-inducing arcs of our main characters. 

Sydney (Ayo Edebiri, Bottoms) continues to play a nice foil to Carmy, as a young, ambitious chef on the rise, in contrast to his jaded, seemingly stagnant career. Throughout the season, Sydney yearns for the approval and attention of others, particularly her father and Carmy. She ultimately seizes the opportunity and adopts the leadership role when Carmy falters under the pressure, continuing her arc from being inexperienced to full of untapped potential. This reversal of roles, wherein Carmy now seems to need Sydney more than she needs him, in combination with the will-they-won’t-they dynamic the writers seem to be hinting at, leaves their relationships as one of the most intriguing storylines heading into the inevitable third season. 

All of these character explorations add much-needed depth to the members of the kitchen staff, but where this season shines is in exploring the extended Berzatto family. Carmy’s cousin Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Andor), previously characterized as an incompetent jerk, steals the show this time around, not only providing some of the season’s biggest laughs, but some of its most satisfying moments. Taking his cousin’s catchphrase to heart, he makes small efforts to fix his life that culminate in him finally finding the purpose he wanted at the restaurant. Carmy’s sister Natalie (Abby Elliot, Saturday Night Live) is given much more to do this time around, dealing with her pregnancy and struggling to come to terms with being a mother after dealing with an abusive one throughout her life. With the emotional support of the staff, Natalie is finally able to let go of her worries by the finale. 

In contrast, Carmy’s storyline largely continues where it left off, with similar breakneck pacing. He ironically has a misinformed interpretation of his own slogan, as he decides to move through life as quickly as possible. In the lead-up to the restaurant opening, Carmy sparks a relationship with an old friend, Claire (Molly Gordon, Animal Kingdom). Still running from his mental issues and family trauma, the season culminates in Carmy succumbing to the chaos, being preoccupied with so many things that he pushes away Claire and the rest of his family once again. While not as strong as his character arc in the first season, his arc in this set of episodes offers a necessary look into his past that re-contextualizes some of his past decisions. Jeremy Allen White once again plays the role perfectly, bringing a level of underlying anger and sadness to the resolute character that makes him such a compelling protagonist.

The sixth episode of the season, “Fishes,” is a particular standout, chronicling a Christmas dinner that quickly descends into Carmy’s personal hell. The episode is a masterclass in acting and tension-building, amounting to an unforgettable hour of television. It features an impressive list of A-List guest stars, including Gillian Jacobs, John Mulaney, Bob Odenkirk, Sarah Paulson, and Jon Bernthal, all of whom flawlessly play an insane member of the Berzatto clan.

Hot off an Oscar win, Jamie Lee Curtis gives another award-winning performance, playing Carmy’s unstable mother. She brings her character to life, immediately striking a chord with her realistic performance as an alcoholic single mother. Despite her absence in the latter half of the season, her presence continues to be felt. Other guest stars this season include Will Poulter and Olivia Colman, both of whom play chefs who guide Marcus and Riche, respectively. Their brief, subdued performances as reassuring forces in The Bear universe provide a nice contradiction against the high-energy Berzattos and reinforce the importance of found family. 

The season concludes on a bittersweet note: Carmy’s restaurant has succeeded, yet his life is falling apart. Marcus, who has finally begun to live in the present, receives a distressing text from his mother’s nurse. Richie’s fleeting moment of catharsis is shattered by a heated argument with his cousin. Lastly, Sydney manages to impress her father, but only after enduring an emotionally and physically taxing evening. The masterful writing and acting of The Bear season two help cement the season’s, particularly poignant thesis: appreciate the fleeting moments of our lives that allow for introspection and personal growth.

Since the start of the season, the majority of these characters’ lives have unquestionably deteriorated. Through the profound process of reflection, The Bear has empowered its characters to undergo transformative growth, arming them with invaluable skills to confront life’s countless challenges. In doing so, the show and its characters have transcended past the screen, becoming one of the most realistic and heartfelt examinations of the human condition in recent history.

The Bear Season 2 is now streaming on HULU and airing on FX.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5U-w1yL4r0