The Bear on FX: aka HEARD! aka YES CHEF! aka Ketamine Gene Wilder cooks for u

Margie's is an institution, and like many institutions, pretty unremarkable, except for the storied space/seashell sundae dishes. One of the restaurant cameos from the first half of the new season, Lao Peng You, I was actually just at a week or so ago; it's one of the few places to get great Chinese DUMPLINGS! on the north side. Another, Avec, I haven't been to in eons, but it's a linchpin of Chicago casual fine dining, kind of Mediterranean food served in a communal setting, from Paul Kahan's One Off Hospitality group. Another of his places is Publican, whose smaller outpost appeared in an episode this season; their meat guy, Rob Levitt, used to run a place called Butcher & Larder (among other gigs) before getting recruited to Publican.

Anyway, this show really seems to get Chicago, and so far there have been a ton of details it didn't need to get right that it did get right. For example, in an exterior shot montage of the two chefs going back to culinary school, I commented that they were really close to Kendall College, and ... that's where they end up!

When we were watching last I asked my wife if she thought the actor that plays Carm's sister was pregnant in real life, and that they wrote it into the show. She was, like, nah, but I was right! Apparently, she is also the daughter of Chris Elliott. And used to be on SNL?

Man, the whole cast is just perfect, including cameos and one-offs.

yeah otm

also lovvvvved Lisa this season, that episode where she busted out the karaoke was like WOWEEWOW
also borrowing the knife from Carm etc <3

So I'm only a few episodes into the new season but something that I still wonder about is Carmy's stress dream from from first season. What are the numbers that he held out (and that Kevin McHale tries to sabotage him on)?

Man, maybe I spoke too soon, that Christmas episode was full on Safdie. And clearly every actor wants a piece of The Bear. And as always, excellent music cues!

Kinda pissed that the only piece of music that wasn't identified — artist and title — in the subtitles for the Copenhagen episode was the instrumental jazz piece. I would happily have looked up whoever that was.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wy-v-FgiUD8

iirc

Thanks!

Doing my Monday email admin while listening to 'Scenes From the Southside', the first time I've listened to this record since maybe 1989. Opening the season with 'The Show Goes On' was kinda perfect.

cool little edit

Sydney Adamu the bear edit #thebear #TheBearFX ayo edebiri cook food omelet natalie sugar berzatto carmysyd sydcarmy hulu carmy syd cooking edit pic.twitter.com/WRW7SrKr4s

— villain (@villain_phoenix) June 26, 2023

what a great follow up season!

I thought it was week to week and wanted to save up episodes

I feel like it might benefit from this format though idk

jamie lee curtis barely appearing but just knocking it out of the park

her perf is so good, so fucking gut wrenching… stresses me out to think of where you have to go mentally as an actor to get ~there~

Yeah, just watched the Christmas episode and holy fuck. Didn't really like Odenkirk's or Mulaney's performances, but Curtis was incredible, an absolute ticking bomb from the first time we saw her.

idk i liked Mulaney & Odenkirk as outsiders - i think their performances fit those roles

also odenkirk facing off w mike at the dinner table felt like a+ usage of that vein of anger odenkirk always carries but often suppresses

It's funny, Curtis has always been around but never really been known for her (especially not dramatic) acting. And then she wins an Oscar, and suddenly, poof ... here's your acting!

is that true though? her perf in halloween is pretty iconic

For sure. But I think the movie itself is more iconic than her performance was. Not that there was anything wrong with her performance, it set in motion a long professional acting career, which is an achievement in and of itself, no matter who her parents were. Seeing her in this, though, it makes me wonder if in the end it was just a matter of rarely getting the right roles. For whatever reason.

Man, I just saw the Richie episode, and it made me weepy. You can do it, Richie!

Yo which one of yall is JAW?

https://uproxx.com/tv/fans-think-jeremy-allen-white-gene-wilder-related/

For sure. But I think the movie itself is more iconic than her performance was. Not that there was anything wrong with her performance, it set in motion a long professional acting career, which is an achievement in and of itself, no matter who her parents were. Seeing her in this, though, it makes me wonder if in the end it was just a matter of rarely getting the right roles. For whatever reason.

Man, I just saw the Richie episode, and it made me weepy. You can do it, Richie!

I rewatched that one after the finale bc I loved it so

Richie episode was such a great balm after the intensity of the xmas episode, and so great seeing him find his place in light of all the extra baggage the xmas episode revealed

When the Thief music kicked in in the Richie episode I laughed out loud.

Best cues ever. When the Hunters & Collectors song started I lost my shit.

yeah that was pretty fucking good

i fell out over Pearl Jam’s “Come Back” too

There's more than one Fak?

:D

yep! and he has mad Kohls cash

I love this show and everyone in it so much, I want 4 more seasons.

I'm trying not to binge it because I don't wish it to end, and was so happy when I cued up the Xmas one and saw it was double length.

Music cues have been amazing yes, with the exception of that 'Holiday Road' shite.

Funny how Muleany has gone from looking all fresh-faced to looking kinda sleazy nowadays, I'm not so well up on his film/tv career (if there even is one), but I wonder if he'll get more serious parts as he gets older.

his latest standup special is pretty fuckin raw

Just once, I’d like to see an American show/film with someone in recovery who doesn’t go to an AA/NA meeting and uses an alternative like CBT

The Al-Anon scenes in S1 were more effective than the one in this season, where he says he's a chef opening a restaurant, which are the kind of specific details people avoid revealing in meetings.

The really naturalistic, almost documentary-like scenes really put me in mind of another show and it's really bugging me. I think it could be Treme, but I'm not sure, I like it anyhow.

Love this show but what they did to that deep dish is a crime.

Also absolutely relieved that the Copenhagen stuff wasn't about demeaning Marcus, which other shows would absolutely go for.

copenhagen was so good; the vibes were almost therapeutic

Very smart to bookend episode 6 with the two sweetest episodes of the series

Season finale was amazing. Jamie Lee Curtis's one scene could have been too much but it was perfect. And the evolution of Richie is absolutely the story of the season.

Also re: the 3-star restaurant's "supplements," are they trying to be Harvard or something?

I love how in the finale even Pete gets his moment to be more than just a punchline. What a great show.

Chocolate-covered banana got me right in the feels

the freezer door was a pretty incredible running Chekhov's gun. how Carmy has the repairman guy's number ready to dial but got too distracted and didn't actually dial it, a subtle detail but one I knew was gonna pop up in the finale.

and the way they shot the Carmy/Richie exchange as a cross-section, bisected by the door

so fucking great

btw that WAS MY BIG NIGHTMARE when I worked in restaurants. I went inside a freezer once and had difficulty re-opening it and the terror I felt for three seconds was palpable. then I pushed a little harder and got out

The charred cheese crust is the best part of Pequod's Pizza, you fancy idiot chef.

xpost oh totally! i worked at KFC as teen and was super-paranoid about getting stuck in the walk-in

I went into the walk-in a lot at Arby's to steal food mostly. made myself rogue sandwiches and took them back there to eat secretly

Robert Townsend and Ayo Edibiri's scenes get me in the heart

This show still has its flaws (mostly when it's trying to do, like, sentimental or serious two character scenes) but I'm enjoying s2 more so far. The Xmas episode is truly fucked...most of the guest actors were obviously going to bring it, but I was surprised by how much I liked Mulaney here.

Who'd've thunk before watching season 2 that we'd all be siding with Richie over Carm?!

I love how they literally "fridge" Carm.

Shout out to the beautiful visuals - food, Chicago, Copenhagen, the faces. Loved that forks, fridge handles, and gas lines played such key roles. What a show.