I Quit "The Bear"
Last Summer, I thought I’d found my go-to drama show for the ages, worthy of prestige placement in the canon of TV writer Steven Bochko's 80s-’90s dramas (Hill Street Blues, NYPD Blue, L.A. Law) or even David E. Kelly (Ally McBeal, The Undoing, Boston Legal) before the snoozefest of his latest show, A Man in Full, that is.
So moved was I by the soul of The Bear and seduced by the emotionally frail, yet culinary-gifted Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) and his fraught relationships with just about everyone that I binged all 8 episodes of the first season. I consumed it like Carmy’s braciole would go bad if I slowed down. And like an extra from the film Wall-E, I came back for seconds, indulging in a bloated second season (10 episodes!) even with that crazy and yet brilliant "Fishes” interlude episode over halfway in that had me taking at least 3 self-guided meditation breaks just to make it through that dysfunctional meal at Carmy’s house.
I was there for it all. I was invested in Carmy’s sous-chefs and all of the people propping Carmy up for success, working alongside him. I grooved along to Sufjan Stevens’ ode to Chicago (Of course this show took place in Chicago. It had heart damn it. And GRIT!) and declared myself a die-hard, forever patron of The Beef, the fictitious restaurant setting for the show, even when it went all bougie in the second season.
But if the astronomical rise and accolades bestowed upon this critical darling, which make no mistake, The Bear very much owns and has earned, have taught us anything, it’s that there is sometimes too much of a good thing. I’m not going back for thirds. And this coming from a girl who once told her grandma not to tell her parents that she ate a “tupper,” because she wanted another. I was like 6, so give me a break.
We interrupt the regularly scheduled program to bring you some 😢 TV CANCELLATIONS 🪦:
HULU
Life & Beth [Trailer] - The Amy Schumer vehicle, loosely based on her life, was canceled after two seasons. Michael Cera (Arrested Development) is in it too. It’s too bad. Read why it’s worth your time and how the show affected me. [Life & Beth - Seasons 1 and 2]
APPLE TV+
The Big Door Prize [Trailer] - The existential crisis show that dealt with the fallout from a prophetic machine’s appearance in a small town was delightful. Read why you should give this one a chance, too. [The Big Door Prize - Seasons 1 and 2]
The good news is that if you’ve never seen any of these shows, you still can. And you should. Two seasons’ worth of programming is nothing to scoff at. That would be a boon in the U.K.
Back to the Grizzly
’s post offers up some insightful leadership-themed thoughts connected to The Bear, S2/Episode 7 (“Forks”). This episode was one of the highlights of the show’s second season and featured Olivia Colman (Wicked Little Letters).
Leave a comment. You know you want to. Besides, from this point on, you’ll need to pay to read the rest of this post. It’s your one chance.
So here are the top reasons I’m done with this show…