"The Bear" The Bear (TV Episode 2023) Poster

(TV Series)

(2023)

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10/10
Some Things Stay The Same.
rxckne22 June 2023
Warning: Spoilers
The finale for season 2 of The Bear shows the tragic truth of the show that we, as well as the characters have to accept. And that truth is there is no room for joy in the heat of the kitchen, at least for Carmen with the position his restaurant is in whilst trying to balance out a relationship. He had to make the choice of reaching out for happiness or continuing to drown in the industry he's in day in and day out, since we learned he couldn't make a proper balance for both.

This finale showed glimpses from 1x7 where Carmen's temper that's been engraved with the Bear family came out once again. Sydney tried to do the sign language to calm him down, but once he was stuck in the freezer with all of his emotions and thoughts, he broke.

Even with the progression he was able to make since the season 1 finale, it still wasn't enough as he unintentionally broke off his relationship as well as engaging in an ugly shouting match with Richie. While I think Richie should've held off on calling him Donna, I think he has a point. Carmen has been through the ringer but that doesn't give him the right to project that anger onto others. It'll just lead him down the path of his mother as well as the main chef who said those awful things to him when he was working at the higher ranked restaurants. He'll become something that he despises and he needs to learn to control that anger, something his other close family members minus Natalie couldn't do.

The family night might've went well as Sydney was able to make the right decision passing the rock to Richie and Richie absolutely running with it to the finish line. But damage was done that'll heavily weigh over the heads of The Bear Restaurant in season 2.

I appreciate this season for mainly focusing on fleshing out every character to give them more depth in the grand scheme of the show as this drastic change has taken over the show since the days of Beef. While a somewhat slow builder, watching Marcus trying to perfect deserts with Lucas and even just chatting with him was enjoyable to me, as well as Sydney simply going around and trying new foods. The cinematography and the music helped hold weight for those scenes to make them more lively in my eyes. Little moments like Carmy handing off his knife to T, the wholesome moment when Syd proposed T to make her sou chef, as well as seeing Ebra battle his inner conflict of change. I loved that the show focused on the idea of change being heavy and still weighing over the minds of some people and I think having Ebraheim be that character was a great choice.

My favorite episode has to be Fishes, but I will say the final 2 episodes hold a special place in my heart as well, specifically episode 9. While things did get heated in this finale, I'm going to hold on to the words that were said prior. I think Carmen and Sydney's scene under the table was the most important of the season as Carmen passed on the reigns, and hopefully in the future Sydney can perfect that role and get that star that she seeks out for.

This episode being self titled to the show was perfect in my eyes because this episode encapsulates what the show is. A brutal truth of hatred and tension that can get fleshed out at any moment due to the heat of the kitchen, but deep down these people are sensitive and human and with the talent they've gained they can find a way to overcome it and keep carving their way forward.

This season gave us the proper development of every character to become accustomed to this new change of scenery. The MVP in my eyes being Richie as he took a complete 180 and has now found that purpose that he was seeking out for in episode 1. I think him and Carmen will be able to hash things out, but as chaotic as that scene was I don't want that to overshadow the progress that was made from everyone else this season. Here's to hoping this crew can keep up the pace going into the future, as The Bear has only just begun.
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10/10
Stark Duality of Success and Fulfillment
devinpbuffington23 June 2023
Warning: Spoilers
The Bear season 2 is a triumph in storytelling, character development, and general technical television making. What a phenomenal season.

It all culminates in this episodes. The Bear is here and open for business. On a customer side it all went well. On the side of their number one investor it all went well. On the side of Syd's approval of her father it all went well, and for Richie/Neil's respective roles it went perfect.

What didn't go well was the fulfillment element for Carmy. Not only did he lose the love he found this season through Claire due to an unexpected shift in audience while he was locked in a walk in freezer on the night of his opening. He also plummeted his relationship with Richie which was at the start of the night an all time high. Carmy has a lot in common with Jeremy's character Lip from Shameless in that he is incredibly smart and unnaturally talented, but he can't figure out how to get out of his own way.

Carmy needed Mikey to hire him when he came back to Chicago. It didn't happen. So he left and went to the top. Then he lost his brother tragically and took his spot. He watched as his brother's pride and joy of a restaurant became too little for him, and he's spent this whole season building the new dream. The only problem is that he has let everyone get in his way. While his team was learning the ins-and-outs of the business which he was already well versed in Carmy was splitting at the seams.

Great TV isn't feel good TV. Feel good TV can feel disgustingly insincere. Great TV makes you feel things that you don't want to feel, because that shock/sadness/anger/etc is what sticks with you. All the great shows do it and The Bear is quickly rising the ranks. I was slightly worried season one might have just been a one and done success, but after season 2 I am more than comfortable to cement this as the best FX show I've seen in a very very long time.

Shout out to the cast and crew.

Shout out to the directors, editors, writers, cinematographers, set designers, casting agents, guest stars, and anyone else who made this season happen.

This is an Emmy winner.
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10/10
Richie!!!
michelleshaw-5691823 July 2023
Warning: Spoilers
This episode and most of the episodes this season have been brilliant.

I have quite enjoyed the various episodes that showcased the individual characters and followed up with their growth. The best of all was Forks, Richie's solo story. His arc and character growth from that episode to the final was amazing to watch. He went from my least favourite to most favourite.

This final episode, The Bear, Richie truly shines. You see how well he works the room and then how he saves dinner service. The beautiful moment when he sends out the chocolate covered banana to uncle Jimmy was a very touching.

Carm stuck in the walk in fridge was both sad and funny.
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The Real Season Finale!
mgalercail23 June 2023
Warning: Spoilers
As I watched each episode; I realized why things were a bit limited in season one. And then I guessed that was only the prologue. We were only getting samples of everyone's personality and history.

We saw only a fraction of Carm's emotional damage from his brothers death and his career crash.

Syd's impatience and lack of self respect and confidence.

Tina's fear of being replaced and not respected.

Richie hurting from Michael and his own demons.

Marcus's hyper focused on making perfect desserts.

Ebraheim's old school ways and having trouble with change.

This is what I took from each of them. But they all had one thing in common, they all were alone and needed direction, and most of all, healing and self worth.

After season one prologue, the journey of everyone began!

Everyone got to shine and it was glorious.

Marcus's trip to Denmark where he is paired with Will Poulter for a time, a very chill meditation where he learns to be confident and express himself through his own style.

Tina getting her groove back in Culinary school was great to see, and I hope we see more of her next season.

The family dinner episode was a movie in itself. An all star cast where everyone killed it perfectly. Jamie Lee Curtis is terrifying. Simply terrifying. I think even Michael Meyers would run from her this time!

A true portrait of an abusive narcissistic parent.

John Berthnal gives us a genuinely intense and also heartfelt performance. A damaged man refusing to feel his emotions and self medicates all the time.

We knew he wasn't the perfect brother, Addiction kills everyone and then loved ones. A depressing realization. So many are affected by this.

After that crushing hour we are treated to Richies redemption episode!

A wonderful half hour of learning better himself, learn discipline and work in a top place. Really well done.

Loved the Olivia Coleman cameo, such a sweet scene.

Eban shows his acting chops big time; Amazing development.

After that the rest of the series focuses on the crunch to get approvals and open the restaurant for family night.

Ayo as Syd finally comes to terms with her goals as a chef and learns communication and respect with Carm. Although the finale leaves it open to how she will deal with the pressure of commanding dinner service/tickets.

Thankfully no romance happens; I take from Carms realization that he has not been present with her and reels her back in.

Jeremy Allen gives us his most vulnerable acting since the days of young James Dean/Marlon Brando. He displays such a wide range of someone who has been through trauma.

The most realistic depiction of anxiety and OCD intrusive thoughts I've ever seen.

He does monologues so well! You feel every inch of him and his struggles. Self doubt is a mind killer.

He needs to forgive himself and be proud he made this happen.

It's great to see everyone coming together and dealing with Their issues regardless and rising above to get through the night.

I've been there on the line. It does get that chaotic.

Not much else to say. Very impressed with how much they opened up the world of The Bear and the writing was brilliant.

Lovely side characters. Everyone felt important. The romance plot wasn't too much either.

Overall an amazingly elevated second series And I think one more round is needed.

Lets hope for great success and endings next year.

Ps, Hope Carm confronts Joel McHale's character for real. What a monster! Only two scenes, but my lord it's scary.

Seriously glad I stuck with this series.
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10/10
A rollercoaster of a finale!
and_mikkelsen14 January 2024
This episode somehow managed to meet a lot of the expectasions i had for this episode, reagarding characters and pay-off, while still giving us a few surprises and that a lot can still happen in season 3!

This episode was intense, stressfull and emotional! It was a combination of vibes i got from the previous episodes! Some things were very satisfying to watch, like Richie taking over, while other scenes were more painfull and emotional!

The scene with Jamie Lee Curtis was just.. exceptionel!! The character of Donna was perfectly captured and solidefied in this scene! It could not have been better! Best supporting performance!

Now I just cant wait for season 3! The scenes with Carmen shows that there is still a long way to achieve happiness in your life!
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10/10
Another Perfect Episode
chocolatepopcorn27 June 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I didn't think things could get better after Episode 6 this season, I didn't think it could be more emotional, but this one is unabashedly the MOST emotional. I felt more and more anxious as the time pressed on and nearly cried midway through with Carmy's Mom & apprarance and her tearful roller coaster. This show is so real and raw and authentic that it just feels too good to be true. I'm not sure if you could call the ending of the episode a cliffhanger but I guess we're left to wonder if Carmy will be a part of The Bear anymore, if he'll see it as just a nervous breakdown or if he'll have to make a choice between the restaurant and Claire. Also, I found myself relating to the thoughts Carmy was saying out loud... As someone who struggles with mental health, it was so spot on. Season 3 is inevitable though at this point, I just wish we wouldn't have to wait, because I've never watched a season of a show faster in my life. This show is wonderful.
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8/10
Verging on soap
blakekhodges29 July 2023
Don't get me wrong, I f#%^*ng love this show, and while this season 2 finale was very good, I have to knock a couple points off because... it's just getting a little too dramatic. Too many crazy coincidences, too many melodramatic breakdowns, every character is pushed to their extreme. Pump the brakes chef! Do less. You have an amazing story with amazing actors. Chill. It's plenty dramatic as is.

Write out all the Big Dramatic Moments on paper , which I won't do because spoilers, and it would sound like a standard issue episode of General Hospital.

The Bear is at its best when the moments are small yet oozing with intensity. More of that, chef.
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9/10
The true cost of success
Mesina0211 October 2023
A brilliant and impactful finale that really culminates everything that has been shown throughout this season.

Season 2 brought a lot more emotion by tackling the heart of the crew. It focused on their ups and their downs and how they dealt with it in their own way. This was really a season of self reflection. Characters taking a step back and focusing on themselves trying to do what's best but ultimately dealing with their own messy lives outside the restaurant.

Some characters seem to get over their own hurdles while others are in neglect of accepting a truth they can't bare to acknowledge. That was basically what this season was trying to do, and it really did an amazing job at making these characters feel like human beings.
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10/10
Intense, brilliant, magnificent finale
gavinsutcliffe-5112422 November 2023
Blown away by this conclusion to a superb second series of a wonderful programme. The transformation of characters, evolving from that incandescent "seven fishes" episode was just sublime. The two series of "The Bear" have been absolutely captivating, especially as I recall younger days working in a military officers kitchen to exacting and brutal standards. Nobody except those who have done this line of work necessarily appreciate the ungodly hell of delivering exacting, perfect food time after time after time to customers (or senior military officers!) without compromise or failure.

We all work for a reason and "The Bear" illuminates brilliantly the huge physical and emotional price it takes to deliver excellence.
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10/10
THE BEAR
dannylee-7808231 October 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Season 2 was a longer episode for this show and it was well deserved. The season revolves mostly around preparation to open the new restaurant and ends in a successful opening night.

Throughout the season, we see more of the character's lives outside of the kitchen. It has its high-stress moments when project management around the restaurant does not go well, but most of it felt calmer with less profanities (don't quote me on that). Some people criticized on how Claire was not well written but I think their relationships will be further developed in season 3. It's hard to judge continuous TV shows in single seasons. They were just getting to know each other and Claire served as a distraction to Carmy and her character fulfilled her purpose. It also allowed for a devastating ending where Carmy gets stuck in the fridge, unable to see the grand opening of his own restaurant and falls into a deep self-sabotage session, which mostly likely pushed Carmy and Claire's relationship to an end. Without Claire, there would have been no such conflict for Carmy. It showed both literally and figuratively that Carmy could not accept good things in his life because he was still feeling a level of unworthiness and guilt.

His psyche is further explained by the Christmas episode (Episode 6), which was... in short words just plain insane. There were many cameos in that episode and everybody pulled their weight, especially Jamie Lee Curtis. Portraying Carmy's dysfunctional family brings depth to the character in a way that I've never seen before. It created a sense of discomfort but at the same time it was deeply moving and we fully understood why Carmy is the way he is in regards to his family and what Mikey's death meant to him. Another notable episode is with Richie's redemption in episode 7. This was many's favorite and it's always good to see the semi-antagonist to turn their game around and it felt so cathartic for Richie now that his background with Tiff was also explored. His deep self-hatred was hard to watch but that made watching him grow such a great TV experience.

All in all, this show is phenomenal. It has pulled off so much in a tightly packed episodes and I am certain that these characters will live with me for a while. I know that Season 3 is on the horizon and I can't wait to see how they finish off another great modern TV masterpiece.
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9/10
what a great series
nerrdrage24 September 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I have no interest in the restaurant business and I'm the kind of person who can be just as happy eating at Chipotle as a five-star restaurant, but this show does such a good job with the drama of the business that I'm totally engrossed.

It reminds me of the best seasons of 24, where everything is a mad rush to achieve some supremely important goal. Except Jack Bauer is trying to keep LA from being nuked. It's harder to convince us that the success of Carmen Bearzatto's restaurant has the same urgency, but they pull it off.

So what were those calls from Donna's nurse? No doubt she attempted suicide. If she'd succeeded, we'd probably have gotten confirmation in this episode rather than a cliffhanger. Here's hoping...

PS, Carmen couldn't have gotten trapped in the fridge, there would be a release button on the inside.
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10/10
Realistic Romance: Not an Oxymoron
dtporter-886-88302023 January 2024
Warning: Spoilers
I so much wanted a romantic happy ending for Carmen, Claire, and the restaurant. And yes, the existential angst of integrating career with relational fulfillment is real, and thus should not be extinguished just to build sappy audience approval. Initially, I too was frustrated with the disbelief I had to suspend regarding the cooler "prison" for Carmen. But...

Then it hit me. The ending was perfect, romantically and realistically. When Carmen takes some time to miss Claire, and analyzes the effect of his absence while in the cooler, he will see his absence, if anything, improved the restaurant. His people carried on. Claire's influence will fulfill him in ways he is yet to understand fully. Oh, that we all have a Claire in our lives.

Claire is brilliant intellectually, and hopefully her relational intelligence will accept Carmen's potential realization that he can have it all. His 110% allegiance to the restaurant can be 100%, and his fulfillment as a human being can also be 100%. I see a great love story, a realistic love story in the future. The oxymoron of realistic romance is the grist of the human condition. Bring on season 3!
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6/10
Loved the whole show till final 8 mins of this episode
glenhammond6 August 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I know my score will be unpopular. The show has been brilliant.

I used to work at a game developer where a story editor gave a brown bag lunch on characters & story development. She said that great stories change the characters as you go through. It resonated at the time & still holds true to many shows I like watching.

Virtually every other main character in The Bear has seen an element of personal growth. Ritchie in particular going from train wreck to calm(er!) & helpful has been very satisfying. Also the way that all the team pulled together to sort the restaurant getting open: confronting a combination of their inadequacies & challenging themselves to be better. Even though these people aren't real I was pulling so hard for them to do it!

At the start of season 1 Carm was by far the most complex & interesting character. Fast forward to the end of the fridge scene & Claire's departure, I realised Carm is now the shows most 1 dimensional character. It isn't fun or interesting to follow him at this point. He was so so much more interesting when Claire was inducing lots of introspection on Carm's fears & ambitions. Carm's personal growth was giving space for other people's professional growth. More responsibility for the wider team of The Bear.

I felt like the fridge sequence rowed back on all the investment in Carm. And for that reason I didn't enjoy it.

I went from thinking the show is 10/10 tremendous to thinking - oh man if there's a season 3 is it really worth the investment. Not sure.
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5/10
Here's a thought or two...Pluses and Minuses
Pimilli12 August 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Firstly, this is the best show I've seen in several years, however.

Season 2. I felt the Fishes episode was the most incredible example of home for the holidays and family dysfunction and mental illness I've ever seen. In fact I have held off on writing a review for that one as it's so incredible and I still need to digest it.

This episode: I loved the Jamie Lee Curtis scene outside the restaurant. It broke my heart. It really did. I loved the doubt. The stress.

Compared to every moment of this show before then, I didn't love this episode. I thought it was good but not great like the others.

Anything with Claire and him was a mistake in this episode. It was off and unlikely.

I HATED that Claire was by the door as he's talking about her. The thing I praised this show about was that it stayed away from clichés in dialouge, scenarios, all of it. HERE...the minute that he's complaining about his relationship, is the minute that Claire just happens to turn back and be standing by the door. I felt nothing but anger at the writers for such a cheap and DUMB rom-com cliché. "Oh you weren't meant to hear that." They even did that in Shrek...come on people. I loved how he and Claire got together. I thought that felt honest and real and the emotions and dialouge were wonderful. Don't do something so utterly cheap. Having Claire call THE MOMENT that he's about to call the Fridge Guy? Could you drive home the decision he has to make anymore? Just hit us with a sledgehammer obvious.
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10/10
Self-Destruction.
ingyelmahdy28 March 2024
Warning: Spoilers
Self-Destruction.

Look. Usually, I am not the type to write reviews. For 2 reasons: 1. There is always someone who says exactly what I think; there is no need for me to repeat it. 2. Not enough people read reviews, lol. But I do, and no one said what I thought. Especially in regards to the lower-star reviews of this episode.

So, I said, why not? Let it rip! (sorry lmao)

Anyway, as the review title very much indicates, it's about self-destruction. And if you think about self-destruction in this show, there is only one answer. Carmen Berzatto.

Not only is it very apparent that his mental health problems are due to growing up in a mentally unstable house, but it's also the fact that he couldn't do anything about it. At some point in the episode 'Fishes', Carmy goes completely still. He's not there, but he is.

Now if that was not enough to make people understand that, he is on the brink of utter insanity, and all the yelling from season one until that point (episode 6) wasn't enough. Episode 7 should have been an indicator. Because, you see, Richie isn't as bad as he seemed to be in season 1. Actually, not as bad in the Christmas flashback episode. He is capable of being a good person. Until he is in the vicinity of a self-destructive figure, that is, Carmen Berzatto. From Episode 7 up until the last 10 minutes of this episode, he was a completely new (not really, we saw he was trying in the flashback) person. And then, Carmy just gets him going like it was season 1. He is not well, so he makes people unwell.

There was also amazing. Just spectacular symbolism in the cinematography of those last 10 minutes. When Carmen and Richie come face to face. But one is in the light, on the outside, free. The other is in the dark, cold inside, shackled. And quite frankly, the latter was not Richie. Incredible moment from the director and cinematographer. I also have to point out how amazing Jeremy and Ebon's acting was in that moment. The writing is incredible, the cinematography and symbolism elevated it, and the acting just took it to an entirely different dimension. Wow.

Now, if that was not enough. He says it himself. He stood there in that fridge and said, "I did this to myself."

If people thought that because everything was done before opening night and everyone was happy that this was going to work, then they have not seen whiplash lol. The whole "girlfriend-distraction" thing was coming, and anyone could see it coming a mile away. It was just about how it's going to happen.

What people are mad about is that it was "soap opera". That's where I think you're wrong. It was not. That brings me to the whole point of this review. Carmen is self-destructive. He was never going to break up with Claire like normal human beings do. He was going to ruin it. Completely. Run it to the ground. That's exactly what he did. It was not "soap opera" it was not "out of character". It was not anything other than accurate. He is a ticking bomb, and he locked himself up in the fridge because he is, and he ruined his relationship with Claire because he is.

I can't wait and I am very scared to see where the creators of the show will go with Carmy's character from this point onward. Because again, as we saw, the history of mental illness in the family runs deep, and it could just make Carmen fully explode.
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8/10
A captivating second season that keeps unveiling the story of Carmy and his family, while deepening some serious topics.
fciocca7 August 2023
Warning: Spoilers
The second season of "The Bear" keeps the quality standards really high and it feels like a genuine and natural continuation, as it begins exactly where we left off. We see a big positive change in the main characters that made me root for Carmy, Richie and Sydney, who will finally work on their weaknesses creating a strong and reliable team. Difficulties are always around the corner, but it is nice to see that the general direction of the series takes a more constructive approach on the relationships. The show deepens the story of the family of Carmy and the 6th episode, titled "Fishes" gives a pretty good introspective of how dysfunctional and problematic the Berzattos are. The editing is so on point and shows the struggles of Michael dealing with depression. I absolutely loved the interpretation of Jamie Lee Curtis playing Donna. She is clearly a very unstable person and she feels that her family is abandoning her. She has a really toxic and abusive behavior that seriously damages the relationship with the son and the daughter. The last episode is bittersweet: in the first half the audience can clearly see that all the progress made by the characters over the course of the season really paid off, as the employers of the newly opened restaurant are finally working together. However, in the last 20 minutes all the doubts and the stress that accumulated are bursting and it is clear that there are still a lot of unresolved matters. But now that there is finally a good foundation, I hope that in the next season, we will finally get to see a definitive reconciliation of the entire family.

I think that the creators gave a wide angle on all the main characters. For example, the concerns of Sydney's father, as she is working in an industry that is extremely unstable, especially after the pandemic, where so many restaurants closed. I liked to see Tina, finally discovering again her deep love for the cuisine. Marcus traveled and experimented with new food frontiers. Episodes are eventful and with excellent performances. I really hope that they will be consistent with the story and that screenwriters will keep giving us a good and credible show.
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8/10
Chaotic but yet frustrating to watch
lakings9729 August 2023
The Bear: Season 2 on Hulu took a step back from the first season. This season the restaurant is in a mist of a rebuilt into a Michelin style restaurant but in order to get there each chef has to relearn their own craft to have a well managed kitchen. Cousin Richard played by Ebon Moss-Bachrach takes on a role to learn to be great at one thing instead of taking on so many responsibilities to the point he stresses himself and everyone around him. Tina who is played by Liza Colon-Zayas is asked to be the sous chef and to get there she goes back school to push herself to be better. Meanwhile Marcus who is played by Lionel Boyce is flown to Holland to master desserts with Carmen's former classmate Chef Luca who is played by Will Poulter. His episode was one of my favorites but my most favorite episode was Fishes which was a flashback event when the family gets together for a Christmas holiday dinner. An all star cast episode that feathered Jamie Lee Curtis played the unstable mother, Gillian Jacob as Cousin Richard's wife, Sarah Paulson and John Mulaney was a married couple, Oliver Platt reprises his role as the rich uncle who backs Carmen for his new restaurant and finally Uncle Lee who is played by Bob Odenkirk. Bob played a pivotal role to agitate Cousin Michael played by Jon Bernthal, which goes to show why he ended up killing himself. Abby Elliott is asked to take on the project manager position to help the restaurant to come to its completion. Finally Jeremy Allen White coming back after winning the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a streaming comedy series. I don't know how this is constituted as a comedy, it was more of a drama series especially with the love hate relationships with food and family. Loved season two although it was frustrating to watch especially with all the chaos in the kitchen. I would definitely recommend the series.
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10/10
Tell me it's okay
Trey_Trebuchet18 February 2024
Warning: Spoilers
I really love that I never once predicted how this season would end. I was pondering through every episode, and even much of this episode. The tensions were high, the episodes were pretty different from one another, and the creative decisions made were often very surprising and caught me off guard. That's good television right there.

This really is a great season finale though. The one-takes were all exceptionally done and brought this very in-real-time feel to the anxiety of the kitchen life, new restaurant or not. I thought it was really clever that the song playing inside the kitchen scenes was a different song than from the dining area moments. And that Pearl Jam needledrop (the fourth one on this series lol) was so great!

The tension and frantic energy of working in a busy kitchen is back in full-swing here. The energy does feel a bit better though, because everything mostly goes to plan and we actually see people reacting to the food and quality of the team's hospitality, which we didn't really get in the first season. And (almost) everyone is in a better place and mood since season 1, so everything's just going much more smoothly, issues and all.

The moment that surprised me the most was between the two character so least expected to see any sort of emotional wrenching moment; Carmy's mom and PETE, of all people. Their scene outside crushed me. I honestly wouldn't mind more of Pete next season. In fact, I'd say it's inevitable. Poor guy is just trying to find his place in this family, even after being in it for years.

The whole fridge situation is weird and I can see why some are a little annoyed I guess? I think it's the fact that he's in a fridge for that whole convo that was weird, but this interaction with Claire was inevitable. I could tell from Ep. 2 where the writers were going with that plot. I thought it was a great scene personally. Carmy had to deal with his anxiety and arrogance alone, and things actually went mostly okay without him. And then he lost the love of his life...

Buuuuut I don't at all think the scene is cheesy OR cringe-y OR a betrayal of the characters involved. I doubt Richie is gonna go back to his old ways. I doubt Carmy is gonna be less interesting. I doubt his is the last we'll see of Claire. I doubt this is the last we'll see of that fridge too haha!

A beautiful finale to a surprisingly beautiful season. I cannot wait for more.
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10/10
Arguably The Best Season Finale Ever
mattgilles-4994131 March 2024
Warning: Spoilers
Man can these writer write fantastic episodes. And even more can these actors act fantasticly. This finale is excellent from beginning to end, and always keeps you on the end of your seat.

We get to see build up of building the restaurant this entire season get paid off in beautiful fashion. However, of course things can't be perfect for long. Starting with an employee abandoning his station to go smoke crack.

After that, all hell brakes loose when Carmy gets stuck in the walk-in, making Natalie and Sydney hop on the line with Richie running expo. It's amazing to see the entire restaurant come together during these 5 minutes of hell to make sure that everything is run smoothly. This chaotic sequence has you on the edge of you seat through the whole thing as it never stops. The music really helps sell this incredible scene.

After this scene, we truly transition back to Carmy and watch him break down while in he freezer, living back his entire life up until this point. Camry breaks down to apologize to the team for being in a "stupid relationship", not knowing Claire is listening to the whole thing.

You get to see the emotion in both Carmy and Claire as their relationship breaks apart. Amazing acting on both parts sells this amazing scene.

Finally, my favorite scene of the whole show is Richie yelling to Carmie through the door, as we can see both sides at the same time. We watch both of the characters, full of emotion, as they enter a passion filled screaming match, which is all to familiar for this show.

The Bear wraps up season 2 so will with this incredible episode that really showcases the emotions and troubled lives of the people in this show.
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8/10
The day the story went away
martymoves15 April 2024
Finale and Season 2 review

I'd listen to the words they'd say. But in their voice, I heard dismay.

The plastic characters forced to portray. The day the storyline...went...away.

Episode 9 opened up with a crazy tense scene with the haunting overture of the legendary sounds from Nine Inch Nails' "The Fragile" album, 'The Day The World Went Away', and that was the end of that story, seeing as the finale, this episode, rendered it all pointless.

What annoyed me was how he never actually called the 'fridge guy', Tony. Complained about cell reception, yet gets perfect reception INSIDE the fridge. Any takers on that one??

They do come with emergency handles inside the walk in. Has saved me a few times in the past from irresponsible people. This is a massive oversight, but I get it.

He was too busy to take care of a mandated safety feature because he was in a relationship, and instead of calling when he was going to, he decided to stare at his phone and NOT answer the call from his girlfriend (ignorant writing) and NOT call Tony the 'fridge guy' like he was about to; when he allegedly had no cell reception (poor, pointless, contradictory writing).

I looked beyond that, but to think that not a single one of them would be responsible enough to do this.....is out of the question. Because they never would have passed inspection. However they could have had a handshake agreement with the inspector. Still its pretty unethical for someone with supposedly such high standards.

The ending was quite lame. Turned it into some teenage drama nonsense. This show goes up and down, from intensity to millenial melodrama, and its very uncomfortable to watch now.

I have to say season 2 was a big let down. The individual tales and stories of growth were cool. However, the first half of the season was utter garbage.

What is terrible is how Ms. Ayo looks and sounds like a 14 year old in the first half of the season, then miraculously looks like she aged 10 years in the final episodes.

SOMEBODY needs to be accountable for this nonsense. Either write her out of the script and find new casting representation.

OR fire your hair, makeup and costume department. Because its just awful. Unforgivably awful.

A lot of the arguing is pointless. If people are that unable to get along, then they are toxic and need to walk away. I used to be that way, now I cut people out of my life.

So while I can absolutely relate to many of the characters, and there certainly is a level of realism, a lot of it seems forced to drive the story.

However the delivery from Jeremy & Ebon seems genuine. The boys do a great job of honing their characters and very deserving of their recognition.

The supporting cast/guest stars are incredible. I was truly hoping to see more of Gillian Jacobs. They could have done so much more with that storyline. (Maybe in season 3)

I feel that the strength of this show is that it is a 30min(?) series. If they were 1 hour episodes they could do so much more. But in all likelihood they would lose the "comedy" tag.

I see this necessarily as a dark comedy, that's the only way it would earn the tag. It falls incredibly short of being regular comedy, in that there just isn't enough to attribute that genre. The show just isn't that funny.

I don't feel like the awards they win are justified because this show is most definitely a drama-first series. (A great example of an 'award winning' dark comedy is "Barry". Incredibly done)

But awards and awards shows are a joke anyway. There to push narrative and agenda. Like this season has done. Exactly like this season has done.

I'm guessing most people missed all the subliminal BS included in the first half of the season. (Some of it was very, very obvious and pathetic) Those that didn't know exactly what i mean. Those that did are immediately reaching for the thumbs down button. Its typical really.

First half of the season gets a 5.5/10 From mid season onwards an easy 8.5/10

I'd give the second half a 9 but the ending of this episode was so phony. Not to mention you have the potential for a seriously dramatic scene wtih Carm, but you cut to the parking lot for the continuation of "a story we've already heard!!"

Somebody throw a fork at the director already. Where's Uncle Lee to cut THIS story off!

Far too many flaws. I knew from the fact that I had to review an episode earlier in the season; to voice my displeasure that this series would snowball into a 'Downward Spiral'.

Maybe they should have used music from that album, since Reznor and Ross are heavily featured in the final 2 episodes. I recommend "Piggy", that would have played as a triple entendre; with a callback and a dramatic albeit unfair depiction of our lead character, whilst using a montage of pork meat/butcher scene.

But that would be me doing their job for them.

The problem is the show lacks creativity. While most scenes are shot beautifully and the long continuous opening scenes are truly amazing and a massive testament to the ability of the cast (Episode 6 was incredible, and with *that* much talent, it still surpassed my expectations which is wild) it is the music that drives a lot of scenes.

While it feels great in the moment, it almost immediately feels out of place thereafter. The irony is that they have these long, beautiful shots. An then they have these impulsive quick-shots and montage scenes that make you emotionally weary.

An then you're immensely frustrated with the unnecessarily long shots just focsuing in on one character. When "every second counts", they clearly do not adopt that with these scenes. They are nothing if not annoying.

All in all Season 2 gets a C grade from me. Everything that made season 1 great was quickly lost on season 2.

This episode Entertainment Value 8.5/10 Overall Rating 8/10

Season 2 Entertainment value 8/10 Overall Rating 7/10

Episode 6 drove up the entertainment score. They could have made that into a standalone movie; while trying to figure out where they go from here, fixing all the issues before season 3, and maybe a teaser/prelude for the upcoming season.

Regardless, they will definitely take home some awards for that one. Best episode of the series, they will never eclipse the work done there. I might watch it again, just because.

(One last thing, the appearance of Joel Mchale in the final episode was literally pointless. It ignorantly drives unanswered questions which I refuse to ask in the moment. But here's one just for the fun of it: what the hell was he doing there in the first place? There was ZERO logic behind that. And "the-story-will-be-revealed-later" style of writing is lazy and pedantic. I think this was yet another massive blunder from casting. Must have been filling out a contractual agreement or something)
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7/10
A strong start turns into a ridiculous soap opera
rhyss-530115 December 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Opening the first half of the episode in a single take - like the iconic season one episode - was a great move and captured the chaos and coordination on opening night. But then the storyline with Carmen getting stuck in the refrigerator - not to mention the employee on meth - was utter ridiculousness. Then we have a whole second half of Carmen falling into a depression resulting in Claire hearing him say (through a refrigerator door) that he would be better off not in a relationship. Just ridiculous. I also can't handle how weak and timid Sydney is, yet she is allowed to be rude to the other workers but won't take it if someone is rude to her. Overall a very sad end to an amazing season.
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4/10
Weird ending to an otherwise amazing show
fireandblood-4640016 July 2023
Warning: Spoilers
First off I want to say watching the bear has been amln absolute treat for me. After a slow couple first episodes it has taken off and has been one of the best shows I have seen in atleast a few years. But, the walk I fridge part was so bad that it took me right out of the episode.

Any person who has ever worked in a kitchen knows you cannot get locked in a walk in fridge, they all have safety features. Also the fact that a kitchen was able to pump out that much food without the need to grab one item from the walk in fridge is laughable, coming from a kitchen that just ran put of forks. That paired with a need to add a weird methhead side story angle made the end of this messy, oh and of course he mentions the one part out loud about his relationship while his girlfriend is quietly standing outside the walkin listening lol.

Anyways, very solid show, and a good episode, but man did they not stick the landing at all. Oh well, on to season 3!
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7/10
Claire's character was a stain on an otherwise great season
emilyayland8 August 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Despite a few plot holes and some questionable writing at times, this season was thoroughly enjoyable. I gather that 'Fishes' was something of a marmite episode but I for one enjoyed watching the unbridled chaos that made me love this show so much in season one. The way Claire's character is written and acted, however, has let the season down somewhat. I found myself physically cringing at most of her scenes, and by proxy I found myself wholly uninterested in the most complex and interesting character from season one: Carmy.

I hate to make a Gen Z reference but Claire was too reminiscent of the 'insufferable female lead who's convinced you're absolutely obsessed with her' skit from TikTok. The way she would say everything as if it was the most romantic and important thing in the world, constantly giving drawn-out doe eyes to Carmy and saying everything with an unbelievable amount of dramatic pauses (I nearly turned the tv off listening to her voicemail at the end of this episode) just came off as cheesy and cliche and didn't fit with the show or with Carmy's character at all. I felt like I was watching Emily in Paris whenever she spoke. If the writers were to insist on giving Carmen a love interest this early on, I think they could have done a better job at conceptualising who that person should be. An old flame from childhood is fine, but give the girl something about her! Maybe Carmy's resistance to the relationship had less to do with his inability to let himself feel joy and more to do with how nauseating their exchanges were. As in any film or tv show, I think you must show the audience why two people love each other in order to make that romance convincing.

Aside from that, we got to see so much character development from the secondary players this season, and seeing Richie's journey culminate in him saving the day this episode was really joyous. That being said, perhaps my favourite scene this ep was Carmen and Richie having a slinging match through the walk-in door towards the end - well shot and good old fashioned complex familial venom coming from both men. Reminded me of uncut gems which can't be a bad thing.
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5/10
Lack of realism killed it
citybonn-927619 July 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Glad to see others pointed out what I wanted to scream at the TV - you can't get locked inside a walk-in unless someone purposely locks it from the outside. And way too many people work in food service and know that. If the goal for this episode was to remove Carmy from the kitchen, that was not a smart way for the writers to do it. Also, for a chef to have never heard of ServSafe is laughable. It is THE food safety program from the National Restaurant Association. And it certifies workers and managers, not equipment ("the window.") I hate to be "that person", but these things are so basic I had a hard time taking the episode seriously after those gaffes. Overall, decent season, had some great moments, but didn't love it as much as the first.
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6/10
Every walk-in has a safety push feature
trugg-863-2292045 July 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Unless the show is set in the 20th century. The whole basis for the episode was this...who are these writers??? Do some research. Also earlier The Bear didn't know what serve safe was? There's no way I chef wouldn't know that. The kitchen would have to be inspected by The State, so they would look at the refrigerator. They need to hire writers with actual kitchen knowledge. I thought this show was was on point about writing but then they decided hyper sensationalism was more important than realism. Most of the season was over the top and the focus on high end dining was too much as well. The first season was more true to the business...
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