The Bear TV show on Hulu

[blue_dolphin]

Anyone watching The Bear on Hulu or FX?
Reviews from the NYT: In ‘The Bear’ on Hulu, a Kitchen Staff Is Nearly Eaten Alive

 

NPR: FX's 'The Bear': A funny, raw, real drama in a restaurant kitchen

 

Rolling Stone: ‘The Bear’ Is the Most Stressful Thing on TV Right Now. It’s Also Great

 

I’ve only watched the first episode and agree on the stressful and great descriptors. 
 

 

Edited July 9, 2022 by blue_dolphin
To add NPR review (log)

[gfron1]

I almost walked away after the first episode because its very real, and I don't need to leave my work stress to go home and watch my work stress. But, after the first episode the character development really builds and it's growing on me. It is without a doubt, the thing all industry folks are watching right now because of the level of realistic detail that they've incorporated down to drinking out of quart containers and double gloving a bloody finger.

[blue_dolphin]

Nice interview with The Bear lead actor Jeremy Allen White on Evan Kleiman's Good Food radio show/podcast: ‘The Bear’ captures the joy and pain of being a chef

[Midlife]

On 7/10/2022 at 11:51 AM, gfron1 said:

I almost walked away after the first episode because its very real, and I don't need to leave my work stress to go home and watch my work stress. But, after the first episode the character development really builds and it's growing on me. It is without a doubt, the thing all industry folks are watching right now because of the level of realistic detail that they've incorporated down to drinking out of quart containers and double gloving a bloody finger.

Any thoughts on whether what appears to be (to my admittedly uneducated self) an incongruity between what I’d thought was a routine employed in full/classic restaurant kitchens and what seems to be a beef sandwich shop?  The frenetic pace and terminology seems like what people like Bourdain have recounted, but the place seems to have just a few tables and no front of house staff visible. 
 

Regardless, the show did get my wife to ask why anyone would want to work in such a place.  Carmy is from that environment but it just seems out of place. 

[gfron1]

On 7/11/2022 at 9:12 PM, Midlife said:

Any thoughts on whether what appears to be (to my admittedly uneducated self) an incongruity between what I’d thought was a routine employed in full/classic restaurant kitchens and what seems to be a beef sandwich shop?  The frenetic pace and terminology seems like what people like Bourdain have recounted, but the place seems to have just a few tables and no front of house staff visible. 
 

Regardless, the show did get my wife to ask why anyone would want to work in such a place.  Carmy is from that environment but it just seems out of place. 

The latter is easy - adrenaline rush, party life (work hard play hard), possibly don't know of other life options.

 

I've never done a busy sandwich shop so I don't know, but if they had a line out the door for hour on end, I suspect it would be similar.

[blue_dolphin]

Two articles about the show:

The very thoughtful When I Watch The Bear, I See My Life by chef David Patterson in Esquire

And the lighter Let’s Talk About Carmy’s Cookbook Collection on Eater. 

[Kerala]

I am enjoying this at the moment. I understand the high pressure environment, but is the nastiness really such a common feature in kitchens? When Carmy's boss tells him he is worthless and should be dead, what's he trying to achieve?

Anyway, I'm six episodes in, and will probably rewatch.

[paulraphael]

I love that the guy who plays the janitor / handyman is a Canadian celebrity chef.