FX’s Tasty New TV Show ‘The Bear’ Has 100% on Rotten Tomatoes
Hulu has been giving Netflix a run for its money with shows such as Only Murders in the Building and The Handmaid’s Tale. Now, fans are raving about The Bear (and lusting after its central character). FX’s tasty new TV drama, streaming exclusively on Hulu, has also racked up a 100% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The plot is a simmering pot threatening to boil over
The Bear follows protagonist Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (played by Jeremy Allen White), a James Beard Award-winning chef who finds himself back at his family’s Italian beef restaurant after leaving the high-end culinary world. Carmy takes over his brother’s struggling restaurant with an unnecessarily long name.
He also deals with grief because his brother Mikey, played by Jon Bernthal, killed himself. It’s now up to Carmy to take on the chaotic daily operations of The Original Beef of Chicagoland. However, he finds himself dealing with obstinate employees, led by Mikey’s best friend Richie.
Carmy hires Sydney, a young chef trained at the Culinary Institute of America, and relies on her to enact a more orderly work system in the kitchen. He faces several hurdles along the way, including a bad health inspection score that threatens to put the restaurant out of business, a toilet disaster, and the realization that Mikey and their uncle Cicero were $300,000 in debt.
Everything — including Carmy’s mental health, seemingly held together by gum and tape — creates a volatile environment in the restaurant that risks exploding at any moment.
The Bear debuted on FX on Hulu on June 23 and stars White, Abby Elliott, Ayo Edebiri, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Liza Colón-Zayas, and Lionel Boyce.
‘The Bear’ boasts a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes
As of this writing, The Bear Season 1 has a 100% critics’ score and a 92% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Reviewers have heaped praise on the series.
Critic Randy Myers of the San Jose Mercury News says, “What makes The Bear such a pleasure is not only its affection for each of its quirky characters but the frenetic and energetic scenes in the kitchen and the restaurant. Come for the food flustering; stay for the characters and heart and soul.”
Alan Sepinwall of Rolling Stone writes, “I do not regret excusing myself from the establishment after two and a half episodes. But it was so rewarding to come back and find that The Bear had a lot more on its menu than tension and sweat.”
And Sophie Gilbert of the Atlantic says, “It’s a gorgeous show, riddled with moments of short, sharp beauty.”
White has earned praise for his portrayal of the young chef, and many fans have been drooling over his sex appeal. Despite his character’s flaws, the 31-year-old actor appeals to fans, with many claiming he represents the type of “scumbag” that people feel drawn to despite wanting to stay far from, Today notes.
Many have drawn comparisons of his portrayal of Carmy on The Bear to his character on Shameless. They see similarities between the two characters for their dry wit and scrappy yet authoritative look.
What we know so far about ‘The Bear’ Season 2
Fans of The Bear Season 1 are in luck because FX commissioned the series for a second season. Showrunners Christopher Storer and Joanna Calo confirmed the show will return to screens in 2023.
“We are so grateful to FX, our insanely talented cast, our crew who worked hard, fast, and in the dead of winter, not to mention everyone who watched. And we can’t wait to bring you all back to The Bear in 2023,” they said in a statement (per Deadline).
It’s expected the core cast will return, but there’s no news of new casting.
