I recently watched the first two seasons of The Bear on Disney+. It’s a comedy/drama about a young chef with a fine dining past who returns to Chicago to take over his family’s sandwich shop, the perfect setting for power struggles, unresolved familial issues and much more.

The first episode of The Bear is a great one. It’s the kind that captures what it must be like to work in a professional kitchen so well, that I couldn’t help but wonder about how much work it took to make those first scenes look so good. I’m talking about super-engaging dialogue, well-choreographed movement/camera work and a skilled and charismatic lead actor (Jeremy Allen White) who inspires just the right amount of curiosity about his character.

In truth, all the actors in The Bear are great, including Ayo Edebiri, Jamie Lee Curtis, Liza Colón-Zayas, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Lionel Boyce, to name just a few.

You may already know that creator Christopher Storer’s show has been quite the hit, with several award nominations and wins, including Golden Globes and Emmys. It’s no wonder that seasons two and three feature a fun selection of A-lister guest stars. 

The Bear is generally well-written, acted and shot with some specific standout scenes that will stay with you for a while. 

Seasons one and two are good, even though it did become difficult for me to watch and endure the shenanigans of the older ‘cousin.’ However, the recently released season three is where I must admit that I can now see myself being less excited about the next season. For me, I think I’ve spent enough time in the kitchen. I’ve seen enough of what I wasn’t aware I was curious about. I’m done with the super long shots of specific characters that linger long enough to test my patience. There seem to be plenty of those in season three. It’s all starting to feel too pretentious and self-indulgent, unfortunately. 

It’s clear that I’m very likely falling out of love with The Bear. Yet, I’d still say give it a chance if you’re curious. Particularly because of all it does well that you may also enjoy. 

Have you seen The Bear? Are you at all curious?

Happy Film Loving, 

G