So, for this week’s blog I wanted to talk about another show that has been sticking to the confines of my brain like glue. A show that I think I can really relate to in ways that other people my age might not be able to. The show I am talking about Fx’s The Bear. The Bear surrounds our protagonist, Carmen Berzado, Carmen is a world-renowned chef, known for working around the world in some of the most prestigious restaurants. But after the sudden suicide of his brother Micheal, he finds himself back in Chicago, attempting to run his now late brother’s restaurant.
I personally really enjoyed this series for a number of reasons, one of the most prominent being that I was able to appeal to some of the situations that were provided. This is because I have always had a very close and intimate relationship with the restaurant industry. Whether it was as a member of the wait staff, or member of the kitchen crew, I have seen both worlds of the restaurant industry and I would say that it really deepened my connection with the characters and the plotline.
A very interesting plot point that is explored in this show that I don’t think any other show has taken the liberty of ever trying to tackle is the collision of ethics throughout the advanced and the less experienced aspect of the restaurant community. Carmen, once being known as one of the most prominent chefs in the world, now finds himself trying to implement values and systems that are almost exclusively used in high class kitchens. This does not go over well with the staff and a large portion of the conflict of the first season is Carmen trying to find a balance of holding authority over his staff while also trying to understand the many perspectives that he is provided with.
Some staff members become more accustomed to these strict ideologies faster than others, such as Marcus. Marcus is easily convinced that it would be in his best interest to listen to what Carmen has to say after being given advice from him that proves to be correct almost instantly.
However, there are examples of characters that did not react well to these new changes, however it was not from a place of laziness, or from a place of distance from these new tendencies. But from an emotional standpoint, Richie is one of the main victims to this ideology. Richie, being very close with Micheal, now sees the integration of Carmen’s new system as just another aspect of him losing his friend. “This is your brother’s house” is a line that is said as early as the first episode and I think that it is the perfect reflection of Richie’s inability to change through the entire first season as well as a small section of the second. Another really important aspect to look into when it comes to trying to interpret the differentiations between both styles of cooking is when you compare and contrast the first and second season. The first season is essentially Carmen trying to find his way around the chaos and finding a way to fix it. While the second season surrounds the different characters slowly growing their passion for cooking and watching the restaurant slowly morph the establishment that it is now.
In conclusion I think that I am going to try to talk about this show more, I think that just giving a brief description of the main problem without going into the true problems that each character faces is an injustice to what the entire show stands for. I love so many of the characters created, and I think expanding on what makes them so interesting and well written would be in my best interest.
I watched a bit of this show with some family, and it looked really well done! I also liked the camera shots- something about them always had a certain vibe I can’t describe.
I don’t think I’ve heard of this show before! It looks interesting.
I highly enjoy listening to you talk about shows, I think with the age of the internet media such as movies and tv shows often can go unappreciated.
You gave a really insightful view on this show, and that makes me want to watch it even more!