Ode to Television: The Bear

I sincerely believe we are in the Golden Age of television. It has always been a popular medium with the average American spending a minimum of 4 hours a day absorbing television offerings. Historically, it is the default source for news, sports, comedy and drama. Early morning and late nite programming are money machines. It certainly reflects America and frequently shapes the culture. Since 1950, we have witnessed major historical events through this prism: Presidential debates, the Kennedy assassination, the Civil Rights movement, wars in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, the space program, the moon landing, the Challenger disaster, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the OJ Simpson chase and trial, Presidential election cliffhangers and September 11, 2001. It is the center of the media constellation in the most powerful country in the world. Unfortunately, the purely entertainment options on mainstream TV have been maddeningly inconsistent and frequently sophomoric and brainless nonsense. Newton Minow, JFK’S FCC Chairman coined the term “The Vast Wasteland” when describing broadcast television and the description was apt and accurate for the first 50 years of television. Thankfully, the last 20 years have been revolutionary with vast improvements in technology, production values, writing - and a broader and more diverse acting pool. Streaming operations have radically improved our choices. Creativity rules! We can now binge a 10 part series in 24 hours. I am a fan of the immersive viewing experience. Creators are taking more risks and high quality actors now flock to the medium. It is no longer the red headed stepchild when compared to the movie industry. Topics and acceptable issues have broadened: remember in the 1960’s you were not allowed to see a happily married couple, Rob and Laura Petrie sleep in the same bed. Now, issues of sexuality, race, gender are fair game. The industry has become more powerful as it has become more diverse, inclusive and equitable. How quaint!

We don’t want to paint with too broad a brush when we critique the programming from past eras. There were moments of excellence but they were not consistent or sustained. The 50’s had I Love Lucy and The Honeymooners. Twilight Zone was fantastic. The 70’s and 80’s brought a revival of sophisticated comedies: The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Newhart, Mash, Cheers, Frasier, Taxi, All in the Family. The first tightly written ensemble dramas began to appear and draw loyal audiences: Hill Street Blues, LA Law, St Elsewhere and Roots. The Simpsons broke new ground and Friends became a behavioural model for an entire generation. But, alas, a responsible look back confirms that 90% of the programming was mediocre, poor or insulting to our intelligence.

A great leap has occurred since 2000. Reflect on the high quality, multi season programs that have graced our screens. I will not go chronologically or provide a Top Ten list today, but examine these titles: The Wire, 30 Rock, Deadwood, Friday Night Lights, Veep, Game of Thrones, Better Call Saul, Lost, Seinfeld, The Americans, West Wing, Succession, Mad Men, Handmaid’s Tale, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Fleabag, Homeland, House of Cards, Downton Abbey, ER, Band of Brothers, Prisoners of War, Fauda, The Crown, Orange is the New Black, The Office, Master of None, Breaking Bad and The Sopranos. I apologize if I missed any of your favourites. The point is made - television viewing can be entertaining AND educational. Kudos!

The race to quality will accelerate in a highly competitive environment. Crisper plots, edgier comedies, better writing, rapidly improving tech, the impact of AI should guarantee brilliant streaming options for diverse audiences. The flip side is increased expectations on the creators and producers. Mediocrity is not an option. Viewers have been exposed to excellence and now demand a steady diet of innovative programs. Shows that fall short will be money losers and the entertainment industry remains a profit driven capitalist exercise. Patience is not valued. The beauty of all the awful reality shows is they are ultra cheap to make. Ten episode historical dramas are not. We now have high standards and the pressure will be to meet audience demand and still make lots of money. Let’s review the current “hot “ commodity, The Bear- a program with a cult like following now entering its third season.

The Bear (Season 1-3)

The Bear now has three full seasons under its belt. I am totally current after binge watching Season 3 this week. The program is a cultural phenomenon and has achieved popular and critical acclaim. Seasons 1 and 2 received almost perfect scores on ROTTEN TOMATOES- the service which aggregates critic reviews nationally. Several individual episodes were the most viewed programs on the streaming services. FX confirmed the program is the most watched program in the network’s history. It has been honoured with an avalanche of Emmy and Golden Globe nominations with winners for Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress. Writing, Directing and Production. The American Film Institute named it a top ten program in both years. Jeremy Allen White, Evan Moss Bacharach and Ayo Edibiri are household names. Famous actors seek small or episodic roles because the program is so “cool”. It has panache!

But, is it any good? For me, Season 1 was an acquired taste. I was prepared to embrace the show based on the early notices and the storyline. It is set in Chicago, my hometown and is based on an actual Italian Beef shop on Orleans Avenue which I frequented regularly in the 80’s and 90’s. I have a warm acquaintance with Carrie De Lama, one of the producers. The idea of a James Beard award chef returning from New York to rescue the family storefront after the sudden passing of his older brother seemed to present a dramatic goldmine. However, I struggled with the early episodes, finding them jolting, uneven and disjointed. The characters were LOUD, obnoxious with vocabularies populated by endless streams of obscenities. Richie, played by Mr Bacharach, the dead brother’s best friend and de facto manager of the restaurant has no identifiable redeeming qualities. He is stubborn, emotional, borderline dumb, has a failing marriage and bitterly opposes any improvement Carmen Bezatto wants to make to the operation. He is indicted for assault, sells cocaine to gangs in the alley behind the restaurant and is a total screw up. The kitchen is dirty, chaotic and claustrophobic and the level of staff dysfunction is high. The primary character CARMY is complicated. He is talented, driven, singleminded, but a pain in the ass and a whiner. My wife Amalia left mid season 1 and has not returned . She found the program “exhausting.”

Fortunately, I stayed the course. The show developed a rhythm. Characters evolved and there were hints of likable, even admirable qualities. Sydney, an enterprising young African American female chef becomes the show’s anchor and moral center. She is professional, buys into Carmy’s program but genuinely seeks to cultivate normal personal dialogue with the staff. Marcus, the baker, is a teddy bear who takes his craft seriously. Tina, a line chef, instinctively opposes any changes but grows as a character and eventually buys in. Oscar Platt playing “Uncle Cicero”, a family friend with questionable associates and a healthy bank account is GREAT. He is a reluctant “angel” investor in the reimagined venture. By the end of Season 1, MR BEEF has survived and the future outlook is less cloudy. I gave the show 4 out of 5 stars and anticipated that Season 2 would build on the potential dramas associated with family angst and restaurant pressure. A final observation. I do not comprehend how the Emmys and Golden Globes placed this program in the “Comedy” category. It is a drama with occasional moments of dark humour.

Season 2 is total winner. Five stars from me. The narrative is fresh- driven by Carmy’s decision to completely change the program. Replace Mr Beef with a fine dining Michelin aspiring restaurant The Bear. The challenges are enormous and the staff encounters a complete change in their job definitions. They must upgrade their games by orders of magnitude. The professional growth is complicated by the ever-present personal and family “idiosyncrasies”: poverty, old age, mental illness, financial pressure and insecurity. The show balances these ingredients. Carmy, after predictable hesitation, develops a quasi healthy romantic relationship with a Class A do gooders physician from the old neighbourhood. This relationship humanises him and softens the tone of the entire show. Sydney matures and becomes a partner in the new venture. We see the source of her value system when we meet her loving father- a great guy and fountain of wisdom. Tina attends the Culinary Institute and returns to the restaurant with confidence. Marcus is sent to Copenhagen and trains under a master pastry chef, an old friend of Carmy’s. Richie interns at a Michelin starred Chicago restaurant and evidences signs of personal growth- welcome relief from the character I wanted to kill in Season 1. He also is a decent father. Carmy’s family backstory is graphically displayed in 2 episodes. We learn his brother’s death was a suicide and see the incredible pressures he was under while Carmy pursued his dreams in New York. Episode 6 features Jamie Lee Curtis as the manic matriarch of the Berzatto family. Bob Odenkirk, Sarah Paulson and Jon Bernthal excel at the holiday family dinner from hell. A memorable episode! Season 2 concludes with he soft opening of The Bear. I won’t disclose any secrets , but it is successful and stressful. Many unanswered questions for Season 3.

Season 3 is frustrating. There are strong dramatic moments and a series of revelations on the pasts of the primary characters. Some elements work, but there are sustained periods of emotional ennui. Season 2 was more sentimental and warm. Characters displayed empathy. Maybe I am a softie- It’s a Wonderful Life is one of my favorite movies. Season 3 features death, depression, despair and self destruction in waves. Ultimately Season 3 was unsatisfying, but Season 4 has already been shot, will follow shortly and I will be in the viewing audience. Season 1 rescued a restaurant. Season 2 created a restaurant. Season 3 was just surviving in a restaurant and maybe that daily struggle is not as interesting.

Carmy Berzatto IS Season 3 and he is puzzle. He fails to revive the promising romantic relationship that he torpedoed at the end of Season 2. I thought the girlfriend was underutilised in Season 2 and she is now totally absent. She briefly appears in one episode but no on screen interaction with Carmy. She left a hole in the narrative and Carmy is a less attractive character standing on his own. He reverts to the stereotypical dictator chef who micromanages everything and draws up a silly list of “non-negotiables.” He pays lip service to his supposed partnership with Sydney. He returns to a pattern of obscenity laced tirades with Richie, but you begin to think Richie is the reasonable one. He is still a great chef but….The two best episodes in Season 3 don’t focus on the restaurant at all. Tina’s family life and improbable journey to employment at Mr Beef is poignant and well crafted. Jamie Lee Curtis returning and unexpectedly fulfilling a “mom” role competently is assisting her daughter thru childbirth is outstanding. Again, the humanity in these two episodes should be pursued by the show creators more regularly. Sydney’s in a fog. She is aware that her skills are genuine and learns that others in the industry recognise her talent. She also retains her baseline loyalty to Carmy although she is recognising that he may not be her best option for long term professional growth and personal sanity. I predict her pathway will be the core of Season 4. The swearing exchanges return to a Season 1 level. Perhaps the show can be renamed as “ Shut the F… Up!” Obscenities are not always a sign of brilliant creative writing and perhaps the team can take that to heart. The utter nastiness in some of the discourse negatively impacts the show and I hope for a more balance rhythm in Season 4.