Ever since Anthony Bourdain published Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly in 2000, people have been fascinated with what transpires behind the scenes in restaurants. Open kitchens in many (Gallagher’s in New York and Masseria in D.C., for example) allow patrons to watch the chefs at work. For a real look at what goes on in kitchens, however, the third season of The Bear is must viewing.
For the Emmy Awards 2024, the FX series has been nominated for a record 23 nominations. And while the production certainly deserves the recognition, what it also accomplishes is to ask: who on earth would want to work in a high end restaurant? Also a conundrum: the show has been nominated in the comedy category, rather than drama, when the episodes are filled with much tension and not very many laughs.
Ebon Moss- Bachrach as Richard “Richie” Jerimovich
If you’ve missed the first two seasons of The Bear, catch up before the Emmys are awarded on Sunday, September 15. The plot revolves around Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto played by Jeremy Allen White, who comes back to Chicago after his older brother, Michael, dies by suicide. Carmy is a James Beard Award-winning chef and has trained with the best and worked in world famous eateries. But on returning, he takes over at the place Michael used to run, a local favorite, The Original Beef of Chicagoland, known for its sandwiches. He immediately runs into resistance, primarily from Michael’s best friend, Richard “Richie” Jerimovich (a terrific Ebon Moss-Bachrach), who thought he was inheriting the business.
Ayo Edebiri as Sydney Adamu
While some of the original staff stay on, Carmy hires a talented young woman, Sydney Adamu (Aye Edebiri, a role which truly launched her star career), as his sous-chef. Although she lacks Carmy’s formal training, Sydney is ambitious and hard-working. And she becomes the only person who can stand up to Carmy when he pushes everyone too hard.
In Season Three, Carmy is opening his new restaurant, called, not surprisingly, The Bear. His goal is to win a Michelin star in the restaurant’s first year. He sets the bar high, possibly too high for some of his staff. He declares that the restaurant’s menu will change every night, meaning that the staff, not only has to learn how to prepare these dishes, but must be familiar enough with them to describe them to guests. Carmy insists that every dish be perfect, throwing out, for example, a beef filet that he feels is overcooked.
Abby Elliott as Natalie “Sugar” Berzatto
Right from Season One, we know that Carmy is a troubled soul. His mother (a brilliant Jamie Lee Curtis), is an alcoholic and despite loving Michael, Carmy, and their sister, Natalie “Sugar”(Amy Elliott), she has damaged them by her behavior. When Natalie goes into labor and can’t reach either her husband or Carmy, she reluctantly calls her mother. Their interactions in the hospital highlight their complicated relationship. Lee and Elliott shine in these scenes.
Liza Colón-Zayas as Tina Marrero
There are many flashbacks, including one where Carmy watches Michael’s funeral from his car but never goes in. In present time, the restaurant’s staff are shown attending a funeral for the mother of the dessert chef, Marcus (Lionel Boyce). Another plot line delves into how Tina Marrero (an outstanding performance by Liza Colón-Zayas), lost her job as an accountant and, eventually, ended up working for Carmy. (In a casting coup, Tina’s husband is played by her real life husband, David Zayas.)
Jeremy Allen White as Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto
But Carmy’s PTSD also owes to some of the hard-driving chefs he worked under. When Chef Andrea Terry (Olivia Colman, displaying her Oscar-winning talents) decides to retire and close Ever, her Michelin star restaurant, she throws a farewell dinner for chefs. During that event, Carmy confronts one of the chefs he believes bullied him and left him damaged. That encounter is fascinating, allowing us a glimpse into what some chefs dole out to underlings and, although that constant criticism can make a great chef, it can also leave behind serious emotional trauma.
Will Carmy’s restaurant succeed? A deciding factor may be a review in the Chicago Tribune. For weeks the staff had been in turmoil after a photographer showed up to shoot some of the dishes. Will the review be a rave or a pan? Whatever happens, there will be a fourth season of The Bear and we will be watching.
The Bear can be streamed on FX and Hulu.
Top photo: Jeremy Allen White as Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto
Photos courtesy of FX
