Why you should watch ‘The Bear’, which has been cleaning up at award ceremonies
At its essence, multiple award-winning series “The Bear” is an age-old underdog story.
And with its universal life lessons, it comes as no surprise that it has been receiving so many accolades.
The FX dramedy series cleaned up at the 2023 Emmy Awards this week, after also winning big at this month’s 81st Annual Golden Globes.
The series centres on a young chef – played by the ever in-vogue Jeremy Allen White – who returns to Chicago, from the fine dining world, to run his family’s fast food restaurant after a heartbreaking death in his family.
Created by Christopher Storer, the Hulu show revolves around Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto, who is forced to contend with the soul-crushing realities of small business ownership in the wake of inheriting his family’s Italian beef sandwich business.
In the cut-throat food world, he now has to balance the business’s unresolved debts, a rundown kitchen and unruly staff, all while grappling with the impact of his brother’s suicide.
“I have every intention of turning this into a respectable place of business, eventually,” the struggling chef declared in an episode of “The Bear”.
It also stars Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who plays the gruff but lovable “Cousin” Richie and Ayo Edebiri, who stars as Carmy’s ambitious sous chef Sydney. The ensemble cast also includes Lionel Boyce, Liza Colón-Zayas, Abby Elliot, Matty Matheson and Edwin Lee Gibson.
Dubbed as one of the most stressful shows on TV with its cacophony of yelling and chaotic menus, it has been lauded for capturing the pressure and intensity of working in a kitchen.
In its debut year in 2022, “The Bear” became FX’s most-watched half-hour series and took home trophies from the Screen Actors, Writers and Producers Guild Awards.
For the most recent round of accolades, the hit series has dominated alongside “Succession” and “Beef” at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards, which were held in the US last Monday.
White took home the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series honours, while his co-stars Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Ayo Edebiri took the Outstanding Supporting Actor and Actress In A Comedy Series prizes.
At the 2024 Golden Globe awards, which were held earlier this month, the series took home three statues, including one for Best Comedy Series.
As it continues to captivate audiences, with season three set to be released this year, “The Bear” has been resonating with fans as it touches on several universal themes and life lessons, from financial struggles to strained relationships and dealing with loss, trauma, grief, anxiety, identity and stress.
Amid all the chaos, the writers work in humour, to remind viewers that laughter is the best medicine.
The often volatile and slow-burn nature of Carmy and Sydney’s work relationship adds to the heat in the kitchen.
Before “The Bear”, Allen White was best known for “Shameless”, where he played Phillip “Lip” Gallagher, a genius who couldn’t shake his down-and-out background.
He also featured on the big screen in The Iron Claw, playing opposite Zac Efron in the tragic real-life story of the Von Erich wrestling brothers.
And with his latest show entering its third season, combined with all the accolades under his belt, he is also making a name for himself as a heart-throb as he continues his rise in Hollywood.
He recently featured in a Calvin Klein advertisement, which has since been trending on social media.
“I think he’s the next movie star of our generation,” a senior Hollywood source told “Page Six”.
“He’s got a bit of a James Dean vibe, but there’s something very sweet and endearing about him – you just want to watch him.”
∎ “The Bear” season 1 and 2 is streaming on Disney+.