Yes, Chef
It’s been a weird summer. This has been a year of changes and towards the beginning of this year the summer looked a lot different than what it turned out to be. What I didn’t expect to have were sporadic pockets of free time on my hands. A tweet by a friend recommending this new Hulu show and I was bingeing all six episodes at close to three in the morning… as one does.
I’ve seen the show twice and I will watch it probably a few more times before the second season comes out. I’m not going to summarize the show because it’s essentially a three-plus hour movie and we’re at a time in media where we can all do that standing up. I’m going to concentrate on the key points that made this not only one of the best shows I’ve seen this summer, but probably in the last ten years.
Anxiety Attacks
I’m not talking about having a paper bag to your mouth or searching for your inhaler. I’m talking about the moments when your blood pressure has sky-rocketed to the point that you actually believe your heart has slowed down and you feel like you’re witnessing your own life outside of your body. When Carmy admits that it’s during these moments where he’s the calmest, I believed him.
Those are the “fuck it” moments. The split second where everything can fall apart and then you’ll possibly die and you’re completely okay with it at that moment. To see it visualized on a show was a chef’s kiss.
Poor Food, Rich Food
Carmy is an amazing chef. We learn early on that he was employed at French Laundry. A Napa restaurant that is still on my bucket list and what some would say is the best restaurant in the world. His friends discuss him working at said restaurant while putting mustard on hot dogs.
Food is a huge part of life on this show, and it doesn’t act as an analogy or a backdrop to the characters. It’s front and center and we’re made to understand that it comes first. It doesn’t matter if you’re spending a romantic evening in Napa or if you’re standing on a busy Chicago streetcorner waiting for a sandwich. If Carmy is making you something to eat, it’s going to be special.
I’ll follow anyone on their journey if they tell me about their goal at the beginning. We’re here for the food? All right, so let's follow that and see what happens everywhere else.
Passion
From the perfect donuts to mashed potatoes, everyone working at The Bear strives for the best. I can’t cook, but I root for them whenever they start working on a new dish. The characters are all three-dimensional and they’re upfront about what they want.
You never have to guess why anyone is standing in that hot, Chicago kitchen with no air conditioning. They’re all after something that ties into food and more importantly to creativity. Each chef is trying to create the dish that will represent them.
When I saw the milk simmering on the stove with the fresh rosemary and lavender inside the pot I almost cried. They are dedicated to the craft, and I wanted so badly to try those mashed potatoes.
Carmy
Carmy is a scumbag. We are all in love with him, but there is nothing here for anyone. 99% of him is dedicated to the restaurant and whatever is leftover is haunted by his family and past mistakes. There is no resolution here, he will be like this for the rest of his life, so we have to bury our love of his greasy hair and hawk-like determination and concentrate on the food. We can’t have him, but we can eat the food.
I’m not ready to call him the male Fleabag like I’ve been reading out there. Fleabag for me was watching a more sophisticated version of myself live through her mistakes and then have a fantasy season of meeting this unattainable man that happened to be a priest. Carmy isn’t someone we truly want; I think we’re all here to watch the art that’s created during his quiet moments within the chaos.
Season 1 of The Bear is streaming on Hulu.
