The Bear: From Passion to Self-Destruction

A gnarling caged bear and a chef alone on a bridge together. The pilot episode of The Bear opens with a dream sequence of a young chef approaching a bear, before letting it out of its cage. The dream sequence abruptly ends with the chef waking up in his kitchen, before clearly defining what this sequence symbolizes. The ticking clock staring back at him alerts him to prepare for opening, and the frenetic montage that follows proves the restaurant to be well-established. While the close-ups of freshly cooked beef are mouth-watering to look at, the prayer card in the office reveals there's more than meets the eye emotionally at this run-of-the mill sandwich shop than its menu. 

The restaurant's system and its effectiveness has yet to be determined, but setting up high-stake conflicts in its work-environment is handled with delicate precision. The Bear tells the story of Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto who moves back to Chicago to run his family's sandwich shop-The Beef-after the death of his brother, Michael "Mikey." Carmy's assertiveness as a leader shows he takes his responsibility seriously, but this assertion does not mean things go his way. He's short on money, The Beef needs some renovations, there's no clear structure, and he doesn't take care of himself. Furthermore, we also know he lives in a claustrophobic apartment with laundry in the stove, and only a pack of ramen noodles in the cabinets. Although a work setting full of chaos, there is enough room for these conflicts to escalate from minor inconveniences to life-or-death nightmares. 

Carmy's objective of running The Beef is to enforce an efficient work structure where each shift runs smoothly, but each character has a clashing system of their own. This character decision establishes our protagonist as passionate to a fault, while effectively carving space for the rest of the ensemble's introductions. Will this staff learn to get along? What vulnerabilities will unravel within each character conflict? A lack of cooperation can only last so long before reaching a boiling point. 

In addition to preparing food for the Ball Breaker arcade game tournament and making sure everyone takes into consideration his new system; we are introduced to a new sous applicant, Sydney. As an overqualified, former UPS driver to help pay for culinary school, Carmy advises against her application. However, the fact that this was a favorite spot for her and her dad to eat at, Carmy acknowledges the parallels in over-qualification they share and quickly reconsiders. 

Once Sydney is hired, she becomes an insider like the audience. Not only do her character traits subtlety mirror Carmy, but we are also learning how The Beef and its staff work together, predicting potential nuance in character dynamics to be discovered. Being in a position of power like Carmy, the viewer further sees the contrast in earned respect, setting up a new layer for her character. Tina is dismissive and hostile towards her, while Ebraheim is helpful, despite him and Tina's strict individual work systems. Tina still shares some of her hostile energy on Carmy, telling him he cuts like a "little bitch." But it's more playful banter than outright telling Sydney to "fuck off." The undetermined resentment and resolving of it can only be brought to the forefront after working together over time. 

Aside from this characterization, the conflict goes beyond professional relationships and into family, as Carmy's cousin Richie, and sister, Natalie "Sugar", reiterate their opposition of Carmy's inheritance of The Beef. Richie and Sugar know Carmy isn't capable of overseeing the family restaurant and reveal that he is not obligated to, posing a question as to why he feels like it's his duty in the first place. Perhaps the detail given that Carmy didn't attend Mikey's funeral is a clue? This is another example of layering characters to explain the complex inner turmoil of working in a restaurant fresh after losing a loved one, as well as how there's no time for Carmy to grieve. 

Speaking of Richie, he is introduced as having a complicated relationship with his cousin, Carmy due to his political incorrectness, rude behavior, and unwillingness to let Carmy take over. He points out to Carmy that in the six months he has been working there, there have also been money problems. His ability to point out Carmy's flaws is what makes their dynamic have rich establishment. However, we know he is also dealing with a death in the family, so the behavior must be more complex than simply being unquestionable personality traits. 
The Bear is set in Chicago, Illinois in the heart of the city where fine dining is central. It's the type of place to attract a variety of different subcultures and underworlds, such as the nerdy Ball Breaker tournament players, and the connections Carmy has to buying meat in the opening of the pilot. Also, a place where Richie can shoot a gun to settle down the nerds. What makes this location interesting is that the story is told from the perspectives of restaurant workers rather than the customers. It is much more focused on the interpersonal relationships fostered and challenged by working in a suffocating work environment, as we see the staff prepare for family time and eat together. The scene of them saying what they are all thankful for suggests a tight-knit relationship amidst the work trauma. 

After a tender embrace with his sister who he hasn't seen in a while, Carmy is told he does not have to fix up the place. However, Carmy does not seem to take her advice. It seems as if he has unfinished business with The Beef. Richie, once again, says that Carmy can't mess with the system and to "stick with what works" for The Beef. Nothing is getting through to Carmy though. 
The episode concludes with Richie telling Carmy to make spaghetti for the nerds outside, and initially he listens before throwing the tomato sauce in the trash. We know that there is a lot to unpack mentally for Carmy, but the only way to get there is to see what destructive decisions help him reach self-actualization. 

(Blog Post Credits: Abbey Newman, Writer: Robert Barrera, Photo Editor: Sam Kunkle, Social Media: Kaitlyn Villarreal, Scribe: Rebbecca Corpus)

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First Bell Breakdown: Disesecting Abbot Elementary

Abbott Elementary's pilot episode establishes a narrative framework that attracts viewers on multiple levels. The show, which is set in a Philadelphia public school with poor funding, shows viewers an active cast of characters. 

The pilot not only sets the tone for an influential series, but it also entertains with its unique blend of heart, humor, and social commentary. 

The teachers at Abbott Elementary are faced with a constant challenge of trying to deliver a high-quality education in a very underfunded setting. The lack of assistance from the larger system as well as the school administration often creates challenges for the characters. Their love of teaching and the constraints put on them by their situation often interfere. 

The pilot also introduces a more intimate narrative problem: the various ways in which these difficulties are addressed. As the positive new teacher, Janine shows hope and courage. She thinks that creativity and dedication have an advantage over a lack of resources, as shown by her constant search for the rug. However, experienced teachers such as Barbara, display the frustrated pragmatism that results from years of dealing with an ineffective system. As opposed to Janine's optimism, Barbara has learned to set lower expectations and concentrate on what she can control.

The pilot is formatted with the main character, Janine Teagues, introducing all of her coworkers at Abbott Elementary. While doing so, the show cuts from interviews of those characters introducing themselves to b-roll of their in the workplace. This breaks up the show in a way that provides some comedic relief and shows us how each character interacts with each other. Starting off strong with Mrs. Howard, she introduced herself as “Barbara Howard, woman of god; I do my work; I go home. I get my nails done every week, and I love my job.” Mrs. Howard then takes control of Janine’s unruly students with one simple demand. She is the senior teacher that everyone respects. You can tell immediately how much Ms. Teagues respects Mrs. Howard and craves her approval. This pattern continues until we meet all of the teachers at Abbott. Ms. Schemmenti, the tough and no-nonsense Italian who seems to always “know a guy who knows a guy.” Then Mr. Hill, the dorky white teacher who buddies up with Janine and never seems to give up on making Abbott a better place for his students. He has lots of spirit and hope, which adds to the feel-good nature of the show. Next is Principal Coleman, who is so blinded by her obsession with herself she can hardly get anything done. She is a roadblock for the teachers that already face issues with the lack of resources, as she is spending the budget on ridiculous expenses like a huge billboard of herself. Of course, what would the show be without a love interest? Naturally comes Gregory Eddie, a substitute teacher who has the eyes for Janine. He doesn’t seem emotionally invested in his job at first, but slowly the enthusiasm of Ms. Teagues brings out his own care for his job and the students at Abbott. 

Through the introduction of this diverse group of characters, the viewer starts to see how they navigate the challenges of teaching in a low-income school. Ms. Teagues faces the challenge of her classroom rug getting destroyed, a problem a few other teachers have also experienced. While they have no hope of their rugs being replaced, Janine makes it her mission to get her rug replaced and get new rugs for all of the teachers at Abbott. Naturally, Principal Coleman spends the budget on her useless sign, and the teachers all lose any hope they had of getting their rugs or other classroom needs met. They all discourage Janine from protesting the situation; they tell her she will never get her rug. Then, in a turn of events, they all come together, and Ms. Schemmenti calls up “her guy,” and he delivers them all new rugs free of charge. This showed how they were all willing to come together to help each other out despite their own differences. The Pilot succeeds in casually and effortlessly setting up entertaining and diverse character dynamics that work well together. Despite the stark differences in each character, you can tell how they are willing to work together to help each other out and make the school a better place to learn for the children. 

There are some clear objectives and sources of conflict established in the first episode. The clear and main conflict is the fact that Abbott Elementary is a very low-funded intercity school. The teachers are forced to be creative when spending their budgets and find ways to make do with what they have, which is not a lot. Another conflict is the fact that Principal Coleman is very underqualified for her job. She is extremely self-centered and seemingly oblivious to how much she is hurting the elementary school with her antics. She spends the small amount of money that they do have on personal or useless expenses. Ms. Teagues tends to be such a go-getter that it gets her into messes. She always has the right intentions, but oftentimes it leads to making the problem worse. When she tries to report Principal Coleman for her inappropriate use of the budget, it ends up resulting in Janine getting called out for her lack of loyalty to Principal Coleman. Then you add in the obvious romantic tension between Ms. Teagues and Mr. Eddie. He is too shy to make a move on her, and she is completely oblivious. It seems to set up a slow burn, friends to lovers trope. 

In conclusion, the pilot of Abbott Elementary is significant because it not only introduces the characters and setting but also sets up the overall narrative about perseverance in the face of systemic failure. It leaves viewers with a sense of empathy for the teachers while also providing enough humor and unresolved issues to keep them engaged for future episodes.

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(Scribe: Josh, Column Writer: Ruby, Photo/Video Editor: Renato, Blog Producer: Kelsey, Social Media Manager: Evelyn)

Pups in a Dog’s world: A Reservation Dogs’ Analysis

The camera opens up on a peaceful Friday morning in Indian Territory, Oklahoma. That is, until it is rudely disturbed bright and early when a Flaming Flamers chip truck is stolen in broad daylight. In any other settlement, this type of situation would probably distress its residents to no end. But in this neglected small town, civilians are accustomed to the frequent torment by none other than their friendly neighborhood Reservation Dogs- Cheese, Willie Jack, Elora, and their leader Bear. On this reservation, a stolen food truck is nothing compared to jacked cars, destroyed streetlamps, stolen edibles, defaced property, and the occasional shoplifting.

This story is centered on Bear and his friends. Four kids linked together through less than perfect households and the death of their beloved friend, Daniel. Daniel is only mentioned a few times throughout the pilot, making his death an ominous topic and the audience desperate for more information. Though this topic is only given so much screen time, the grief is still very apparent as the group commemorates Daniel’s memory with ritualistic memorials and a small shrine. The grief is so consuming that at one point, Bear calls out to what looks like Daniel’s ghost shining under a streetlamp in an almost sinister atmosphere.

As the story progresses, we only get a glimpse of his cause of death in the first episode when someone vaguely mentions that “this place” [aka their hometown] killed him. But despite this hush-like like demeanor around his death, it is the driving force for the gang’s actions. Through this newfound disrespect of their homeland and the fear of experiencing the same fate, Bear and his group turn to a life a crime. They do this in hopes of scraping up enough money to pool together and escape to the wonderous land of California.

As the time runs for the pilot, it becomes obvious that these kids are just as neglected as the town they live in. “Latchkey kid” is a very loose term for what defines this group. In one particular scene, Bear is seen grabbing his mother’s wallet and looking back to see if he’s being watched. In this shot alone, one can only assume he’s stealing cash from her wallet. To the audience’s surprise, Bear reaches into his back pocket, slips a wad of money into the purse, and puts it back into place. The scene alone implies a lot. For one thing, money is tight enough in Bear’s home that he feels responsible enough to financially take care of his mother, despite the fact that she is consistently at the hospital working as a nurse.

After putting the wallet back into place, Bear makes his way over to the bathroom where his mom, Rita, is getting ready for a night out. The conversation starts from uncomfortable to tense in a matter of seconds when the subject of Bear’s dad comes up. From this exchange, the audience learns that Bear’s father is an out-of-work rapper and is very much absent from his life. And not only that, but Rita is consistently looking for a replacement and misses no chance to insult the father of her child, whether Bear is there to hear it or not. From the way Bear defends him, it is fairly obvious that he is desperate for his father and is not a fan of the revolving door of men trying to replace him. And in light of the financial hardships, he’s slowly losing his mother as well.

Though Bear is the only household we see in the pilot, seeing his situation alone allures to the rest of the group’s family situations as well. Which begs the question: are all these kids home lives so terrible that they feel like their only escape is a life of petty crimes and a road trip across the country?

In their most recent endeavor of stealing the food truck, the group comes across a moral dilemma that leads to a crossroads of where they want to go from here. Because of the recent heist, the food delivery man was fired from his job, causing a chain reaction of divorce, bankruptcy, loss of health insurance, and a potential loss of a leg caused by diabetes. Seeing the damage done across this man’s life, Bear’s has an epiphany. He convinces the group to give back the truck and the money they earned by stealing it.

Upon Bear’s newfound moral compass, a new gang makes their way into town called the NDN mafia. As the mafia makes their way into the neighborhood, they too start to make a name for themselves with the very same crimes the dogs did. With war declared against the Reservation Dogs, Bear swears to protect the home he once hated and won’t back down without a fight. But the conflict remains: When it comes down to it, will the dogs choose to preserve their plans to escape or the home that is responsible for their friend’s death?

(Blog post credit: Writer: Denise Espinola, Photo Editor: Lucien Zuniga, Social Media: Corey Landa, Scribe and Producer: Thanasak Cheng)

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True-Crime Junkies to Real Life Detectives: Only Murders in the Building’s Mystery Masterclass

Murder in the comfort of your own home. While a catchy tagline for a true-crime show, it unfortunately became a reality for the residents of the Arconia. Mystery leapt from the screen to real life after the suicide of Arconian resident, Tim Kono. After a trio of neighbors begin to piece together evidence, they quickly realize Kono may have been murdered. 

Only Murders in the Building’s pilot episode is intriguing because its most interesting moments aren’t noticed until later. They’re saved for when one can think back and say, “Ah! I didn’t catch that before.” For instance, New York City strangers. Charles-Haden Savage, one of the series’ protagonists, runs into a fan of the show he used to star in decades ago. The fan reveals he used to watch it with his father, immediately and hilariously bombarding Charles with the depressing news his father is battling ALS. The interaction serves the purpose of showing the audience that Charles’ fame is reaching its last, gasping breaths. Also, his interactions are reduced to him taking a photo of his fans rather than taking the photos with them. While the episode continues, we reflect back on that moment and understand its other purpose: to contrast the residents of the Arconia. Despite their close proximity, they know less about each other than Charles now knows about the stranger. The Arconian occupants tend to remain in their homes, limiting their exposure to unwanted conversations. Because of this, they almost miss another shared trait: an obsession with the same true-crime podcast.    

After a fire alarm interrupts our trio’s listening of the All is Not Ok true-crime podcast, they surprisingly find themselves connecting over its content through dinner. Here, we are officially introduced to each protagonist. Oliver Putnam, an enthusiastic theater director, Charles-Haden Savage of former television fame, and Mabel, occupation and surname unknown. The dinner scene offers tidbits of information that would be missed if one stopped watching there.  

Charles-Haden Savage, 90s television star. For his character, the scene reemphasizes his fleeting fame. First, Oliver doesn’t remember his name.  

 

“Oh, you’re not Scott Bakula?” 

 

“I am not,” Charles responds, bitterly.  

 

“Oh! You’re the other one. Got it.”  

 

Then, Oliver reoffends and misremembers Charles’ show, calling it Bozos instead of Brazzos. Mabel, additionally, doesn’t recognize his show or his name. Consistently it's shown that Charles isn’t remembered, and his life is reduced to being like everyone else – a resident of the Arconia. Later, though, someone remembers Charles, just not in the way he is used to. After a resident mentions smelling Charles’ breakfast in the mornings, he says it reminds him of a woman named Lucy. The mention of her name makes Charles appear sad and uncomfortable, and no additional information is revealed in this moment. Who is Lucy? Why haven’t we met her yet? Will we? 

 

Oliver is the opposite in many ways to Charles, despite their shared career in show business. Oliver is a caricature compared to Charles’ serious front. His moment to look back on is after Mabel offers to pay for dinner. Oliver takes the tab, but rather than pay, he passes it to Charles. Later in the pilot, that moment stands out once we learn about his financial situation. With the brutal murder of Tim Kono, Oliver appears almost elated at the events because it presents a new opportunity for him. He sees a way to earn money through creating his own true-crime podcast. Almost immediately he jumps into starting one, more focused on the production of the podcast than in the investigation of the crime. Why is he so persistent? Is there something else to this? Then, we learn why. It’s first confirmed after he asks his son for money, which appears not to be the first time, and is reaffirmed at the end of the episode, where his computer screen is littered with “Final Notice” images. Will this affect the investigation? Will this compromise him later? 

 

Then there’s Mabel, the final member of the trio. Her story is the biggest mystery, second only to Tim Kono’s murderer. Her moment at the dinner scene comes in two parts.    

 

“How do I know you?” Mabel asks Charles after deflecting Oliver’s inquisition into her ability to live at the Arconia. Oliver answers for Charles.   

 

“Oh… okay,” Mabel responds. Charles’ reaction combined with Mabel’s strange response makes this moment stand out. Did she mean something else? What did Charles notice?  

 

Second is Mabel’s shift to offer to pay the tab when Oliver uses his onion analogy to try and get information out of her, using the bill as a way to exit the conversation.  

 

Twice in the episode Mabel’s whale tattoo is made the focus. What’s its significance? The first reveal she’s applying makeup in the bathroom. The second reveal is at her final monologue.   

 

“The secrets are the best part. Who is telling the truth? Who is lying? What are they hiding?” 

 

As the episode comes to a close, it's revealed Mabel knew Tim Kono from her Hardy Boys group. What was their relationship? Is she in danger now? Mabel’s first appearance over an unrelated dead body at the beginning, and the unconventional sleeping aid of imagining herself murder to help her sleep leaves you wondering… is she the one to watch? 

  

The dinner scene offers a final perspective of the show that is highlighted in a brief conversation. It’s how they discuss the content of the podcast. They divulge their dissatisfaction with the pacing and details of the crime being told, discussed like fiction. Only Murders in the Building satirizes the true-crime phenomenon and how tragedy is reduced to entertainment. The show itself is presented like a podcast, starting with our protagonist’s monologues, the audience being given clues that the investigators didn’t have at the time, and then there’s the moment where their actions are mimicking a favorite art piece of Oliver, suggesting that reality may not be what we’re seeing. Which brings one final question: who’s telling the story? 

(Blog Post Credits: Writer: Nicole Meier, Photo Editor: Ann Jeoung, Producer: Yolanda Garcia, Social Media: Precious Martin, Scribe: Spencer Berger)