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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