The Bear (Season 2-FX on Hulu) * * 1/2

 

Starring:  Jeremy Allen White, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ayo Edebiri, Lionel Boyce, Abby Elliott, Matty Matheson, Edwin Lee Gibson, Jon Bernthal, Oliver Platt

Guest stars:  Jamie Lee Curtis, Bob Odenkirk, Sarah Paulson, John Mulaney, Will Poulter

The first season of The Bear was a relentless exercise in dramatic tension which felt like a coil about to snap.  Its main character Carmen (White) is a reluctant sandwich shop owner who trained and worked as a chef in world-class restaurants until his deceased brother willed him The Beef.   At the end of season one, Carmen unexpectedly comes into beaucoup hidden cash and closes The Beef, promising it to reopen soon as The Bear.  

Troubles mount early.  Carmen takes on Uncle Jimmy "Cicero" (Platt) as his partner, but Jimmy wants his money back in eighteen months.  If not, he will assume control of the restaurant and the land.  And The Bear must open in a tight 12-week window, which considering the work the place needs, would be a miracle.   Carmen has sous chef Sydney (Edebiri) working along side him.  She, however, is much more nervous about failing than even Carmen is.   Carmen sends his workers to schools and other restaurants to learn the art of high-end dining.  This has the most profound effect on Richie (Moss-Bachrach), who finds his niche as a maitre-d for The Bear and a huge boost in his confidence.  He finds his place and Moss-Bachrach gives the most well-rounded performance in the cast and undergoes the most impressive changes.

The first five episodes of season two do not match the strengths of the first season.   With no restaurant open, there is more room for long conversations and confessions which doesn't always translate to a better show.  The sixth episode, a flashback to a dysfunctional, painful Christmas dinner with Carmen's family, is the first of the season to ratchet up conflict and tension to season one levels.  Then the episodes sag until the final episodes with The Bear's opening and a return to the nerve-wracking clusterfuck which is the restaurant business.   However, as a whole, season two is a comedown from season one.