‘The Bear’ Season 1 (Tribeca 2022) Non-Spoiler Review – Have Your Cake Or Let It Rip

During this year’s annual Tribeca film festival, I got to see all eight episodes of Christopher Storer’s FX Networks series, The Bear, Season 1. If you love stories involving food, family, and heart, this comedy television project might be right up your alley.

Please read ahead at your own behest. There may be spoilers ahead for those who plan to see the series.

Overall Plot Synopsis for The Bear Season 1

According to FX Networks’ Press Room, here is the synopsis for The Bear Season 1, which premiered at Tribeca earlier yesterday. (A condensed version of the synopsis is also available on the Tribeca festival website.)

The Bear follows Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), a young chef from the fine dining world, who comes home to Chicago to run his family sandwich shop – The Original Beef of Chicagoland – after a heartbreaking death in his family. A world away from what he’s used to, Carmy must balance the soul-crushing realities of small business ownership, his strong-willed and recalcitrant kitchen staff and his strained familial relationships, all while grappling with the impact of his brother’s suicide. 

The Bear is about food, family, the insanity of the grind, the beauty of Sense of Urgency and the steep slippery downsides. As Carmy fights to transform both The Original Beef of Chicagoland and himself, he works alongside a rough-around-the-edges kitchen crew that ultimately reveal themselves as his chosen family.

FX Networks Press Room

Episode Loglines for The Bear Season 1

If you missed the premiere of The Bear at Tribeca, you can still wait to watch it later this month via Hulu. Here are the loglines for each episode of the series’ first season as provided by FX Networks. Please read these as a reference/ what to expect when the series premieres on the streaming service.

• Pilot — “System”, written and directed by Christopher Storer

Carmy attempts to retrain the employees of The Original Beef of Chicagoland, but is faced with resistance. In need of back-up, he brings on a talented young chef to help.

FX Networks Press Room

• Episode 2 — “Hands”, written and directed by Storer

A surprise health inspection reveals the cracks in the restaurant’s foundation. Carmy goes head-to-head with Richie.

FX Networks Press Room

• Episode 3 — “Brigade”, written by Storer; directed by Joanna Calo

Carmy attends Al-Anon. Sydney struggles to gain the respect of the staff.

FX Networks Press Room

• Episode 4 — “Dogs”, written by Sofya Levitsky-Weitz; directed by Storer

Carmy and Richie cater a kid’s birthday party. Tina and Sydney work together while Marcus makes donuts.

FX Networks Press Room

• Episode 5 — “Sheridan”, written by Karen Joseph Adcock; directed by Calo

Things go wrong in the kitchen. Sydney finds solutions.

FX Networks Press Room

• Episode 6 — “Ceres”, written by Catherine Schetina & Rene Gube; directed by Calo

Richie notices the neighborhood is changing. Sugar and Carmy clean up the office.

FX Networks Press Room

• Episode 7 — “Review”, written by Calo; directed by Storer

A bad day in the kitchen. Tensions rise.

FX Networks Press Room

• Finale — “Braciole”, written by Calo and Storer; directed by Storer

Things get out of control. Carmy is faced with a decision.

FX Networks Press Room

Discussion of The Bear, Premiering at Tribeca

People who have attended Tribeca have probably been screened only the first two or three episodes of The Bear. With that said, I would like to affirm that the entire season is excellent. Storer and Calo’s craft in the direction of the narrative (as well as their contributions to the writing of the plot) is stunning and delivers on what the official series’ trailer teases. There is not too much promotion of the show as of now, but I will say that this is worth the binge.

Storer’s The Bear paces briskly compared to other FX series such as Donald Glover’s Atlanta — the latter of which has so many complex plot details that make you want to pause and ponder. The shortest episode of The Bear runs at 20 minutes, and the finale runs for 47 minutes, with the episodes lasting an average of half an hour apiece. I will admit that the first two or three episodes are not the strongest starting episodes in the first seasons of television history, but boy, do they try their best! It is not until Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) and Sydney Adamu (Ayo Edebiri) settle into their places in the kitchen of the restaurant that the show really begins to take off.

The Looks and the Sounds of It

The show’s cinematography is not so bad, although a lot of its best frames are set at the Berzatto restaurant. I love seeing shots of the food and how they are prepared, as well as how The Bear captures its characters on the camera. The most ambitious episode involving this aspect of filmmaking is the shortest one, “Review”; this episode involves a continuous shot that runs for 17 minutes whilst situating the restaurant at a rather jarring point.

The soundtrack for The Bear is truly riveting, and I cannot stress enough how great the musical curation sounds. It isn’t like the usually recycled tracks that we hear play in the background of many films and television series, and the show offers something fresh for those who might be searching for new jams to add to their playlists. Some artists who appear in this show include Serengeti, R.E.M., The Beach Boys, KIRBY, and Radiohead. A lot of the songs will put you in a mood while the characters are in the kitchen, and it could be something as small as cutting up onions. Not only that, but the scoring is just as excellent. You will just have to tune in (pun intended) to find out yourself.

Those who saw the series premiere at Tribeca probably left enjoying these two aspects of the show the most.

Emotional, Isn’t It?

Aside from the music, Tribeca attendees only get to sample a taste of the pathos with The Bear in comparison to what the full season has to provide.

The writers develop their characters so well, giving them a hectic working environment that is far from perfect. In fact, this Mitwelt — the professional ecosophical sector of the modern American lifeworld ecosystem — can get pretty toxic. The roster of characters is as diverse as it gets, with every one of them from different professional and cultural backgrounds. However, you must keep in mind that everyone working here has the best of intentions for the establishment along with the people who come in to eat or are involved in the business. While it is categorized as a comedy, The Bear is loaded with emotion, especially given the specific circumstances of each episode. One character does mention that they live in a post-COVID pandemic world, suggesting that that itself lends some weight to the narrative.

There are a few guest appearances that I am not permitted to reveal in detail. I found that they are all crucial to the development of the narrative as well as the emotional weight. Without spoiling who they are or what they do exactly, allow me to use one of the following sections to discuss how integral their respective roles are to The Bear.

The Cast and Crew of The Bear

FX on Hulu’s The Bear, which premiered at Tribeca, is created by Christopher Storer.

Matty Matheson serves as a co-producer. Tyson Bidner is a producer. Rene Gube serves as a co-executive producer. Joanna Calo, Josh Senior, Storer, Hiro Murai, and Nate Matteson serve as the executive producers of the series.

Merje Veski is the production designer, while Joanna Naugle is an editor. Andrew Wehde and Gary Malouf serve as directors of photography.

Jeremy Allen White portrays the series’ central protagonist, Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto. Ebon Moss-Bachrach plays the character’s “cousin”, Richard “Richie” Jerimovich; while Ayo Edebiri portrays Sydney Adamu.

Lionel Boyce portrays Marcus, while Liza Colón-Zayas portrays Tina. Richard Esteras also plays a chef in the restaurant. Abby Elliott plays Natalie “Sugar” Berzatto, Carmy’s sister; while Chris Witaske plays Pete, Sugar’s husband.

Edwin Lee Gibson plays a recurring character named Ebraheim, a chef at the restaurant. Matty Matheson plays Neil Fak. Corey Hendrix is credited in the series as well.

Performances and Character Developments

Whether you have seen The Bear premiere at Tribeca or are waiting for its release on Hulu, the primary protagonists make the show worth watching.

The emotional dynamic between White’s Carmy and Moss-Bachrach’s Richie is chaotic. Carmy is anal as a chef due to his conditioning in a kitchen away from Chicago, yet he still struggles to control the team following his loved one’s tragedy. It isn’t just the team that he has difficulty with, but also himself. The character deals with a lot of conflicts both internally and externally, and he is someone who suffers the most throughout the show. He endures much development over eight episodes as he learns to cope with loss and working in an environment that isn’t one of fine dining. Additionally, he can be reserved as a result of past trauma.

The one character who tests Carmy’s patience the most is Richie, who has his own cares and matters when it comes to running the restaurant. They do not get along well enough, and I could also attribute this to the dynamic between him and Sydney. Richie means well but just does not make the best decisions. (I also learned a few Italian words — such as stunad, scostumato, and mamaluke — from him, but that’s aside from the point). Of course, this is only due to the circumstances of the way things were prior to Carmy’s arrival. Still, he tends to get the job done whenever possible.

Edebiri’s Sydney is a team player and definitely means business. From the beginning of the season, she has to prove herself to the other chefs time and time again. However, by the finale, she reaches a point where she has earned the respect of, at least, four colleagues. Her path to such a point is not easy, and I admire her perseverance, even if there are tipping points here and there. She and Richie often clash in their opposing interests because of her aim for change, and this makes the working environment worse.

Secondary Characters

Colón-Zayas’s Tina is the motherly figure of the team, having worked at the restaurant for over two decades. Like Richie, she is initially adverse to change, and this is due to her experiences as a chef. However, as the show progresses, she learns that the environment will not be the same as it was with its previous owner. I enjoyed the actor’s performance in many of the season’s episodes. One that I want to highlight is the end of the “Ceres” episode,

Elliot’s Sugar is, well, sweet. She truly cares for Carmy and is inviting, especially with her presence. The character has her own matters to attend to; and to some extent, she does care for The Original Beef of Chicagoland. While she does has sufficient impact on Carmy, I only wish we had seen more of her in this first season to really get a feel for where she is coming from. Perhaps, this will happen if The Bear is to be renewed for a second season.

Guests

The first guest character’s appearance is brief, and I would have liked to see more of them in relation to Carmy’s past. This individual is heartless and the actor chosen for this role does excellently with what time they are allotted on-screen. (To tease this appearance, this specific actor has come from one of my favorite comedy television series of the past dozen years; and if you knew whom or what series I am referring to, you might just agree that they can bring a lot to the table.)

The second guest character has a huge involvement throughout the series, notably, the pilot, the following episode, and the fourth episode. I enjoyed them most of all in the “Dogs” episode, where they evoke chuckles and high spirits by the end. This is a character who is depicted as off-putting as much as the first guest role is. Although, I can say that they are akin to something of a less-harsh Tony Soprano.

The third guest role appears towards the end of the season and possesses the most impact on the restaurant. Many perceive the actor for this character to be fine in how they perform and present themselves on-screen. On one hand, I initially felt skeptical about their role and would have been better off not seeing their physical presence. However, on the other hand, I would like to see more of their spiritual influence on Carmy and Richie; and the same goes for the former two guest characters.

Final Thoughts on The Bear, Premiering at Tribeca

If you missed its premiere at Tribeca, stay tuned for its premiere on Hulu — The Bear is worth the watch. While I did get an early viewing of this first season, we do not get an intro credits sequence, save for the seventh episode. The series takes the troubles of a food-and-beverage profession in Chicago and adds emotion and comedy into the mix. Some episodes I personally loved are “Dogs”, “Ceres”, “Review”, and “Braciole”. Be sure to add this to your summer watchlist if you have a few hours to spare for binge-watching.

FX Networks’ The Bear is now available to watch at the Tribeca film festival, with all episodes of the first season premiering later via Hulu on Tuesday, June 23rd!

Are you at the Tribeca festival? Regardless, do you plan to watch this series? Let us know! For more comedy-related news and reviews visit and follow The Cinema Spot on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!