To be “seen” by a television show or movie is a special feeling. With stories that are based in the “real” world especially, audiences will oftentimes find themselves relating their own personal experiences to the triumphs and struggles being played out on screen. For current and former members of the restaurant industry, this feeling becomes all too real when watching Hulu’sEmmy award-winningseriesThe Bear. Known for itsanxiety-inducing scenesdepicting the chaotic atmosphere of modern fine dining establishments,The Bearproves to be anextremely cathartic, or contrarily quite traumatic, viewing experiencefor the viewers who relate to its characters the most.
The recently droppedthird seasonis no exception to this hyper-realistic style of storytelling, which depicts Carmy Berzatto(Jeremy Allen White) navigating his way through some of the most mentally exhausting parts of his work as a chef after opening his restaurant at the tail end ofSeason 2. As one may imagine, the negative effects on mental health from working in this restaurant don’t just plague the head chef. This struggle can be seen throughout all the varied perspectives ofThe Bear’s electric cast, from front of house workers to the team running the finances. It is obvious that any series of this caliber relies on a sort of dramatization of real life scenarios to keep viewers engaged, but audience members who understand the show’s setting the best havechampionedThe Bearfor its authentic and accurate depiction of working in restaurants.
Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto, a young chef from the fine dining world, returns to Chicago to run his family’s sandwich shop after a tragedy. As he navigates the chaotic environment of the small kitchen, Carmy must manage the struggles of turning around the failing business while dealing with his own grief and personal demons. The series dives deep into the intense world of culinary arts, highlighting the challenges of running a restaurant, the bonds formed among staff, and the relentless pursuit of perfection.
‘The Bear’ Takes Inspiration From Some of the World’s Most Famous Chefs
Knowing that some of the characters from the show arebased on real life chefs and industry professionals, it comes as no surprise that many restaurant workers have extremely complex feelings when sitting down to binge the high-stress, hyper realistic stories told inThe Bear. Despite not having a considerable amount of screen time or role in the present day events of the show, David Fields (Joel McHale) has become iconic to fans ofThe Bearsince he first appeared in Carmy’s flashback sequences in Season 1. Many of Fields' scenes depict Carmy’s time training under him at his restaurant in New York City, where he would oftentimes fall into verbally abusive arguments about the quality of Carmy’s work. The character is loosely based on the real life and work of Chef Thomas Keller, who is widely known for changing the fine dining space through his exquisite restaurants. Although depicted as a rather mean person, Keller is better known for his notion of a"sense of urgency"andexpectation of perfectionin his kitchens, which are both traits reflected by McHale’s character in the show. In fact,The BearcreatorChristopher Storereven released a short documentary about the high-stakes environment that Keller fosters in his restaurants, ultimately inspiring many of the aspects found in the character David Fields.
Not all the characters based on real life chefs inspire a sense of dread in Carmy though, asOlivia Colman’s tender depiction of Chef Terry proves throughout her short appearances on the show. Chef Terry is a unique mix of inspiration fromAlice WatersandMarcella Hazan,two real-life chefs who Storer regards aschanging the male-dominated fine dining industrythrough a morecompassionate and elegant style of leadership. In the show, and particularly in Season 3, Chef Terry offers a fresh approach to mentoring through behaving in complete opposition to the male chefs in the series. Colman’s character serves as a gentle and welcome reminder that although the realities of the industry can be demanding and harsh at times, there are many people throughout the food world who arededicated to kindness and inspiring the future generation of chefs.
‘The Bear’ Season 3 Review: Chef, This Story Is Undercooked and Underseasoned
This is not what I ordered.
‘The Bear’ Is Not Just Realistic, It Can Even Be Triggering
For any style of worker, seeing a reflection of the worst parts of your job on screen can stir up emotions that will not always be positive. For the world ofThe Bearin particular, the feelings ofanxiety and urgencyfound in the shows most celebrated moments certainly leave lasting impressions on members of the audience who understand those feelings on a much deeper level than a more casual viewer. Bon Appétit contributor and ChefGenevieve Yamrecounted the viewing experience as traumatic, even going as far as to say that the scenes depicting David Fields berating Carmy"could have been lifted straight from my memory.“She also compares Carmy’s experiences in Michelin-starred restaurants to her own, where she experienced verbal abuse that mirrors many of the instances of such in the show. For viewers like Yam, watchingthe showproves to be such a realistic reflection of their own experiences that the triggering emotions brought on by it lead them to abandoning the series all together.
Yam is not the only industry professional to speak about this sort of viewing experience, asreported by multiple chefs inThe Seattle Times. ChefLogan Coxof Homer and Milk Drunk in Seattle described the show as “kind of triggering for me” and even described a physical reaction of eye twitching during scenes that reminded him of opening his own restaurants. Another Chef,Melissa Mirandaof Musang, similarly described some of the scenes as triggering despite feeling “seen”. It is clear that although The Bear does not stray from emphasizing the intensity of certain scenarios through dramatization, the creators of the show have clearly dedicated a lot of time togaining a clear understandingof the environments they are trying to recreate on the screen.
Professional Chefs Hope ‘The Bear’ Helps Foster a Better Future For Restaurants
Likethe characters inThe Bearwhose love for the craft remains intact despite their seemingly never ending struggles of working in restaurants,many chefs ultimately find hope in what real world implications of the show may look like.According toWayne Johnsonof the restaurant FareStart, the show “really leans on the changes that kitchen cultures today are striving for — [many] including myself have been working on changing the dysfunction of the toxic kitchen life for decades.” The exploration of mental health, inclusivity, and workplace misconduct in the show, while tough to watch, allow for a much wider look into the real lives of food professionals than many cooking shows in popular culture. With the show onlygaining in popularity, it is safe to assume that any viewers currently working in the restaurant industry will beforced to reckon with the many toxic parts of their community being portrayed.
The creators ofThe Bearare aware of the very real world feeling this show posses, and are intentional in the way they depict conflict and resolution among its characters.In an interview with Variety, Culinary Producer and ChefCourtney Storerexpresses how important it is to everyone working on the show to show a very real depiction of problems that arise in this style of work and more importantly, how they are addressed. She also stresses the importance of essential characters likeSydney,Tina, andNatalie, who each offer qualities and perspectives that not only pushThe Bearout of its toxic tendencies, buthighlight the importance of championing these types of professionals in the real world. As audiences watch the way the restaurant is run in the show changes and adapts to new ways of thinking, it is the hope of the industry that these changes are also reflected in the real world.
Not unlike any other television show, moments fromThe Bearmay appear to be melodramatic or detached from the experiences of real life working chefs on the surface. But for audiences who can relate to the material the most, it is an almostpainfully accurate depiction of all the highs and lows of the culinary world. Whilst each individual’s experience is different, it is clear that the creators of the show are steadfast in their dedication to providing a precise portrayal of what life is like for many (but not all) professionals in the fine dining industry. With many of the most popular cooking shows on television being rooted in ahighly manufactured competition, it is safe to say thatThe Bearstands head and shoulders aboveits competitorsin its realism and authenticity.
