Shameless Bears in the Windy City

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Who ISN’T watching The Bear on Hulu right now? Its second season just recently dropped on Hulu and the show is making all the lists of must-see TV. Robb and I started binging it this week and haven’t been able to stop. Fifteen seconds into the pilot you’ll know why. This isn’t one of those shows you casually dick around on your phone while watching. This is gripping, intense, and subtle art. It’s loud- set in the cacophany of a slammed classic sandwich shop in the River North area of Chicago- but a lot is accomplished in silent exchanges, extreme close-ups of faces, food. There’s a lot of thoughtful silence in the noise.

The characters come together shortly after the death by suicide of Michael, the owner of The Beef, the sandwich place the family has owned for years. His little brother, Carmen (“Carmy”) inherits the restaurant and comes back from a wildly successful run as head chef of some of the best restaurants in the world to run the shop and figure out what’s going on with his family. He hires a talented young chef and they figure out how to take The Beef and its fabulous crew to the next level The casting is PERFECT. The show is fast-paced and thrilling, and digs into some great character/mental health stuff. If you’ve ever worked in a kitchen, you’ll find yourself right back in the stress and excitement of it. This show WILL make you hungry, so be…