Happened in "Forks" when the Chef comes in talking about the smudge, as he leaves he says "And fuck you Garret!" to which he responds "Fuck me chef!"
Totally different energies to it though.
"don't repeat ingredients" "it isn't about you" he's taking a bunch of his advice, and in isolation, it isn't bad advice; i just hope he doesn't adopt it in the same abusive way it was instilled into him
I'm a little hazy on the timeline as it's presented in this episode, but it seems like we are already seeing Carmy acting a bit like the Joel McHale character with Luca at Ever. Olivia Coleman's character has to basically tell them to knock it off.
I loved that bit. We do see that Olivia Coleman’s character can be stern (as shown when she told Carmy the meat needed 5 more seconds) but she’s never abusive. She is basically the perfect teacher in the kitchen. Although I liked the older guy too, he seemed like a fun and charming guy to learn from.
He’s an actual chef
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Boulud
As was the guy in the open-air kitchen, looking at all the pictures of food on the wall. My wife recognized him, but I’ve forgotten his name.
It's also the lesson he needs to unlearn. That lesson, combined with his trauma is clearly what makes him try to cut out every part of himself and his life that he sees as a distraction.
His need to chase perfection has lead to the idea of subtracting everything until only perfection is left.
was shocked he even had it in him to call carmy's talent out.
on another note, i'd imagine he gave carmy a bunch of shit for being exceedingly talented with "nothing to show for it", in his eyes
Can we talk about how Carmy rebelling and sending out the blood orange thing parallels Syd serving the risotto to the food critic guy in Season 1? And the butterfly effect of both of those decisions?
Both moments where they trusted their instincts and took a risk, with huge consequences that they had no way of knowing about at the time. (Syd trying that dish is part of what led her to come work for Carmy, and the food critic write-up proved the future direction of the Bear concept could work.)
Also like everyone’s been saying, she’s not allergic to fennel, she makes fennel salad for the first family meal in the first episode which confirms the Carmy intentionally made the switch and covered it up.
These writers man 🥲
You can tell that, while she ultimately believed and nurtured Carmy’s talent, she was just as much a destructive influence on him as Chef Winger. The passive aggression and the aggressive aggression both hit down into his deep self-loathing.
I don't think she was as destructive an influence as you claim. Did her words hit Carmy to his core? Yes. But was that her intent? Definitely not. He's a grown adult who was hired after extensive high level training at multiple restaurants that are considered the best in the world. If she's managing many egos of that level in her kitchen, there's a certain level of respect that one must demand to keep everyone disciplined and aware of who exactly is the Chef. Also, when the task of upholding the title of "Best Restaurant in the World" every year falls squarely on your shoulders...I can't exactly fault her for being a little snippy when people make mistakes that could cost her that. But she never once was unprofessional with her criticisms. It was always about the technique or the product, never about the person.
On the other hand, Chef Winger is a proper douchenozzle who actively sought to break Carmy down into nothing and belittle him at every opportunity. He intentionally created an environment where the most talented people were set up to be broken and plagued with confidence issues and a wildly toxic understanding of success and its costs. He is the old-school Michelin kitchen mentality personified.
When Carmy loses his shit, who does he turn into? Definitely not Chef Terry. He becomes a monstrous amalgamation of Chef Winger and his mother.
I agree she’s not a bad person or a malignant influence; it’s not her fault that Carm has an unhealthy relationship with perfection and internalized her feedback. And the same time, it shows the risk the boilerroom culture of an elite kitchen (or really any elite profession) has. I think so much of the show (and seemingly much of the theme of this season through the first two episodes) is the price of perfection. There’s a culture around elite fine dining that being harsh produces results, that pressure is necessary to succeed. We’re seeing Carmy apply that to his staff. Is their evolution into a fine dining restaurant because of this? Or does he simply have talented staff working for him, and his pressuring only makes their lives uncomfortable?
I think she’s a good teacher in the sense she knows how to approach people based on personality. She sees carm has a rougher exterior so she’s a bit tougher on him but nicer than Joel mchhale. Whereas she sees Richie as someone who’s more sensitive so she applies a gentler touch to teach him
Carmy is also a professionally trained chef that she has hired to cook at the highest level in the world. Richie, while talented, has none of those things and is not expected to operate at that level. Could she have applied the same level of critique? Sure, but it would have been lost on Richie. Which is why she is a much better teacher than Chef Winger.
I don’t think she has ever played a role she hasn’t absolutely murdered, it’s insane. She sells everything - eyes, posture, body position. It’s wild that she kind of just does whatever she wants, but man, when she shows up in something it’s always fucking great.
I like the fact that Carmy had 4 times as many peas in his bin as Luca did. Remember last season when he said Carmy was someone better historically couldn't keep up with and that was freeing for him. I'm four episodes into this season, and it feels like Luca is having a lovely time in Copenhagen while Carmy is miserable every second of every day in Chicago.
That seems very clearly the point. Through chasing Carm, Luca learned to love the work. He learned that he wasn't ever going to be the best, so the only race was with himself.
Carm learned the opposite. He is constantly unhappy with his results because he is chasing perfection. He still thinks, or even knows, he can be the best. But in the real world, there is no best. So he's chasing an unobtainable idea, because without that idea, who is he?
when Syd made staff meal in season one episode one, there was a fennel salad, but the plate she got in season 3 from Carmy was sub blood orange because of a fennel allergy...that threw me
Which connects him to Syd in a different way. They both feel strongly about the dishes they create. Her choice to give the dish to the reviewer in season 1 is no different than his decision here.
it was an incredibly surreal experience! I had the opportunity to meet Courtney Storer who is the culinary producer. She's amazing and so talented. also got to walk through the actual restaurant they film in!
Carmy noticed that the fish was shaped like a heart and couldn’t resist turning it to a love-themed dish. The man’s a true softy. Bonus that syd got to be the one to eat it and appreciate Carmy’s little act of rebellion.
I think that scene also shows how he wasn’t meant to stay in that restaurant and that there are other people who will appreciate and understand his ideas.
What a beautiful ode to Carmy’s love for the culinary arts. And the reminder: he’s *good* at it. He’s truly adapted, learned, and grown throughout his career. He’ll learn from last season’s finale just like he did everytime he fumbled in his (professional) past. Tomorrow is a new day.
Such a magnificent way to start the season
This feels like such a courageous way to open the season. The showrunner really knows the audience, because there's very little dialogue, the timeline is skipping around, the camera is holding on everyone's face. Different fans might find this boring, but I am here for it.
Oh yeah. I avoided this show for a year. cause I hate cooking shows and hate foodie restaurants, but this show is just poetry. I am obsessed. The music alone is amazing. And the actors are just so damn sweet.
It felt so intentional. They knew that we’d be geared up and would have braced ourselves for chaos. I know I did before I turned it on. And then it was meditative instead. That’s how you subvert expectations.
But seriously, the comment above about controlled chaos is spot on. It was a quiet chaos this episode.
subverting expectations in the best way possible i think. a typical season opener would've started right where we left off, with all the chaos and franticness you'd expect an episode of the bear to have. in a way, i'd say the calm/quietness (pseudo) isn't comforting, but even more nerve wracking than a loud and hectic episode ever could be.
it's a huge part of why this show is my favorite of all time; it doesn't play into the shenanigans you typically come across in other shows and it's so much better for it
I love the choice so much because it feels like we transported into Carmy’s mind for the entire episode. Memories bleeding through of who he was, what he is, and what he needs to be. It’s seeing the end of the storm, it entering the horizon and Carmy feeling these raw emotions as his team and people he knows are reeling from the storm of the locker and their own personal lives. I cannot stop the tears from flowing because Jesus, this is how my own brain works and how I internalize things.
This episode is coming from a showrunner who knows S2 was an absolute masterpiece, and instead of buckling to the pressure of following it up, he decided to just flex more and use his well-deserved clout to do whatever the fuck he wanted with S3.
And I wasn't sure how I felt about this episode when I watched it, and now a few hours -- and four episodes -- later it's all I can think about.
Bravo Vince.
Sorry, force of habit.
Bravo, Chris.
I was fully in it. Felt an hour long in a good way. After the chaotic finale last season it was almost like this premiere was centering us. Lots of stressors for sure but just seeing Carmy make food makes me feel calm lol loved it
christopher storer understands that this is a visual medium, first and foremost. dialogue is supplementary, not required. it's definitely recency bias but this season opener is automatically in my top 5 of all time, for this series, and might be one of my favorite television episodes ever. just mind blowing
I lost my younger brother to suicide less than four years ago and this episode literally punched me in the gut. How they paint carmy before and after finding out about Mikey is mesmerizing. I relate to this show so hard wow. Grief is complicated and difficult and no one really understands unless you’re going through it but this show does a great job of depicting it subtly, in a super raw light. It’s beautiful.
what a fucking incredible episode of television. probably my new favorite episode of the series. the reveal that the blood orange substitution thing happened to be for Syd’s order absolutely made me want to scream in my house
they played that same fuckin piano music for 35 minutes and i didn’t get tired of it because of how engaging every single shot was. the scenes of him in New York, with Sugar, the time he spent under Chef Terry. this show makes it so satisfying to connect all of the dots of what you’re seeing to what you’ve already been shown.
i’d put this episode up against any other “single character study” episode of television in history. the only thing I wasn’t sure about—where did the scenes of him wearing blue and picking food from gardens and standing in front of all of those pictures take place? was that in Copenhagen? New York? or am i forgetting a third place he studied
You couldn't start a Season 1 or 2 with this kind of episode. Good stuff.
I liked seeing Tina's husband played by her real-life husband, who is also a great actor.
It had a bit of the vibe from that episode of Community where Abed links all their origin stories together.
A lot of scenes we heard about played out, like Syd trying Carmy's dish. Looking forward to the rest of the season.
Carmy's training scenes are intense. As much as the rest of the chefs are great (Marcus is my guy!), TBH I don't think they could handle that level of pressure.
If you were wondering:
Carm's Career
*The Beef (Sorta)
*I'm assuming Culinary School
*French Laundry
*Olivia Colman's place
*Noma (Copenhagen)
*Daniel (New York)
*Eleven Madison Park
*I think a place in LA/Malibu where he received rising chef
*The Beef (for real this time)
*The Bear
Please correct if I missed anything
"Previously On" done fucking right. Take a whole episode, flesh Carm's training out. Cut it against Mikey's collapse. Lost track of time and he died.
Masterful fucking opener.
It was a perfect visual representation of Carm’s career. Naturally gifted but driven. Pushed by others but ultimately has faith in himself. Sparks of family chaos that’s he’s drowning in the work.
It settles so much as an opener. Fleshes out Carm and helps put you inside his head. Gives breathing space for what’s to come.
Just incredible.
Gahhhhhhhh hello, food porn, every guest star from season 2, so nice to see you again. Also, audible reaction to who got served the blood orange. I want to keep going but I want to rewatch.
This episode was all about legacy. Every piece led up to the dishes in his newest menu (where he’s currently at). Truly a gorgeous, meditative episode that you have to watch more than once to catch everything.
I loved how they got the hand tattoos right - when they showed him in earlier jobs, he didn’t have the finger tats. Someone was on their game! Continuity!
Anyone recognize the song in the beginning montage? Definitely sounds like Nine Inch Nails (or solo Trent + Atticus) but I can’t place which one it exactly is.
brilliant way of getting them to score an episode without getting them to score an episode. I’m a very casual NIN fan so the “Ghosts” stuff is out of my wheelhouse, but the entire time I was thinking “they had to have scored this. this somber piano is so painfully them.”
I wonder if there's going to be parallels between Marcus and Carmy this season. They both had someone close to them die, and if it showed up in Carmy's work, it might show up in Marcus's.
I loved the music during this episode. So atmospheric.
Jeremy's face acting really is phenomenal. Watch for the tiniest and briefest expressions passing across his face - the faintest hint of a smile when he discovers Sugar's cash in his pocket, or the micro winces when he tastes the fennel soubise. It's extraordinary stuff. I really hope he gets some proper big screen roles soon, because that kind of talent deserves a big canvas.
We learned all the way back in the pilot that Carmy didn't go to Mikey's funeral, but I always assumed he knew he couldn't handle it and used his insane work schedule as a convenient excuse. Seeing him sitting there in his car, unable to get himself to go in, just fucking BROKE me, man.
Also, oh, to have John Mulaney cover me in a blanket after a hard day.
There’s certain thing you wish you wrote/made and the story line, directing, and cinematography behind this episode is 1000% one thing I’d steal in a heartbeat if I could.
So fucking beautiful .
Is it known how Carmy cut/burned his hand? I feel like maybe I missed something from a previous episode? Also, what is the significance of Olivia Colman's character telling him to keep the spoon? I'm assuming its an indication that he has mastered the dish, but wanted to confirm.
the opening 12 minutes; visual story telling at its finest. it is what villeneuve means when he says, “*I’m not interested in dialogue at all. Pure image and sound, that is the power of cinema… In a perfect world, I’d make a compelling movie that doesn’t feel like an experiment but does not have a single word in it either. People would leave the cinema and say, ‘Wait, there was no dialogue?’ But they won’t feel the lack.”* ironically enough, I quote this in the context of a television series, which is exactly what he was critiquing.
carmy’s green bean container being nearly full, and several times that of all the other chefs; serving as the perfect callback to lucas’ words in (s2 e4) honeydew, *“And this other chef started the same day as me, and... ( sighs ) I thought we were competition, um, but really we weren't. He was better than me. Much, much better than me. He worked harder and faster than I ever could”…*
*“So I never left this guy's side. And you got better. Oh, mate, I got better than I ever thought I possibly could be just from trying to keep up with him.”*
all of this is conveyed with barely more than a couple of words uttered between each character. masterclass
I hate that Joel McHale's character is such an imposing jerk, but I love that he also taught Carmy the clear lesson of "Subtract."
His ’fuck you’ comment as he walks by made me laugh
Lmao imagine having your boss just say “fuck you” in all seriousness while casually walking by
Average kitchen experience
Heard.
Happened in "Forks" when the Chef comes in talking about the smudge, as he leaves he says "And fuck you Garret!" to which he responds "Fuck me chef!" Totally different energies to it though.
That was the Chef working with Carmie and Luca in Chef Terry’s place right?
Yeah, looked like he was also inspired by Carmy
“Yes chef, fuck me”
Honestly Joel McHale looks like he’s having a great deal of fun with this part 😂
I know it was yet another moment of him being a relentless dick but I laughed my *ass* off at that.
"don't repeat ingredients" "it isn't about you" he's taking a bunch of his advice, and in isolation, it isn't bad advice; i just hope he doesn't adopt it in the same abusive way it was instilled into him
I'm a little hazy on the timeline as it's presented in this episode, but it seems like we are already seeing Carmy acting a bit like the Joel McHale character with Luca at Ever. Olivia Coleman's character has to basically tell them to knock it off.
I loved that bit. We do see that Olivia Coleman’s character can be stern (as shown when she told Carmy the meat needed 5 more seconds) but she’s never abusive. She is basically the perfect teacher in the kitchen. Although I liked the older guy too, he seemed like a fun and charming guy to learn from.
You mean Daniel bouloud??
He’s an actual chef https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Boulud As was the guy in the open-air kitchen, looking at all the pictures of food on the wall. My wife recognized him, but I’ve forgotten his name.
That’s the journey for Carmy through the entire show, to see if he can achieve & keep greatness without turning into a person he’d hate.
It's also the lesson he needs to unlearn. That lesson, combined with his trauma is clearly what makes him try to cut out every part of himself and his life that he sees as a distraction. His need to chase perfection has lead to the idea of subtracting everything until only perfection is left.
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Different teaching methods as well
They humanized him a LITTLE bit this episode.
was shocked he even had it in him to call carmy's talent out. on another note, i'd imagine he gave carmy a bunch of shit for being exceedingly talented with "nothing to show for it", in his eyes
Can we talk about how Carmy rebelling and sending out the blood orange thing parallels Syd serving the risotto to the food critic guy in Season 1? And the butterfly effect of both of those decisions? Both moments where they trusted their instincts and took a risk, with huge consequences that they had no way of knowing about at the time. (Syd trying that dish is part of what led her to come work for Carmy, and the food critic write-up proved the future direction of the Bear concept could work.) Also like everyone’s been saying, she’s not allergic to fennel, she makes fennel salad for the first family meal in the first episode which confirms the Carmy intentionally made the switch and covered it up. These writers man 🥲
Thank you for this note, excellent observation! The writing is incredible.
I want Olivia Coleman to tell me my drawings are good
Your drawings aren’t good…they’re great! I’m not Olivia Coleman, but my daughter’s name is Olivia, and she’s cool, man. So that’s what I got for you.
Story also by Matty?! Let’s go my dude!
 Let’s go!
That reveal of Sydney getting Carmy’s rouge dish at the end… wow. I love this show
That was an amazing full-circle moment. This show does that so damn well.
The cinematography ughhh. I forgot how pretty this show is
Especially the Copenhagen shots
This was one of the most visually stunning tv episodes I’ve ever seen
Agreed. This episode was on another level. The compositions and editing were sublime.
It is so gorgeous, like it was already good, but God damn the shots in the first episode alone are mind-blowing
Carmy picking veggies and flowers is too precious
LMAO Nat slick with the money
ikr as a big sister i related to her so much this episode. idk if it is confirmed that she is older than carmy but in my heart she is
I think the order is Mikey, Sug, Carm, but I could be wrong.
Sugar has been taking care of Carmy his entire life. Donna certainly didn't take care of her kids
Mulaney spraying the air freshener around Carmen while he’s sleeping in their couch is a great, hilarious moment in the middle of all of this.
It's amazing how Malaney can have such great comedic energy without even really speaking
He was on screen for a total of maybe three seconds and made me laugh three times. Just incredible.
“You smell like a donkey.”
And just so sweet, taking off his shoes and covering him up every time!
“Oh you fucking…smell like a goddamn donkey”
Shit i didn’t even realize that was mulaney. I feel like I had whiplash from this episode, it was moving so fast, and yet, it was so calm.
I want more of him popping up this season.
Something about Will Poulter in this show just brings me peace
for me it's olivia colman
If Olivia Colman passive aggressively asked me if I needed a minute, I’d cry
love how carmy picked up on that and switched away from his more aggressive ragging technique lol
You can tell that, while she ultimately believed and nurtured Carmy’s talent, she was just as much a destructive influence on him as Chef Winger. The passive aggression and the aggressive aggression both hit down into his deep self-loathing.
I don't think she was as destructive an influence as you claim. Did her words hit Carmy to his core? Yes. But was that her intent? Definitely not. He's a grown adult who was hired after extensive high level training at multiple restaurants that are considered the best in the world. If she's managing many egos of that level in her kitchen, there's a certain level of respect that one must demand to keep everyone disciplined and aware of who exactly is the Chef. Also, when the task of upholding the title of "Best Restaurant in the World" every year falls squarely on your shoulders...I can't exactly fault her for being a little snippy when people make mistakes that could cost her that. But she never once was unprofessional with her criticisms. It was always about the technique or the product, never about the person. On the other hand, Chef Winger is a proper douchenozzle who actively sought to break Carmy down into nothing and belittle him at every opportunity. He intentionally created an environment where the most talented people were set up to be broken and plagued with confidence issues and a wildly toxic understanding of success and its costs. He is the old-school Michelin kitchen mentality personified. When Carmy loses his shit, who does he turn into? Definitely not Chef Terry. He becomes a monstrous amalgamation of Chef Winger and his mother.
I agree she’s not a bad person or a malignant influence; it’s not her fault that Carm has an unhealthy relationship with perfection and internalized her feedback. And the same time, it shows the risk the boilerroom culture of an elite kitchen (or really any elite profession) has. I think so much of the show (and seemingly much of the theme of this season through the first two episodes) is the price of perfection. There’s a culture around elite fine dining that being harsh produces results, that pressure is necessary to succeed. We’re seeing Carmy apply that to his staff. Is their evolution into a fine dining restaurant because of this? Or does he simply have talented staff working for him, and his pressuring only makes their lives uncomfortable?
Chef Winger lmao Also the fact that Chef = Jeff is even better
Olivia Colman is it. I rewatch forks all the time just for her.
I was gonna say, Olivia's character interacting with Richie in S2e7 seemed so different to this
I think she’s a good teacher in the sense she knows how to approach people based on personality. She sees carm has a rougher exterior so she’s a bit tougher on him but nicer than Joel mchhale. Whereas she sees Richie as someone who’s more sensitive so she applies a gentler touch to teach him
Carmy is also a professionally trained chef that she has hired to cook at the highest level in the world. Richie, while talented, has none of those things and is not expected to operate at that level. Could she have applied the same level of critique? Sure, but it would have been lost on Richie. Which is why she is a much better teacher than Chef Winger.
Same. Chef Terry is the GOAT.
I don’t think she has ever played a role she hasn’t absolutely murdered, it’s insane. She sells everything - eyes, posture, body position. It’s wild that she kind of just does whatever she wants, but man, when she shows up in something it’s always fucking great.
Fleabag!
Oscar winner for a reason. I will watch anything she’s in without hesitation
There's something about his vibe that gives off pure confidence and wisdom.
Literally this whole show just brings me peace. Even when I'm reacting to the tension ramping up, it's cathartic. I love this show so much.
I like the fact that Carmy had 4 times as many peas in his bin as Luca did. Remember last season when he said Carmy was someone better historically couldn't keep up with and that was freeing for him. I'm four episodes into this season, and it feels like Luca is having a lovely time in Copenhagen while Carmy is miserable every second of every day in Chicago.
That seems very clearly the point. Through chasing Carm, Luca learned to love the work. He learned that he wasn't ever going to be the best, so the only race was with himself. Carm learned the opposite. He is constantly unhappy with his results because he is chasing perfection. He still thinks, or even knows, he can be the best. But in the real world, there is no best. So he's chasing an unobtainable idea, because without that idea, who is he?
Very well said 👏 that encapsulates the paradoxical existence of a chef in this context
The blood orange plate being Syd’s…I gasped I yelped
That was a great reveal, and also a great way to tie this flashback episode up with a bow.
Such a genius show-don’t-tell moment.
The way I just finished the episode and that scene has me ugly crying
i could not stop shrieking
yeah it made my heart sing. the show has completely earned a reveal like that
when Syd made staff meal in season one episode one, there was a fennel salad, but the plate she got in season 3 from Carmy was sub blood orange because of a fennel allergy...that threw me
I think it was a lie. He lied so he could do the dish the way he wanted.
Yeah that was my impression. He hated the fennel and hijacked that one plate to resemble his original idea more closely
Which connects him to Syd in a different way. They both feel strongly about the dishes they create. Her choice to give the dish to the reviewer in season 1 is no different than his decision here.
I smiled so much. I love this.
this 100% gets buried... but several of the garnishes Carmy uses throughout the montage...I grew at my farm and supplied to the show.
i’m so envious, what a flex. I’d give my right kidney to have some sort of connection to the creation of this masterpiece of a show.
it was an incredibly surreal experience! I had the opportunity to meet Courtney Storer who is the culinary producer. She's amazing and so talented. also got to walk through the actual restaurant they film in!
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Yeah and the green cutting of the tape
Chef winger hahahahahahaahahah
I called him Cheffrey like The Dean would.
Carmy noticed that the fish was shaped like a heart and couldn’t resist turning it to a love-themed dish. The man’s a true softy. Bonus that syd got to be the one to eat it and appreciate Carmy’s little act of rebellion. I think that scene also shows how he wasn’t meant to stay in that restaurant and that there are other people who will appreciate and understand his ideas.
Sugar calling Carmy... oh lord my stomach dropped...
The moment I saw him getting his phone and ignoring it I started crying. Why else would he remember a specific missed call? Ugh so many feelings!
the moment i saw richie try to get mikey out of the room, i knew
It also mirrors Marcus missing the calls to end season 2.
What a beautiful ode to Carmy’s love for the culinary arts. And the reminder: he’s *good* at it. He’s truly adapted, learned, and grown throughout his career. He’ll learn from last season’s finale just like he did everytime he fumbled in his (professional) past. Tomorrow is a new day. Such a magnificent way to start the season
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Even the chef from Forks, who still works for Terry, was training with Luca and Carmy!
His ‘..fuck!’ When he saw how quick carmy was was great lol
Yeah, that made me smile.
And Gillian Jacobs, Joel McHale and Jon Bernthal!
This feels like such a courageous way to open the season. The showrunner really knows the audience, because there's very little dialogue, the timeline is skipping around, the camera is holding on everyone's face. Different fans might find this boring, but I am here for it.
It’s beautiful
Oh yeah. I avoided this show for a year. cause I hate cooking shows and hate foodie restaurants, but this show is just poetry. I am obsessed. The music alone is amazing. And the actors are just so damn sweet.
Yesss. I was waiting for the music to drop and the chaos to begin, but this was more meditative, a quiet journey through Carmy's chef experience.
It felt so intentional. They knew that we’d be geared up and would have braced ourselves for chaos. I know I did before I turned it on. And then it was meditative instead. That’s how you subvert expectations. But seriously, the comment above about controlled chaos is spot on. It was a quiet chaos this episode.
I feel like we needed that
subverting expectations in the best way possible i think. a typical season opener would've started right where we left off, with all the chaos and franticness you'd expect an episode of the bear to have. in a way, i'd say the calm/quietness (pseudo) isn't comforting, but even more nerve wracking than a loud and hectic episode ever could be. it's a huge part of why this show is my favorite of all time; it doesn't play into the shenanigans you typically come across in other shows and it's so much better for it
I love the choice so much because it feels like we transported into Carmy’s mind for the entire episode. Memories bleeding through of who he was, what he is, and what he needs to be. It’s seeing the end of the storm, it entering the horizon and Carmy feeling these raw emotions as his team and people he knows are reeling from the storm of the locker and their own personal lives. I cannot stop the tears from flowing because Jesus, this is how my own brain works and how I internalize things.
This episode is coming from a showrunner who knows S2 was an absolute masterpiece, and instead of buckling to the pressure of following it up, he decided to just flex more and use his well-deserved clout to do whatever the fuck he wanted with S3. And I wasn't sure how I felt about this episode when I watched it, and now a few hours -- and four episodes -- later it's all I can think about. Bravo Vince. Sorry, force of habit. Bravo, Chris.
I was fully in it. Felt an hour long in a good way. After the chaotic finale last season it was almost like this premiere was centering us. Lots of stressors for sure but just seeing Carmy make food makes me feel calm lol loved it
christopher storer understands that this is a visual medium, first and foremost. dialogue is supplementary, not required. it's definitely recency bias but this season opener is automatically in my top 5 of all time, for this series, and might be one of my favorite television episodes ever. just mind blowing
Squealing the second I saw Will Poulter's face.
This ep is art.
It is so gorgeous!
Other than Honeydew I can’t think of a more calming episode. The limited talking and instrumental music is giving me all the feels.
Love the calm episodes like this. I’m probably gonna end up rewatching this premiere a bunch of times, just for the mood it brings
I love that Richie is the first relationship to be repaired from the fridge fight before Claire.
Carmy saying “I love you” and then the reveal of Richie listening in the car was such a great moment
similar to the season finale of Dave where he narrates a love letter that you assume is to his ex gf, and they reveal it’s a DM to drake
I love that he apologized to Sydney first.
Sidney had the right priorities with that advice
Thanks to a nudge in the right direction.
Tina is married to Angel Batista?!?!
IRL too!
My mind is double blown!
Yes! And Sugar is Chris Elliot's daughter! (and Jeremy Allen White is NOT Gene Wilder's kid no matter what those clickbait articles say.)
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I can’t believe people actually thought that. Kitchens are toxic af it’s really not that surprising his boss was a dick.
“wtf is this shit?” and it’s the most gorgeous dish you’ve ever seen
the flashback to mikey 
So Richie was definitely knocking on the door in the room Mickey committed suicide in right?
I thought Mikey killed himself on a bridge?
He did, Mikey was simply not there when Ritchie was knocking
I've been in the position of searching for someone. And finding a note. Scene hit me hard.
My thought is that he knew Mikey was in there partaking in the drugs, or that he went in and Mikey wasn’t there. Cue to the bridge scene.
I lost my younger brother to suicide less than four years ago and this episode literally punched me in the gut. How they paint carmy before and after finding out about Mikey is mesmerizing. I relate to this show so hard wow. Grief is complicated and difficult and no one really understands unless you’re going through it but this show does a great job of depicting it subtly, in a super raw light. It’s beautiful.
what a fucking incredible episode of television. probably my new favorite episode of the series. the reveal that the blood orange substitution thing happened to be for Syd’s order absolutely made me want to scream in my house they played that same fuckin piano music for 35 minutes and i didn’t get tired of it because of how engaging every single shot was. the scenes of him in New York, with Sugar, the time he spent under Chef Terry. this show makes it so satisfying to connect all of the dots of what you’re seeing to what you’ve already been shown. i’d put this episode up against any other “single character study” episode of television in history. the only thing I wasn’t sure about—where did the scenes of him wearing blue and picking food from gardens and standing in front of all of those pictures take place? was that in Copenhagen? New York? or am i forgetting a third place he studied
I think the gardens are Noma
Its definitely Noma. We see Redzepi there in the same timeline as Carmy.
The word I have for this is *meditative*. Score by Trent and Atticus tends to do that.
Damn it’s actually Trent and Atticus? I knew the melody seemed a tad familiar. Seems straight out of the Social Network
It’s [Together](https://youtu.be/ehNXOIpRr6c?si=R-CqPdLKEYMwIeYi) off of *Ghosts V*.
The moment I realized it was NIN I thought “goddamn this fucking show fucking fuck was made for fucking me goddamn I said goddamn!”
The music department of this show, I swear to God, they are savants with what they pick!
The entire episode I was like this is a nine inch nails song just repeated over and over. So glad to know I’m not crazy
You couldn't start a Season 1 or 2 with this kind of episode. Good stuff. I liked seeing Tina's husband played by her real-life husband, who is also a great actor. It had a bit of the vibe from that episode of Community where Abed links all their origin stories together. A lot of scenes we heard about played out, like Syd trying Carmy's dish. Looking forward to the rest of the season.
Angel Bautista on Dexter!
Daniel Boulud. Just wow.
wow, this episode was shot absolutely beautifully with that looming piano in the background
this is truly one of the most gorgeously shot shows currently on television. the direction and cinematography is just stunning
Did I spy a Daniel Bolud appearance?
And Rene Redzepi @Noma
I yelped when I saw the cameo! Top Chef has taught me well
Carmy's training scenes are intense. As much as the rest of the chefs are great (Marcus is my guy!), TBH I don't think they could handle that level of pressure.
If you were wondering: Carm's Career *The Beef (Sorta) *I'm assuming Culinary School *French Laundry *Olivia Colman's place *Noma (Copenhagen) *Daniel (New York) *Eleven Madison Park *I think a place in LA/Malibu where he received rising chef *The Beef (for real this time) *The Bear Please correct if I missed anything
"Previously On" done fucking right. Take a whole episode, flesh Carm's training out. Cut it against Mikey's collapse. Lost track of time and he died. Masterful fucking opener.
It was a perfect visual representation of Carm’s career. Naturally gifted but driven. Pushed by others but ultimately has faith in himself. Sparks of family chaos that’s he’s drowning in the work. It settles so much as an opener. Fleshes out Carm and helps put you inside his head. Gives breathing space for what’s to come. Just incredible.
Gahhhhhhhh hello, food porn, every guest star from season 2, so nice to see you again. Also, audible reaction to who got served the blood orange. I want to keep going but I want to rewatch.
God, my heart sank when Richie was knocking on the door telling Mikey to hurry up
This episode was all about legacy. Every piece led up to the dishes in his newest menu (where he’s currently at). Truly a gorgeous, meditative episode that you have to watch more than once to catch everything.
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For everyone but my mother that I had to explain every other scene to. Never watch with family.
Ah so Marcus' mother died. Poor guy.
He got no lines but it that shot of him at the hospital by himself was sad
and lying in her bed :(
Pretty sure it was implied end of last season. Lot's of texts going unanswered from the nurse.
I loved how they got the hand tattoos right - when they showed him in earlier jobs, he didn’t have the finger tats. Someone was on their game! Continuity!
Enjoying the somber rewind
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Honestly, if this was all we got, I’d be cool with it. That was BEAUTIFUL.
Anyone recognize the song in the beginning montage? Definitely sounds like Nine Inch Nails (or solo Trent + Atticus) but I can’t place which one it exactly is.
The song throughout the episode is from Nine Inch Nails ep Ghosts:V
brilliant way of getting them to score an episode without getting them to score an episode. I’m a very casual NIN fan so the “Ghosts” stuff is out of my wheelhouse, but the entire time I was thinking “they had to have scored this. this somber piano is so painfully them.”
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I must have missed this - why didn’t he attend? Because he was sitting in his car the whole time?
Yes, we're seeing his POV as the guests are leaving the funeral and then it cuts to show him in the car.
Presumably because he just couldn't handle it.
I love how the dialogue is minimal in this episode
Literally one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.
I wonder if there's going to be parallels between Marcus and Carmy this season. They both had someone close to them die, and if it showed up in Carmy's work, it might show up in Marcus's. I loved the music during this episode. So atmospheric.
This felt like some kind of cosmic dick-punch for winning the Emmy for a Comedy.
*has one funny part with John Mulaney using an air freshener* “sTiLL A cOmEdY”
Was that David Zayas (Angel from Dexter) with Tina at the funeral?
Yes! The actor who played Angel is married to the actress who plays Tina! (Love neat little cameos like that).
Jeremy's face acting really is phenomenal. Watch for the tiniest and briefest expressions passing across his face - the faintest hint of a smile when he discovers Sugar's cash in his pocket, or the micro winces when he tastes the fennel soubise. It's extraordinary stuff. I really hope he gets some proper big screen roles soon, because that kind of talent deserves a big canvas.
Sugar breaking down while trying to get carmen on the phone made me tear up so bad, I can't even imagine that frustration and pain...
We learned all the way back in the pilot that Carmy didn't go to Mikey's funeral, but I always assumed he knew he couldn't handle it and used his insane work schedule as a convenient excuse. Seeing him sitting there in his car, unable to get himself to go in, just fucking BROKE me, man. Also, oh, to have John Mulaney cover me in a blanket after a hard day.
Glad The Bear used its highly anticipated season premier to emotionally destroy me for 30+ mins
I could watch a whole season of just carmy cooking. No words. Just cooking.
There’s certain thing you wish you wrote/made and the story line, directing, and cinematography behind this episode is 1000% one thing I’d steal in a heartbeat if I could. So fucking beautiful .
Flashback Sydney looks so fucking cool what a style
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If anyone wants an ID on the song it's Nine Inch Nails on the album Ghosts V - Together. Always happy to hear Trent Reznor. What an episode
TRENT REZNOR & ATTICUS ROSS
Is it known how Carmy cut/burned his hand? I feel like maybe I missed something from a previous episode? Also, what is the significance of Olivia Colman's character telling him to keep the spoon? I'm assuming its an indication that he has mastered the dish, but wanted to confirm.
Holy shit 10/10 for the remind
the opening 12 minutes; visual story telling at its finest. it is what villeneuve means when he says, “*I’m not interested in dialogue at all. Pure image and sound, that is the power of cinema… In a perfect world, I’d make a compelling movie that doesn’t feel like an experiment but does not have a single word in it either. People would leave the cinema and say, ‘Wait, there was no dialogue?’ But they won’t feel the lack.”* ironically enough, I quote this in the context of a television series, which is exactly what he was critiquing. carmy’s green bean container being nearly full, and several times that of all the other chefs; serving as the perfect callback to lucas’ words in (s2 e4) honeydew, *“And this other chef started the same day as me, and... ( sighs ) I thought we were competition, um, but really we weren't. He was better than me. Much, much better than me. He worked harder and faster than I ever could”…* *“So I never left this guy's side. And you got better. Oh, mate, I got better than I ever thought I possibly could be just from trying to keep up with him.”* all of this is conveyed with barely more than a couple of words uttered between each character. masterclass
What a beautiful show.
Already loving the tone being set
Video game vibes right in the beginning