Now’s the Time To Binge FX’s Greatest Ever “Comedy” Series Before Season 5 Burns Up the Charts

You might have heard the chatter about whether The Bear is truly a comedy or not. It’s been classified that way at the Emmys every year, and has inspired a huge debate about a show that has some jokes, but is actually more of an intimate drama. The question has been raised: should there be a new category at the Emmys that’s specifically for dramedies — shows that don’t quite fall into one strict category or another? But when it comes to The Bear, there’s one thing that can’t be disputed: it’s truly a fantastic show that’s certainly deserving of a binge-watch if you haven’t seen it already.

What Is ‘The Bear’ About?

The Bear premiered in the summer of 2022 on FX on Hulu, and right away, viewers became obsessed with following the story of Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White). Carmy is a fine dining chef who has worked hard to create a respectable career in Michelin-starred restaurants. But, after the untimely death of his older brother, Carmy packs up his knives and returns to help run his family’s Italian beef sandwich shop lovingly called The Beef. Even though Carmy is an incredibly talented chef, he has no clue how to run this type of casual shop. His life is suddenly filled with stressors, including being responsible for resolving his brother’s debts and figuring out how to run a kitchen with a bunch of workers who are not exactly thrilled that he’s there. They’re argumentative, boisterous, and not interested in changing things, even if Carmy is. He hires a new sous chef named Sydney Adamu (Ayo Edebiri) to help him whip the business into shape, but they definitely have their work cut out for them.

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Let it rip!

Carmy’s biggest foes are the pseudo-manager of the restaurant, Richard “Richie” Jerimovich (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), who doesn’t want any aspect of his life to change, and Tina Marrerro (Liza Colón-Zayas), who takes umbrage at working for Carmy. In each of the first season’s eight episodes, we learn more about the people in Carmy’s life and the trauma that has occurred, which has made his story even more complicated and fraught with pain. Carmy is a tough nut to crack because he’s stuck in a cycle of self-punishment, but this is what makes his journey so deliciously intriguing. Four seasons in total have been released so far, with a fifth season on the way in 2026, and The Bear has only continued to make us feel even more connected to the Berzatto clan. Moments of levity are intertwined with some of the most heartwrenching scenes ever made for television, all resulting in a series that is completely compelling to watch.

‘The Bear’ Tells a Tension-Filled, Captivating Story

One of the most fascinating parts of The Bear is the way that creator Christopher Storer is able to capture extremely hyper-realistic scenes. Whether you’re back in the kitchen of a fast-paced, chaotic restaurant or face-to-face with an incredibly toxic, dramatic family, each element of the series allows you to feel like you’re right in the middle of the action. Even the subtly beautiful scenes where Storer shows Carmy making an elaborate dish lets the viewer enter into the world of fine dining (and just might make you appreciate the work that went into making your next meal). The storytelling style is super fast-paced at times, but there are also moments of intimacy that are quiet in their simplicity. The setting of Chicago also helps add another level of authenticity to the series, even featuring real-life chefs in the Chicago fine dining scene, which makes the storytelling even more true-to-life. All of these aspects work to create a tension-filled narrative that demonstrates how stressful and out of control Carmy’s life really is.

‘The Bear’ Features Many Impressive Guest Stars, From Olivia Colman to Brie Larson

Olivia Colman in The Bear Season 2Image via FX

The Bear has incredible writing and camera work, but the reason the show has been so successful is largely because of its actors. White is nothing less than a revelation as Carmy; he captures every single frustrated sigh and self-destructive habit with a heartbreaking vulnerability. It’s no surprise that this has been Edebiri’s break-out role. She offers the much-needed naivety and perseverance needed to make Sydney one of the best characters to watch, as she learns and matures. Moss-Bachrach has also been a delight to watch, especially as his character has grown so much over the past four seasons. (His work in Season 2’s “Forks” is particularly excellent.) Lionel Boyce has brought some necessary heart and kindness to the series as Marcus, and so much of the humor comes from real-life chef Matty Matheson as the lovable doofus Neil Fak. In fact, there are so many stand-out performances in this ensemble series that it’s actually hard to give everyone their flowers.

However, it’s not just the core cast that elevates The Bear. The series has become well-known for featuring a whole host of impressive guest stars, including everyone from Olivia Colman and Sarah Paulson to Bob Odenkirk and Brie Larson. But no praise of The Bear would be complete without lauding Jamie Lee Curtis as Donna Berzatto, who pops up starting in Season 2 as the matriarch of the Berzatto family. Curtis offers a performance that is both unhinged and emotionally delicate. In one episode (“Fishes” in Season 2), Curtis illustrates exactly why the Berzatto family is steeped in trauma, addiction, and grief. The episode serves as one of the most impressive in the entire series, perfectly nailing the over-the-top chaos that exists within a toxic, dysfunctional family, and this is in large part because of Curtis’ no-holds-barred, Emmy-winning performance.

Because the show is so high-caliber, it’s no surprise at all that it’s landed an astonishing 49 Emmy nominations and 21 wins in all. Many of the cast members have won awards, including White, Edebiri, Moss-Bachrach, Colón-Zayas, as well as several of the incredibly talented guest actors. Although there are 38 episodes out already, as soon as you step into The Beef, you’ll be completely drawn into this world, and watching every episode will be a breeze. The Bear always ensures that you are connected to these characters to an intense, yet always compelling degree, proving that it’s a truly remarkable series. The show has already been deemed one of the greatest television shows, and there’s still plenty of time for you to hop into the kitchen before Season 5 comes out next year.

Seasons 1–4 of The Bear are available to stream on FX on Hulu in the U.S.

Release Date

June 23, 2022

Network

Hulu

Showrunner

Christopher Storer

Directors

Ramy Youssef

Writers

Catherine Schetina, Alex Russell, Karen Joseph Adcock, Sofya Levitsky-Weitz, Stacy Osei-Kuffour