I knew from the outset that "The Bear" wasn't a series I was going to be much inclined to like, but the glowing reviews won me over. While I don't regret watching the show, and acknowledge that it's extremely well made, I think I was right that "The Bear" is not to my tastes at all. The show follows Carmen Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), who has inherited a struggling Chicago sandwich shop after his brother's suicide, and has given up a career as a rising gourmet chef to try and keep the place afloat. He clashes with the restaurant's colorful staff, including his cousin Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), new sous chef Sydney (Ayo Edibiri), and long-timers Tina (Liza Colon-Zayas), Marcus (Lionel Boyce), and Ebrahim (Edwin Lee Gibson). He owes money to his uncle Jimmy (Oliver Platt), is avoiding his sister Sugar (Abby Elliott), and is still processing the death of his brother.
I don't know what it is exactly that puts me off of "The Bear." It's one of a steadily growing number of good half-hour dramas, very authentic in its portrayal of the restaurant business, very diverse, and features a nice mix of strong performances. Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edibiri are the standouts, easily carrying the bulk of the show, and never making me question for a second whether they knew what they were doing in the kitchen. However, this is a series with a lot of yelling and a lot of intensity, where the main character is constantly miserable, and everything seems to be going wrong all the time. The much lauded "Review" episode, shot all in one take, following the staff during a terrible day, is close to brilliant, but I found the material difficult to get through. Richie is a stereotypical aggressive asshole, cursing and provoking people constantly. Maybe I shouldn't have binged so much of "The Bear" at once, because the Safdie-esque level of anxiety it created really wore me down. I understand why people like the show, but personally I'll be approaching the next season with caution.
Meanwhile, "Only Murders in the Building" has returned for a new season. If you liked the first year, the second is about on par. This time Charles, Oliver, and Mabel are trying to solve the murder of Arconia board president Bunny Fogler (Jane Houdyshell), and Mabel is a prime suspect. Many of the famous guest stars from last season drop by again, and they're joined by plenty of new ones, including Amy Schumer, Shirley MacLaine, Michael Rapaport, and Cara Delevigne. The show's success has also emboldened the writers to push their characters in some new directions. Charles gets a new daughter-figure in teenage Lucy (Zoe Coletti), and a chunk of the mystery revolves around his shady father. Oliver is in crisis when his son Will's (Ryan Broussard) parentage is called into question. Meanwhile, Mabel confronts more painful events from her past, and gets a new love interest in an artsy newcomer played by Delavigne.
While being a hit show has its perks - like a snazzy, fully animated opening sequence, and the clout to attract bigger names - I worry that "Only Murders" might be getting a little too big too fast. The charm of its first season was in its oddball nature, having a pair of senior citizens team up with a sarcastic youngster, and make a go at being amateur detectives and podcasters. Everything in the second season feels much more calculated and polished. The cameos are more self-aware, and the plotting frequently overcomplicates itself, and big reveals are spaced out to try and deliver bigger moments. A lot of this comes at the expense of the main characters just getting to hang out and be silly or bored together. Instead, they're constantly being hustled along from one big calamity to the next, so the more casual character moments tend to get lost. Mabel goes through a lot this season, and it all feels rushed, despite ten episodes feeling like a few too many. The performers are good enough week to week that I didn't much mind, but "Only Murders" is frequently in danger of biting off more than it can chew.
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