The Bear Returns With Cameos, Cursing, and a Cranky Carmy

Also: SOMEBODY HUG MARCUS.

The first two episodes of The Bear almost felt like a pointed response to the whole “The Bear is not a comedy” debate: Episode One is languid and gloomy, and Episode Two leaps back into the ensemble bickering and running jokes and precise cast rapport that had people chuckling as they bit their nails. It’s as if the show is saying, “We are whatever the fuck we want to be,” to use Richie’s and Carmy’s favorite word, and what it is so far is: a great argument for why Carmy needs to go on vacation and spend three months in therapy. This man is wound tighter than my hamstrings. He should at least try yoga.

I should have done a character rundown before this recap, as I did with Bridgerton, but I just didn’t have time. Also, please know that I just called it Beef before correcting myself. Beef is a show about angry people provoking and yelling at each other, and The Bear is a show about angry people provoking and yelling at each other while searing expensive protein and avoiding making beef …