The Bear – Season 2 Episode 1 “Beef” Recap & Review

Beef

Episode 1 of The Bear’s new season begins with Marcus visiting his sick mother in the hospital. The sombre start is definitely foreshadowing something upcoming in this season. As we know from the last season, The Beef has now been closed down and Carmy and his team are now opening up a new restaurant called “The Bear.” The stacks of money they found in the tomato cans – Jimmy Cicero’s, which Michael never deposited in the bank – will now be put to use. For the revamp, they will have to change almost everything, from the utensils to the drywall.

Sydney invites Sugar to become a Project Manager and help out with the restaurant. She says she will think about it and Carmen believes she should join them. Carmen realizes Richie is in need of help and support. The man nearly beat a man to death in the finale of season 1 and is going through some stuff. He wants to know “his purpose” in life, in the same way that Carmen’s purpose is fine dining. Sugar notifies Carmen that to get a new license, they will have to take care of an IRS stipulation. Sydney comes in at the same time and tells Carmen that the gas is temporarily off until the new hoods get fire suppression tested.

While retrieving the “paint from the crawlspace,” Richie triggers a piercing alarm that he cannot turn off. That adds to the chaos and tension floating through the soon-to-be The Bear. Carmen, Sugar, and Sydney meet with Jimmy and tell him about the money. Michael actually had plans to start franchising the business. That is why he didn’t deposit the money. Cicero is bemused as the trio is not offering him his money back but asking for more – a hefty $500,000 – to open their new restaurant.

Carmen senses he is losing Jimmy and makes a preposterous offer. He offers to repay all the money – $800,000 – in 18 months. If he cannot, Jimmy can buy the lot and the building, which would instantly sell for at least $2 million. Sugar and Sydney are not onboard but Carmen is desperate. Jimmy accepts the deal but that is when Carmen learns of the reality. The Bear will, in the best-case scenario, take at least 6 months to open. It will take eight months for them to be profitable – barely. They have got to be jam-packed from day one. It is a race against time.

When discussing new personnel, Sydney suddenly gets a realization and asks Tina to be her new sous chef, since Carmy will now be in charge of executive work and Sydney is the new CDC (Chef de cuisine).  She gets teary-eyed and excitedly says yes.

The big takeaway from episode 1, as Sydney points out to Carmen, is to get the permits before they can think of anything else. Although everyone leaves early, including Carmen, the episode ends with himself, Sydney and Sugar coming back to the restaurant and drawing up plans to open in 3 months and not six. Is that a terrible idea? Only time will tell!

The Episode Review

It is almost like The Bear never left. Season 2 picks up right off from where we left off last year. With the same beats, tense atmosphere, fast editing, and problems stacking up one after the other, The Bear is back. The challenge for our chefs is huge. Some would call it insurmountable. But those people would be pessimists and our chefs are anything but. They get a new lease on life, or rather a death wish, with Jimmy’s money infusion.

Expect this season to be even more chaotic as the ending of episode 1 throws an expedited opening up of The Bear. Sugar’s involvement and Richie’s acknowledgement of his problems will make Carmy feel at home. It will be interesting how the character arcs develop from here on in. A perfect start, then!