The Bear Is A Different Show In Season 2 - Here's What's Changed

If you're a casual viewer entering season 2 of "The Bear," you might be a little disorientated. What happened to the high-stakes kitchen conflicts? How come these characters aren't screaming at each other quite so often? We knew after the season 1 finale that things would be different going forward, but I don't think we were prepared for just how distinct things feel here. Instead of the anxious, claustrophobic sensation that once pervaded the show, the first few episodes of season 2 have a sense of much-needed calm.

After all, The Beef has closed down. Rather than jump straight ahead to the opening of their new restaurant, "The Bear" season 2 has chosen to take it slow and show us exactly how much time, money, and effort goes into achieving this goal. It's still stressful, sure, but the stress is no longer as immediate as it once was. Season 2 is all about giving the characters the chance to breathe, recover, and find their footing before opening day arrives. So, how have all the characters been handling this opportunity?

The season premiere features Carmy as focused as he's ever been. He knows that opening a new restaurant is probably a terrible idea, one that's bad for both his physical and mental health, but he'll stop at nothing to do it anyway. That even involves going into more debt with his Uncle Jimmy, a guy who's pissed to find out that Carmy found all the money Mikey owed him, but chose not to give it back. The premiere has Carmy make a short-sighted deal with the man, one that he'll probably come to regret by the end of the season: if he doesn't pay him back within 18 months, Uncle Jimmy gets to shut the new place down and sell it.  

Carmy is used to defying the odds, but this is a whole new type of business situation. With months before the restaurant opens, there's so much time for him to reconsider everything he's doing. Throughout the first few episodes, he talks to multiple people about how he knows he shouldn't do any of this, but again and again, he can't bring himself to take his own advice. 

But perhaps the biggest development for Carmy is the introduction of Claire (Molly Gordon), a girl from his past who clearly has the hots for him. We've often wondered if Carmy would ever get a love interest, and Claire certainly seems to be the potential answer to that question. But can Carmy even handle having a girlfriend right now? We'll just have to wait and see.

Like Carmy, Sydney badly wants to start a successful restaurant, but everything in the world is telling her not to do it. She literally falls through a wall in the season premiere, her father clearly thinks it'll be a disaster, and as her partnership with Carmy hits a few minor road bumps in the early episodes, we can see her doubts start to creep in. Although the two of them seemed to make amends in the season 1 finale, their partnership is still fragile. We've already seen how volatile things between them can get; if a blow-up happens again any time soon, it's easy to see Sydney wondering if a long-term partnership is even viable.

On the bright side, Sydney seems to be on peaceful terms with Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) so far this season. It turns out, there's nothing quite like stabbing a guy to help you let go of your resentment towards him. Richie seems to have forgiven her (at last partially) for the stab, and doesn't appear to be antagonizing her nearly as often, so that's a win. Meanwhile, Sydney's friendship with Marcus and Tina seems as strong and as wholesome as ever. Sydney might have a lot of uncertainty to deal with, but she's still got plenty of reasons to have hope.

Richie's first scene this season is of him quietly tearing up in the basement. Then, using some thinly-veiled metaphors, he confesses to Carmy that he feels like he's the most useless person in the group, and that he's afraid they'll all cast him aside once they realize he adds nothing of value. Unfortunately for Richie, there's little in these first few episodes to make him feel any better. He's routinely undermined by Marcus, Fak, Sugar, and pretty much everyone he interacts with. A scene where the ceiling collapses on him is almost certain to go viral as a sad reaction gif any moment now. Whereas season 1 Richie was loud and brash, season 2 Richie is mostly just sad and quiet. 

Meanwhile, Marcus is in a peaceful place. His obsession with baking the perfect donut is no longer quite as all-encompassing as it was during his worst moments in season 1, and it looks like he and Carmy have fully gotten over what happened in season 1's painful penultimate episode. It also looks like he's about to get the chance to experience some high-class dessert training; it would be a dream come true, if not for the fact that he's got some commitments at home.

Carmy's sister Sugar (Abby Elliott) is quickly offered a job in the season premiere as a project manager, a position that's both exciting and a massive commitment, one she's not sure if she should take. Just from the first episode, we can tell that the oft-neglected Berzatto sister will be given a lot more screen time this time around, going from a borderline-tertiary character in season 1 to a major player here. It's just nice to see her and Carmy getting some more sibling time together. 

Despite all the conflicts steadily brewing, early season 2 still has its main characters in some of the healthiest places we've ever seen them. The characters are rarely afraid to tell each other how they feel, and even though those conversations are tough and painful for the characters involved, they're all mostly taking each other's words to heart. ("Mostly" is the key word here.)

More than anything, season 2 is bold. It would've been so easy for the show to have given us a major time skip, one that took us right to the new restaurant's opening day so the show could return viewers to the same general format season 1 got us used to, but it didn't. "The Bear" chose to meaningfully change the status quo, giving its characters obstacles unlike anything we've seen them handle before. In season 1, Carmy and Sydney were just trying to get through their jobs one day at a time; now, they're getting the chance to think weeks and months ahead. It's a shift that shows itself in subtle ways, but it's a meaningful one nonetheless.

We have no idea what the long-term plan is for "The Bear," but in season 2 the writers have made it clear that this show is not a one-hit-wonder. Season 2 improves on the series in every conceivable way, and promises plenty more great seasons to come. 

"The Bear" season 2 is now streaming on Hulu.