When Shameless wrapped its tenure on TV in 2021, the series left a void in the landscape of content. Sure there are other sitcoms out there that delve into dark comedy about dysfunction and chaos. However, how many could one realistically name that were based in Chicago and featured a familiar face TV watchers have attached to the genre? Then came along The Bear on Hulu.
The Bear’s freshman season has received a heap of good reviews from critics. The off-beat and gritty comedy had received a score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes as of July 13, and The Atlantic calls it "a gorgeous show, riddled with moments of short, sharp beauty." So if you haven’t started watching the series, now would be a good time to start.
Here’s everything we know about The Bear season 1.
How to watch The Bear in the UK and US
In the US, all episodes of The Bear season 1 are available to stream on Hulu. Either an ad-supported or ad-free subscription to the platform will get you access to the hit comedy.
After what seems like an age we hear that The Bear is finally making its way to the UK. Unsurprisingly (given it's on Hulu in the US) The Bear hits Disney Plus UK on 5 October.
What is The Bear about?
FX and Hulu describe The Bear plot as the following:
"The Bear follows Carmen 'Carmy' Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), a young chef from the fine dining world, who comes home to Chicago to run his family sandwich shop – The Original Beef of Chicagoland — after a heartbreaking death in his family. A world away from what he’s used to, Carmy must balance the soul-crushing realities of small business ownership, his strong-willed and recalcitrant kitchen staff and his strained familial relationships, all while grappling with the impact of his brother’s suicide.
"The Bear is about food, family, the insanity of the grind, the beauty of sense of urgency and the steep slippery downsides. As Carmy fights to transform both The Original Beef of Chicagoland and himself, he works alongside a rough-around-the-edges kitchen crew that ultimately reveal themselves as his chosen family."
The Bear episode outline
The Bear season 1 has eight episodes:
Episode 1: "System"
"Carmy attempts to retrain the employees of The Original Beef of Chicagoland but faces resistance. In need of backup, he brings on a talented young chef to help."
Episode 2: "Hands"
"A surprise health inspection reveals the cracks in the restaurant's foundation. Carmy goes head-to-head with Richie."
Episode 3: "Brigade"
"Carmy attends Al-Anon. Sydney struggles to gain the respect of the staff."
Episode 4: "Dogs"
"Carmy and Richie cater a kid's birthday party. Tina and Sydney work together. Marcus makes donuts."
Episode 5: "Sheridan"
"Things go wrong in the kitchen. Sydney finds solutions."
Episode 6: "Ceres"
"Richie notices the neighborhood is changing. Sugar and Carmy clean up the office."
Episode 7: "Review"
"Tensions rise, and the kitchen's having a bad day."
Episode 8: "Braciole"
"Things get out of control. Carmy is faced with a decision."
The Bear cast
The Bear cast is led by Shameless actor Jeremy Allen White. White has also starred as Joseph Shrier in Homecoming, Josh in The Rental and Tommaso in The Birthday Cake.
Rounding out the main cast of the series are Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Girls, The Punisher), Ayo Edebiri (Big Mouth, Hello, Goodbye and Everything in Between), Abby Elliott (Cheaper By the Dozen, Search Party) Lionel Boyce (The Jellies!) and Liza Colón-Zayas (David Makes Man, In Treatment). Also featured in recurring roles are Edwin Lee Gibson (Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty) and Matty Matheson (Workin’ Moms).
Is there a The Bear trailer?
Hulu has supplied us with multiple teasers for The Bear, giving us a flavor of what's to come in the series. (Food-based puns seem to write themselves.)
