In case you’re living under a rock, FX’s “The Bear” took the TV world by storm last year, seemingly coming out of nowhere and turning the whole cast and crew into rock stars, especially the series’ lead Jeremy Allen White, known from “Shameless,” but seemingly receiving a whole new career overnight thanks to the runaway and critical success of the show (nearly everyone who covers TV put it on their list of the Best TV of 2022, including us). “The Bear” also firmly put its creator/writer/showrunner/director Christopher Storer (“Ramy,” “Eighth Grade”) on the map. While he was known in some comedy circles for directing/producing/assisting friends like Bo Burnham and Jerrod Carmichael with their films and comedy specials, Storer is suddenly one of the most exciting talents in TV.
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The show centered on a young chef from the world of fine dining who comes home to Chicago to run his family’s Italian beef sandwich shop following the tragic suicide of his older brother, his hero. That brother also left behind debts, a rundown kitchen, and an unruly staff, all for the young chef to figure out all on his own while managing his grief and loss.
Season two of FX’s “The Bear,” the critically acclaimed original series, follows that chef again, Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), plus Sydney Adamu (Ayo Edebiri) and Richard “Richie” Jerimovich (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) as they work to transform their grimy sandwich joint into a next-level spot (arguably all three of them have been elevated to star status now as they’re all fantastic on the series). As they strip the restaurant down to its bones, the crew undertakes transformational journeys of their own, each forced to confront the past and reckon with who they want to be in the future.
Here’s the official synopsis:
FX’s new original series The Bear is about food, family, the insanity of the grind, the beauty of Sense of Urgency and the steep slippery downsides. As the young chef 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.
Of course, it turns out the only thing harder than running a restaurant is opening a new one, and the team must juggle the insane bureaucracy of permits and contractors with the beauty and creative agony of menu planning. The transition brings a newfound focus on hospitality as well. As the entire staff is forced to come together in new ways, pushing the boundaries of their abilities and relationships, they also learn what it means to be in service, both to diners and each other.
“The Bear” also features Lionel Boyce, Liza Colón-Zayas, Abby Elliott, Matty Matheson, Oliver Platt, and a guest appearance by Jon Bernthal. and joining this season, Molly Gordon, Bob Odenkirk, and Molly Ringwald. “The Bear” returns to FX and Hulu on June 22. Watch the new trailer below.