The Bear

[Targaryen]

Just finished it yesterday.

One of the best dramedies I've seen on television in a while.

It should be the new Ted Lasso. Really hoping it gets picked up for a second season.

The brother who died (more accurately, blew his own brains out without leaving a suicide note after struggling with drug addiction and massive financial problems) is played in flashbacks by the tremendous Jon Bernthal (The Punisher). Their sister is played by Abby Elliott (daughter of Chris).

[Jack'sBucks]

I just got Hulu and was thinking about checking it out, but no thanks. Quite frankly, I find America's preoccupation with chefs and food to be highly disturbing.

I didn't make any friends here before when I posted about this, but America needs to go on a diet. The US obesity prevalence was 41.9% from 2017 to March of 2020. Nearly half of this nation is obese. And the economic and social impact of obesity has risen to nearly $1.4 trillion dollars, up from $976 billion in 2014.

I have a lady friend that's a doctor, and her ex-husband works as a surgeon at county. He's a busy man...lots of diabetic amputations...business is booming.

A few years ago I went to a music festival in Hollywood and saw Deep Purple, Alice Cooper and Edgar Winter. Great show, but I had to be relocated by the management because I had no where to sit. The people sitting on either side of me were huge...they literally overflowed into my seat.

The same thing happened to my wife and I at the LA Coliseum on Christmas Eve in 2016. We went to see the Rams play the 49ers and we couldn't sit in our seats. We were surrounded by San Francisco fans that weighed like 400 pounds. It was a nightmare. When the Coliseum was designed and built 100 years ago, people were much smaller. Those seats do not work for today's football fans.

American's should be eating to live, not living to eat. We're actually evolving into a different species. In the past 40 years, American's feet have increased an average of two full sizes to support our girth. I think that speaks for itself.

https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html

[Targaryen]

I just got Hulu and was thinking about checking it out, but no thanks. Quite frankly, I find America's preoccupation with chefs and food to be highly disturbing.

I didn't make any friends here before when I posted about this, but America needs to go on a diet. The US obesity prevalence was 41.9% from 2017 to March of 2020. Nearly half of this nation is obese. And the economic and social impact of obesity has risen to nearly $1.4 trillion dollars, up from $976 billion in 2014.

I have a lady friend that's a doctor, and her ex-husband works as a surgeon at county. He's a busy man...lots of diabetic amputations...business is booming.

A few years ago I went to a music festival in Hollywood and saw Deep Purple, Alice Cooper and Edgar Winter. Great show, but I had to be relocated by the management because I had no where to sit. The people sitting on either side of me were huge...they literally overflowed into my seat.

The same thing happened to my wife and I at the LA Coliseum on Christmas Eve in 2016. We went to see the Rams play the 49ers and we couldn't sit in our seats. We were surrounded by San Francisco fans that weighed like 400 pounds. It was a nightmare. When the Coliseum was designed and built 100 years ago, people were much smaller. Those seats do not work for today's football fans.

American's should be eating to live, not living to eat. We're actually evolving into a different species. In the past 40 years, American's feet have increased an average of two full sizes to support our girth. I think that speaks for itself.

https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html

That was an absolutely spot-on Bill Maher impression.

[Targaryen]

All ten episodes of Season 2 drop on Hulu this Thursday.

Should be great.

[Targaryen]

Guess I’ll need to jump on a quick Hulu trial. Glad they released them all at once.

Not released yet - they'll be available to stream at 11pm CT Wednesday night.

[Jack'sBucks]

I just got Hulu and was thinking about checking it out, but no thanks. Quite frankly, I find America's preoccupation with chefs and food to be highly disturbing.

I didn't make any friends here before when I posted about this, but America needs to go on a diet. The US obesity prevalence was 41.9% from 2017 to March of 2020. Nearly half of this nation is obese. And the economic and social impact of obesity has risen to nearly $1.4 trillion dollars, up from $976 billion in 2014.

I have a lady friend that's a doctor, and her ex-husband works as a surgeon at county. He's a busy man...lots of diabetic amputations...business is booming.

A few years ago I went to a music festival in Hollywood and saw Deep Purple, Alice Cooper and Edgar Winter. Great show, but I had to be relocated by the management because I had no where to sit. The people sitting on either side of me were huge...they literally overflowed into my seat.

The same thing happened to my wife and I at the LA Coliseum on Christmas Eve in 2016. We went to see the Rams play the 49ers and we couldn't sit in our seats. We were surrounded by San Francisco fans that weighed like 400 pounds. It was a nightmare. When the Coliseum was designed and built 100 years ago, people were much smaller. Those seats do not work for today's football fans.

American's should be eating to live, not living to eat. We're actually evolving into a different species. In the past 40 years, American's feet have increased an average of two full sizes to support our girth. I think that speaks for itself.

https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html

That was an absolutely spot-on Bill Maher impression.

Thanks! That's quite a compliment! I love Bill Maher!

[Targaryen]

Don't think this is particularly spoilerific, but holy (bleep) does Episode 6 go all in with the big name guest stars: Jamie Lee Curtis, Gillian Jacobs, John Mulaney, Bob Odenkirk, and Sarah Paulson all appear as part of the extended Berzatto family in this Christmas flashback episode (Jon Bernthal also features prominently reappearing as Carmy's older brother).

[Targaryen]

Season 1 was fantastic, and season 2 is even better. And I really don't get Dicktar's dislike of Abby Elliott - she's absolutely fine in her role, which appears to have expanded (literally and figuratively) this season.

Richie's character arc is the chef's kiss.

Fishes (Episode 6) is going to be widely regarded among critics as one of the best episodes of dramedy television produced in the 21st century. The season currently has a 100% RT rating and a 92 rating ("universal acclaim") on Metacritic.

The season finale demands another season - definitely left a few big storylines unresolved.

[Targaryen]

Don't really get Ronnie's criticism of the dialogue, it feels very authentic to me, maybe except when Sidney and Carm always keep talking over each other without ever actually communicating anything. That's pretty irritating. But overall the authenticity of the characters and their interactions is what sets this series apart. It's in Wire-tier for me in that aspect. Any elaboration on your complaint is welcome Ronnie.

Don't really know how to explain it. When the characters are talking and interacting regularly, I don't have a problem with it. When they're going back and forth really fast sometimes, whether it's joking around with each other or something, it just feels a bit too cutesy for me. It reminds me of Shia LeBeef in Transformers, just talking really fast. I don't know. Maybe I'm crazy.

I really do like the show, I should say. Not one of my favorites of all time or anything, but I think it's really good.

The dialogue in Fishes (AKA the Christmas episode) was extremely frenetic and at times pretty unsettling - you could feel the extreme tension during the dinner table scene right before Michael snapped. That said, Jamie Lee Curtis, Bob Odenkirk, and John Mulaney all nailed their guest appearances. One of the best ensemble television episodes I've ever seen.

[Targaryen]

Also, there is no way any 3 star restaurant is going to let Ritchie work the front of the house and keep that disgusting facial hair. A full, well-trimmed beard, maybe, but he looks like he just woke up on Tuesday morning of a weekend bender. (I realize that's in character, but all the more reason to have him shave to undscore his transformation)

Disagree. This is a staff photo from Alinea, one of the highest rated restaurants in America (and one of only two Michelin 3 star restaurants in the U.S. outside of NYC or California)... definitely some scruffy looking FOH staff in that picture (yes, I know the aprons are all BOH):



I think he looks fine, especially given that it's fine dining 2023, not fine dining 1983.



But yes, absolutely correct that it's silly that a restaurant of that caliber would be in the business of comping middle-class first timers who can only afford to eat like that once every few years.

[Targaryen]

I was getting nervous about how much time had passed without any word on the show's future, but very wisely, FX has officially renewed what is currently one of the best shows on TV for a third season...

https://ew.com/tv/the-bear-renewed-for-third-season

[stableG]

I would never have given this a 2d thought, if not for such a quorum of worthy likely predominantly non-oriental likely predominantly gentlemen. S01E01 on tap.

[Targaryen]

Filming for Season 3 begins February 26th, so hopefully we'll get more of the best show on television sometime later this year...

[Targaryen]

The dialogue in Fishes (AKA the Christmas episode) was extremely frenetic and at times pretty unsettling - you could feel the extreme tension during the dinner table scene right before Michael snapped. That said, Jamie Lee Curtis, Bob Odenkirk, and John Mulaney all nailed their guest appearances. One of the best ensemble television episodes I've ever seen.

It was exhausting, plus trying to figure out exactly who everyone was. Who was Sarah Paulson's character? A cousin right? And then her boyfriend, who people thought was gay, was John Mulaney. I could not figure out who Bob Odenkirk was until at least half-way through, I thought maybe the mom's new boyfriend before realizing he was their uncle. That episode was so insane, but you are spot on, they were all terrific in it. I can't even begin to think how hard that episode was to shoot. I think Jamie Lee Curtis gets an Emmy nod for her role, even though she was only in 2 episodes...she left quite a mark.

Lee Lane (Bob Odenkirk) is not an uncle of the Berzattos... he's Donna's on-again/off-again boyfriend. He's also in some sort of business partnership with Uncle Jimmy. His name is actually first mentioned in S2E1 by Uncle Jimmy when Carmy, Syd, and Sugar were pitching him on investing in the new restaurant. Carmy tells him about the money wads they found in the cans marked KBL and that he didn't know what KBL stood for. Uncle Jimmy told him it was Kalinowski (him), Berzatto, Lane (as in Lee from Fishes). Anyway, they call Lee "uncle" in the same way that they call Jimmy "uncle", in that neither one of them is actually related to the Berzattos. Sarah Paulson's character is in fact a first cousin of Carmy and Sugar (her last name is also Berzatto).

[Dicktar2023]

Ayo Edebiri hosted SNL last night and she was really great at it. She started in standup and it showed. It was the best episode of SNL in years.

She's a national treasure. She elevated SNL's writing, which has been bland and timid for years.

She and Ego Nwodim and Keenan Thompson should start their own show...or take over the SNL writers' room.

[Targaryen]

Season 3 will be releasing in...

JUNE 2024!

That's a super tight production schedule, considering they don't even start shooting the season until later this month. The head of FX says he expects that the episodes will again be released all at once, like the first two seasons.

https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/the-be ... 235906393/