When you think of Chicago, you might think of deep dish pizza, the Bean, or the mafia. But, you know what else takes place in Chicago? The hit Hulu series The Bear. 

This award-winning series follows the fictional Michelin-star chef Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) as he takes over his late brother’s sandwich shop: The Original Beef of Chicagoland. The show currently has two seasons with a combined total of 18 episodes, and the filming of a third season has begun. 

To start off, I’d like to talk about the show’s character acting. Jeremy Allen White portrays a stressed, grieving chef perfectly, really capturing the emotion of his situation throughout the series. According to IMDb, he studied for a few weeks in a culinary school before filming, a true method actor. 

Carmy’s sous chef Sydney Adamu (Ayo Edebiri) is also phenomenal in the series. Her amazing acting was recognized at the 2024 Golden Globes where Edebiri won Best Actress in a Television Series (Musical or Comedy).

The show depicts Carmy’s transition from fine dining to diner in a way that is so real and authentic, I had no choice but to sympathize with the character, even though he yells at everyone practically all the time. The Bear is so good at depicting stressful situations in a believable way that I actually had to pause the show a few times and remind myself none of it was real before continuing.

I also really enjoyed the visuals of the show. It’s definitely what I would call a “pretty” show. The lighting, costuming, and set design is realistic and visually appealing, and I could tell a lot of work was put into it. Overall, I give The Bear five out of five stars. It’s definitely a stressful show and requires a lot of attention when watching, but it’s absolutely worth the watch. I will definitely be returning to this series when the new season comes out and I’m excited to see what happens next. I’d recommend this show to anyone who enjoys comedy, drama, and character development.