Commentary: ‘The Bear’ Succeeds In The Absence Of Plot
by Frank Martin
Storytelling is a balancing act between many different factors. Historical fiction may want to focus on the setting of a certain time period while a character piece may want to work more on building up the individual players. But a plot always serves as the driving force. A setting can’t be expressed without things happening within it and characters can’t grow without challenges. But that doesn’t mean stories without a strong plot can’t be worthwhile. FX’s The Bear has such a slow pacing it feels as if its plot barely moves, and — in some cases — not at all.
A great example of this is the first episode of season three. The second season ended with Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) experiencing a very stressful night at his new restaurant, which ultimately caused tension between him and his girlfriend. But rather than pick up on this story, the episode consists primarily of flashbacks from the various chef jobs Carmy had over the years. It illustrates the dedication to perfection he exhibited time and time again as he sought to become an incredible chef under the tutelage of so many mentors.
As a standalone story, the episode is a work of art. It has a multitude of guest stars consisting of Will Poulter, Joel Mchale, and Olivia Colman. Each scene is acted perfectly and has a very specific purpose as it reveals Carmy evolving and growing as a chef dedicated to his craft. However, the episode did almost nothing to move the plot forward from the previous season’s finale. This episode dealt completely with characterization, allowing audiences to understand Carmy a little more and sympathize with his flaws. And in doing so, it sacrificed the larger plot as a whole, which is a definite tradeoff the show understands.
The Bear is now streaming on Hulu.