| The Bear | |
|---|---|
| Season 1 | |
 Promotional poster | |
| Showrunners | Christopher Storer Joanna Calo |
| Starring | |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Release | |
| Original network | FX on Hulu |
| Original release | June 23, 2022 (2022-06-23) |
| Season chronology | |
Next → Season 2 | |
| List of episodes | |
The first season of the Americancomedy-drama television seriesThe Bear premiered with all episodes on June 23, 2022, onFX on Hulu.Christopher Storer andJoanna Calo serve as showrunners for the season.Jeremy Allen White stars asCarmy Berzatto, an award-winning chef who returns to his hometown ofChicago to manage the chaotic kitchen at his deceased brother's sandwich shop. The supporting cast includesEbon Moss-Bachrach,Ayo Edebiri,Lionel Boyce,Liza Colón-Zayas, andAbby Elliott.
In March 2021,FX ordered apilot forThe Bear to be written and directed by Storer, and the series was given a full season order in October 2021. Filming for the season began in February 2022 in Chicago, and wrapped in March of that year. The season consists of eight episodes.
The season received critical acclaim. It received tenPrimetime Emmy Awards, includingOutstanding Comedy Series and acting wins for White, Moss-Bachrach, and Edebiri, making it the season of television with the most wins in a single year for a comedy series until the record was beaten by the series' second season. The season was the most-watched comedy series in FX's history.
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "System" | Christopher Storer | Christopher Storer | June 23, 2022 (2022-06-23) | |
In the summer of 2022,James Beard Award-winning chef Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto returns home to Chicago to manage The Original Beef of Chicagoland, a rundownRiver North restaurant owned by his brother Michael, who recently died by suicide. His brother's best friend, Richie Jerimovich, and the stubborn staff resist Carmy's efforts to modernize the restaurant. Carmy hiresCulinary Institute of America-trained chef and Chicago native Sydney Adamu, who wants to help him fix the restaurant because it was her father's favorite. | ||||||
| 2 | 2 | "Hands" | Christopher Storer | Christopher Storer | June 23, 2022 (2022-06-23) | |
In aflashback, Carmy works at afine dining restaurant in New York City where his boss verbally abuses him. In the present, Carmy attempts to overhaul the menu as he faces continued resistance from the staff members who fail to show him respect. Carmy's sister, Natalie "Sugar" Berzatto, attempts to help but struggles to connect with him. After ahealth inspector discovers multiple safety and sanitation issues, the restaurant is given a "C" rating. Carmy discovers how poorly the restaurant has been managed, and that his brother owed $300,000 to their family friend, Jimmy (referred to as "Uncle Cicero"). Cicero offers to buy the restaurant from Carmy, who refuses the offer but promises to pay back his brother's loan. Sydney wants to be paid as a propersous-chef. Richie reveals to Sydney that Michael wouldn't allow Carmy to work in the restaurant when he was younger and that he shot himself in the head four months earlier. | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | "Brigade" | Joanna Calo | Christopher Storer | June 23, 2022 (2022-06-23) | |
Carmy attends anAl-Anon meeting in an attempt to better understand his brother's struggles with addiction. At the restaurant, he introduces abrigade de cuisine-style kitchen and relies on the ill-prepared and increasingly frustrated Sydney to manage it. After initial failures, the staff begins to connect to their new roles – particularly Marcus, the passionate baker. Sydney confronts Carmy about being missing most of the day after not listening to her reservations about the new hierarchy. Carmy agrees that they need to collaborate and listen to each other if the business is going to succeed. | ||||||
| 4 | 4 | "Dogs" | Christopher Storer | Sofya Levitsky-Weitz | June 23, 2022 (2022-06-23) | |
Carmy and Richie cater a children's birthday party for Cicero. Carmy creates homemadeEcto cooler, which is accidentally spiked with Richie'sXanax, causing the children to fall asleep in the yard. When Carmy tells Cicero about the Xanax, Cicero responds that he actually doesn't mind the quiet. Meanwhile, Sydney butts heads but eventually bonds with the restaurant staff and begins to earn their respect. Marcus becomes passionate about his new chocolate cake program. | ||||||
| 5 | 5 | "Sheridan" | Joanna Calo | Karen Joseph Adcock | June 23, 2022 (2022-06-23) | |
To try to increase profits, Carmy and Sydney agree to create a new dinner menu. As they prepare to open for lunch, a toilet backs up. Carmy calls Fak, Richie's friend, to fix it. Fak wants to be an employee but his informal interview with Richie culminates in a fight which Carmy breaks up. Fak reveals that Richie has been selling cocaine in the alley behind the restaurant; Richie explains that this got the business through theCOVID-19 pandemic but agrees to stop. Marcus experiments with fermentation, but neglects his baking duties. As he rushes to catch up, he overloads the mixer and causes a fuse to blow. With the power out, the crew scramble to save their perishables. When Fak informs Carmy it will cost over $5,000 to replace a damagedcondenser, he asks Richie to get the money by selling cocaine one final time. Sydney saves the day by running an outdoor lunch service using a makeshiftbarbecue setup, causing her to reflect on her failed catering business. | ||||||
| 6 | 6 | "Ceres" | Joanna Calo | Catherine Schetina &Rene Gube | June 23, 2022 (2022-06-23) | |
Sydney develops arisotto meal for an upcoming dinner menu, but Carmy rejects it; Sydney serves it to a customer anyway. Natalie comes to the restaurant to figure out the restaurant's unpaid taxes and she and Carmy search for the missing documents. Marcus continues to work hard on developing donuts but finds himself behind on restaurant work. The restaurant has its windows shot out by stray gunfire, and Richie asks the local gangsters to find out who did it. Later, the gangsters get into a scuffle, which Sydney breaks up by offering them leftovers; Richie feels left out and unneeded because of Sydney's success and calls thepolice on the gangsters. | ||||||
| 7 | 7 | "Review" | Christopher Storer | Joanna Calo | June 23, 2022 (2022-06-23) | |
Ebraheim reads aloud a very positive review of the restaurant, which especially mentions the risotto that Sydney served (unknowingly) to a food critic. Tina's son gets suspended from school and she brings him to the restaurant to learn culinary skills. Just before the lunch rush, the team learns that Sydney left the preorder option active on their newly computerized to-go service, generating more orders than they can fill. Carmy gets angry with Sydney and Marcus. Sydney accidentally stabs Richie in the chaos and announces her immediate resignation as Carmy begins to mentally deteriorate. | ||||||
| 8 | 8 | "Braciole" | Christopher Storer | Christopher Storer & Joanna Calo | June 23, 2022 (2022-06-23) | |
Carmy attends an Al-Anon meeting and shares that he started in the restaurant business because his brother didn't let him work at The Beef. Sydney and Marcus meet at her apartment and discuss their futures after they both quit due to Carmy's outburst. The Beef hosts a bachelor party, where a fight breaks out and Richie is arrested for nearly killing a guest. The man recovers and Richie is charged withaggravated assault. Marcus returns to work and Carmy apologizes. Carmy accidentally starts a stove fire and takes no action, and the other chefs extinguish it. Richie gives Carmy a letter left to him by Michael, which includes a spaghetti recipe with the direction to use smaller cans of tomatoes because they taste better. Carmy opens one of the cans and finds hundred-dollar bills hidden inside; they close the restaurant for the day, open all of the cans, and find more hidden money. Sydney returns after Carmy sends her a text with an apology and suggestions for improvements to her risotto dish. Carmy hangs a sign announcing that The Beef is closed and that a new restaurant called The Bear will be opening soon. | ||||||
FX ordered apilot forThe Bear in March 2021, to be written and directed by series creator and co-showrunnerChristopher Storer.[2] In October 2021, FX greenlit the series for a full-season order, scheduled for a 2022 premiere date.[3][4] The season was produced byFX Productions (FXP), withHiro Murai, Nate Matteson,Joanna Calo and Josh Senior serving as executive producers.Matty Matheson, who portrays Neil Fak in a recurring role in the season, serves as a consulting producer.[5] The sandwich shop interior is copied from theChicago restaurantMr. Beef on Orleans Street, inRiver North. Storer was a frequent patron and a friend of the owner's son.[6]
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On May 21, 2021, it was announced thatShameless starJeremy Allen White would be starring in the pilot forThe Bear in the leading role, alongside co-starsEbon Moss-Bachrach,Ayo Edebiri,Lionel Boyce,Abby Elliott and Matheson.[7] In October 2021,Liza Colón-Zayas was announced to be joining the main cast, with Matheson andEdwin Lee Gibson starring in a recurring capacity.[8] The season features many guest stars, includingOliver Platt,Joel McHale andJon Bernthal.[9]
Storer wrote four of the eight episodes, and co-showrunner Joanna Calo wrote two. The rest of the episodes were written by Sofya Levitsky-Weitz, Karen Joseph Adcock, Catherine Schetina andRene Gube. The scripts for all the episodes in the season were submitted to theWriters Guild of America on May 6, 2022.[10]
Several scenes for the pilot were filmed on location at Mr. Beef, although a set was built for the kitchen scenes.[11] Principal photography for the season began in February 2022, and wrapped on March 31, 2022, in Chicago. Storer directed five of the eight episodes, with the other three being directed by Calo.[12] The seventh episode of the season, "Review," features an 18-minutelong take.[13]
According to cinematographer Andrew Wehde, episodes two through eight of season one were shot over 27 days (two fewer days than had been scheduled) with "about 18 days in that primary set [atCinespace Chicago], and then we were out at the original Mr. Beef and elsewhere around the city for the remaining eight or nine days."[14] The pilot was "shotwidescreen, 2:39."[15] According to Wehde, "We started realizing the pilot lived in its own world. The show was going to be its own thing. We shot tests before principal [photography] of season one, and we were pulling grabs of widescreen and1:85. It started to feel timeless at 1:85. We felt 1:85 worked great."[15]
The season released onFX on Hulu in the United States on June 23, 2022, with all eight episodes.[16] Internationally, the season became available to stream in theStar hub onDisney+.[17]
The first season ofThe Bear was the most watched program during the week of July 22, 2022,[18][19] and the second-most-watched program across all platforms during the weeks of July 3, and July 13, and July 17, 2022.[20][21][22] According toFX, the first season was the most-watched comedy series in the network's history.[23][24][25]
The first season received an approval rating of 100% with an average rating of 8.7/10, based on 80 critic reviews on thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes. The website's critics consensus reads, "Like an expertly confected sandwich,The Bear assembles a perfect melange of ingredients and stacks them for optimal satisfaction—and thankfully keeps the crust-iness for extra flavor."[26] Metacritic gave the season a weighted average score of 88 out of 100 based on 24 critic reviews.[27]
TheAmerican Film Institute named the first seasonone of the ten best television programs of the year.[28]The Guardian named the season number one of the best 100 TV shows of 2022, describing it as "the best workplace drama sinceMad Men".[29][30]The Bear appeared in the top ten on numerous publications' "Best of 2022" lists, including first forThe A.V. Club,BBC,People, andTVLine, among others.[31]
The season received critical acclaim, with multiple awards nominations and wins. The season won tenPrimetime Emmy Awards for its 13 nominations, making it the season of television with the most wins in a single year for a comedy series, until the record was beaten by the series'second season.[32] The following is a list of awards the first season ofThe Bear has been nominated for or won.
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | American Film Institute Awards | Top 10 Programs of the Year | The Bear | Won[c] | [28] |
| Gotham Awards | Outstanding Performance in a New Series | Ayo Edebiri | Nominated | [33] | |
| People's Choice Awards | Favorite Bingeworthy Show of 2022 | The Bear | Nominated | [34] | |
| 2023 | AACTA International Awards | Best Drama Series | The Bear | Nominated | [35] |
| Best Actor in a Series | Jeremy Allen White | Nominated | |||
| American Film Institute Awards | Top 10 Television Programs | The Bear | Won[c] | [36] | |
| Astra TV Awards | Best Streaming Series, Comedy | The Bear | Nominated | [37] [38] | |
| Best Actor in a Streaming Series, Comedy | Jeremy Allen White | Won | |||
| Best Supporting Actor in a Streaming Series, Comedy | Ebon Moss-Bachrach | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actress in a Streaming Series, Comedy | Ayo Edebiri | Won[d] | |||
| Best Directing in a Streaming Series, Comedy | Christopher Storer(for "Review") | Nominated | |||
| Best Writing in a Streaming Series, Comedy | Christopher Storer(for "System") | Won | |||
| Astra Creative Arts TV Awards | Best Casting in a Comedy Series | The Bear | Nominated | ||
| Best Guest Actor in a Comedy Series | Jon Bernthal | Nominated | |||
| Black Reel Television Awards | Outstanding Supporting Performance, Comedy Series | Ayo Edebiri | Nominated | [39] | |
| British Academy Television Awards | Best International Programme | The Bear | Nominated | [40] | |
| Cinema Audio Society Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Television Series – Half Hour | Scott D. Smith, Steve Giammaria, Patrick Christensen, Ryan Collison, Connor Nagy(for "Review") | Nominated | [41] | |
| Critics' Choice Awards | Best Comedy Series | The Bear | Nominated | [42] | |
| Best Actor in a Comedy Series | Jeremy Allen White | Won | |||
| Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Ayo Edebiri | Nominated | |||
| Directors Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series | Christopher Storer(for "Review") | Nominated | [43] | |
| Dorian TV Awards | Best TV Comedy | The Bear | Nominated | [44] [45] | |
| Best Supporting TV Performance – Comedy | Ayo Edebiri | Won | |||
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy | The Bear | Nominated | [46] | |
| Best Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy | Jeremy Allen White | Won | |||
| Golden Reel Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Broadcast Short Form | Steve "Major" Giammaria, Jonathan Fuhrer, Evan Benjamin, Annie Taylor, Leslie Bloome(for "Review") | Won | [47] | |
| Independent Spirit Awards | Best New Scripted Series | The Bear | Won | [48] | |
| Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series | Ayo Edebiri | Won | |||
| Ebon Moss-Bachrach | Nominated | ||||
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Comedy Series | The Bear | Won | [49] [50] | |
| Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series | Jeremy Allen White(for "Braciole") | Won | |||
| Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | Ebon Moss-Bachrach(for "Ceres") | Won | |||
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Ayo Edebiri(for "Review") | Won | |||
| Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series | Christopher Storer(for "Review") | Won | |||
| Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series | Christopher Storer(for "System") | Won | |||
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series | Jon Bernthal(for "Braciole") | Nominated | ||
| Oliver Platt(for "Dogs") | Nominated | ||||
| Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Program (Half-Hour) | Sam Lisenco, Eric Dean, and Emily Carte(for "System") | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series | Jeanie Bacharach, Jennifer Rudnicke, Mickie Paskal, AJ Links | Won | |||
| Outstanding Picture Editing for a Single-Camera Comedy Series | Joanna Naugle(for "System") | Won | |||
| Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation | Steve "Major" Giammaria, Evan Benjamin, Jonathan Fuhrer, Annie Taylor, Chris White, Leslie Bloome, Shaun Brennan(for "Review") | Won | |||
| Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation | Steve "Major" Giammaria, Scott D. Smith(for "Review") | Won | |||
| Producers Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Comedy | The Bear | Won | [51] | |
| Satellite Awards | Best Drama Series | The Bear | Nominated | [52] | |
| Best Actor in a Drama / Genre Series | Jeremy Allen White | Nominated | |||
| Set Decorators Society of America Awards | Best Achievement in Décor/Design of a Half-Hour Single-Camera Series | Eric Frankel, Merje Veski | Nominated | [53] | |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Lionel Boyce,Liza Colón-Zayas, Ayo Edebiri,Abby Elliott,Edwin Lee Gibson, Corey Hendrix,Matty Matheson, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Jeremy Allen White | Nominated | [54] | |
| Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series | Jeremy Allen White | Won | [55] | ||
| Television Critics Association Awards | Program of the Year | The Bear | Nominated | [56] | |
| Outstanding New Program | Won | ||||
| Outstanding Achievement in Comedy | Won | ||||
| Individual Achievement in Comedy | Ayo Edebiri | Nominated | |||
| Jeremy Allen White | Nominated | ||||
| Writers Guild of America Awards | Comedy Series | Karen Joseph Adcock, Joanna Calo,Rene Gube, Sofya Levitsky-Weitz, Alex O'Keefe, Catherine Schetina, Christopher Storer | Won | [57] | |
| New Series | Nominated | ||||
| Episodic Comedy | Joanna Calo and Christopher Storer(for "Braciole") | Nominated |
