We can’t wait for The Bear to return tomorrow.
Season two of the Disney Plus comedy drama sees the return of all the characters that made the previous season so entertaining, but with a heavy dose of stress.
The show is famous for capturing the high-octave drama, fears, and warmth (in more ways than one) of working in a restaurant.
Jeremy Allen White is back on our screens as Carmy, a distraught, skilled chef who is hell-bent on reopening his restaurant The Bear after the family’s failing sandwich shop The Beef led to his late brother’s death.
Ayo Edebiri returns as Sydney, a passionate whippersnapper on the hunt for a Michelin star.
Neil Fak, portrayed by real-life Canadian chef Matty Mattheson, and broken soul Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) return as well.
Impassioned chefs Marcus and Tina continue their food discovery journey, expertly portrayed by Lionel Boyce and Liza Colón-Zayas.
But which actor is the best in the kitchen in real life?
‘Going in I was one of those people who couldn’t cook at all to save their life,’ the 32-year-old Loiter Squad star admitted with a chuckle.
Fortunately, Courtney Storer, the sister of filmmaker Chris Storer and a real-life chef, was on hand to give an accurate appearance of kitchen skill.
So much so that going out to dinner is now an adventure for Lionel, as chefs frequently try to engage him in impassioned conversation about cuisine before understanding he is, in fact, simply an actor.
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‘Sometimes they get excited and they start explaining food and then they realise, “Oh yeah, you’re not a real chef so you don’t know what I’m talking about,”‘ he explained.
But, unlike Lionel, there were a few capable hands in the kitchen, and the greatest of them all may surprise you.
‘Ayo already cooked a lot, so she was pretty good,’ explained Lionel, before admitting Matty – real life chef, producer, and the face of Neil Fak – doesn’t count.
But, while Richie is the series’ major chaos-driver, with his unwillingness to move on from the doomed old ways – and his rage issues – the man who portrays him, Ebon, is a bit of a wannabe chef in real life.
‘Ebon, who plays Richie, he cooked a lot,’ said Lionel. ‘He was the one who knew everything about every dish everyone was making.
‘He makes his own bread, so he would ask me, “What’s your hydration level?”
‘And I’d be like: “I don’t know, dude.” And he’d like make his own chili, he’d do a lot of things,’ Lionel explained.
Who would have guessed?
In season two, while Lionel’s Marcus travels on a culinary trip to Copenhagen, Richie stays primarily on the ground in Chicago, as the staff battles crumbling walls, growing costs, and a race against time to open The Bear.
Will they, however, be awarded a Michelin star? And will the club be able to pull together in time for an extremely impossible opening deadline?
Grow your nails, people, because season two is going to be a nail-biter.
Of course, we can anticipate a dash of The Bear’s typical humour and genuine warmth to keep us – and the on-screen crew – coming back for more.
The Bear is available to stream at Disney Plus on July 19.