The Bear gets the balance between atmosphere and story, sour and sweet, just right. At a time when big budget TV, with things such as House of the Dragon or The Rings of Power, has decided that more is more, The Bear is a real palate cleanser. It’s a masterpiece in reduction - and the sauce has bite.

This is a show created by people who recognize that our lives are a group project. No person is an island and we have to accept that in order to get anything done. Sometimes that process can feel like rough edges forever jabbing at your soft spots. When regular people — not a special ops unit or a group of superheroes — figure out a way to work toward a common goal? There’s nothing better. It gets me in the gut.

Whatever beef I had with how The Bear made me feel, it was hard to let go of the fact that it had made me feel, and deeply. ... A show that instantly had a sense of place, had clear conflicts and character arcs, and did not seem to be following any particular Peak TV playbook.

With a killer cast, strong writing, and an abundance of surprise guests there is no reason why "The Bear" shouldn’t be cooking a second season meal in the very near future.

The series does a good job of having us follow their story, get invested, and then have our hearts broken when things go wrong for them, all the while hoping that they will see success again.

From the performances to the directing, to the steady pacing of the episodes (eight in total), there’s a thoughtfulness to “The Bear” that keeps it from sinking into the pit of self-pity that keeps tempting everyone who walks through the kitchen door.

While “The Bear” may not be one of the best shows in the world, its own act of service is appreciated. Storer and Calo invite us into a fast-paced, high-risk world, hoping to entertain us; hoping we can empathize with those living in it; hoping their gesture is more than just a piece of filler in TV’s content machine. And it is, for those who enjoy a little heat.

Superb in every way—acting, script, direction, cinematography, music, the story itself. Episode 7 was my favorite, but every episode was a gem. Builds to a moving and fitting conclusion. Great work by all involved.

Excellent show, although there is a lot of profanity. Characters are kind of gritty but the idea of the show and its execution is worth binge-watching.

the editing is uneven the characters are a bit one dimensional. the writing is a bit sketchy. the cinematography is mediocre, the editing is not on point. the basic premise is interesting and the characters are mostly likeable. i wanted to like this show but it's disappointing.

The constant cuts, frenetic camera movement and the yelling not only are headache inducing, but they signify writing that is desperate to please without saying much. Every character is wound up and sent on a one dimensional path. It’s just poor writing. It’s a show where food is one of the focal points yet we’re only really shown flashes of what they’re cooking. The Bear is trying to tell a story an intimate story without ever taking a moment to let us in.

Yeah, I didn't get it. I get that's it's an "authentic" cinema verite type of behind the scenes look at culinary art & kitchen chef culture placed in a type of chicago italian beef sandwich shop you wouldn't typically think would have this sort of structure, but it's just not interesting enough to keep my attention for a 10 episode season. The backround story about the guys brother slowly revealing itself wasn't all that interesting either. I made it 5 episodes before I pulled the plug.