Claws of "The Bear"

("The Bear" and the Need for a Place to Belong)

The Bear" is a study in slow and unyielding agonies. That are as scarlet letters on the souls of those it inhabits.

And so it is for Richie and Carmy, bonded in pain and in the belief of the Sisyphean task of rising out of the mess that is their existence. When love miraculously enters Carmy's world, he cannot accept that he is worthy. Ultimately, in a scene that defines the tragedy that forever resides in the shadows for these characters, Carmy, physically and emotionally locked in, unable to escape to the good that awaits him, throws away his great opportunity, in an act of horrendous self destruction. Convinced he is not deserving of even fleeting happiness.

As for Richie, there is that moment where he learns to believe he is more than the sum of all his misery. Where there is a destiny out there that allows him some measure of comfort, of respect, of self worth. Where he can rise above the script that has been written for him. It permits him, and us, temporary respite from the unrelenting storm. 

The Bear, especially season two, is a brutal, often horrifying, journey into the heart of sadness, loneliness and despair. And both lead actors approach their roles with what is in some instances, an intensity reminiscent of Brando in "On the Waterfront". 

Sometimes, great writing intersects with those who carry the intention of the words into their portrayals. Here, two actors bear the weight of almost Shakespearean scars in every fiber of their being with enormous depth and unwavering clarity.

This is a show that is uncomfortable to watch. Unforgiving. And absolutely unforgettable.