Everything We Know About The Bear Season 2 And The Return Of The Thrilling Kitchen Drama
"The Bear" season 1 combined comfort with chaos, providing an entertaining yet unnervingly realistic look behind the scenes of a struggling Chicago sandwich shop. The only other thing I've seen capture the fraught energy of a busy kitchen was 2021's "Boiling Point" — a film that, much like Episode 7 of "The Bear," was shot in one long take. But we're here to talk TV — specifically "The Bear" season 2, which is set to arrive later this year.
Jeremy Allen White's Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto will return to continue his journey from fine dining chef to running his late brother's "restaurant," The Original Beef of Chicagoland. The show's first eight episodes saw Carmy turn his insubordinate staff into something resembling a functioning kitchen staff, with the first season of "The Bear" ending on a positive note as the embattled business owner discovered a stash of cash left by his brother.
This time around, we've been promised a full 10-episodes, with executive producer and co-creator Christopher Storer revealing "The Bear" season 2 is where the story really begins. But just what does that mean? And when will you get to witness the return of this highly entertaining and surprisingly sincere comedy-drama? Allow us to treat you to a full course of everything we know about "The Bear" season 2.
What's The Bear season 2 release date?
Update: FX just announced the second season will arrive on June 22, 2023. All 10 episodes will be available at premiere.
Hulu and FX Networks released a teaser trailer for season 2 of "The Bear" back in March of 2023, which showed the cast of the show packing things up over at The Beef ahead of them unveiling whatever reimagined space Carmen and Sydney dream up for the reopening. And while there's not much in terms of concrete details in the teaser, it does at least close by promising that season 2 will arrive in June 2023.
At this time, there's no specific date in June for the show's launch, but when it does arrive, much like the first season, it can be streamed in all its fast-paced glory on Hulu. All 10 episodes will be available at launch, and if the show follows season 1's example, each installment should be around half an hour long. If you happen to be outside the U.S., "The Bear" season 1 can be streamed on Disney+, where season 2 will also launch.
Who's in The Bear season 2?
While season 2 will be a whole new chapter for the staff of The Beef, things won't change too much in terms of the cast — which is a good thing, as the ragtag group of staffers was a big part of what made season 1 so compelling. Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri will return as Carmy and Sydney, alongside "Andor" actor Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who plays Carmy's deceased brother's friend and a chef at The Beef, Richard "Richie" Jerimovich. Lionel Boyce will reprise his role as promising pastry chef Marcus, with Abby Elliott returning as Natalie "Sugar" Berzatto and Liza Colón-Zayas once again playing Tina. José Cervantes and Richard Esteras are back onboard as dishwashers Angel and Manny, while Edwin Lee Gibson and Corey Hendrix round out the kitchen staff as line cooks Ebraheim and Gary.
But while the return of the crew we all grew to love in season 1 is great news, perhaps the most exciting update is the fact that none other than Bob Odenkirk will be joining them for season 2. Yes, Saul Goodman himself will be showing up in some capacity, with Variety reporting that Odenkirk, who's currently starring in AMC's "Lucky Hank," will be playing a "guest role." Sadly, there are no further details about the "Nobody" star's role in "The Bear" just yet, but as the launch date draws nearer, expect to see more about how he'll fit into the show very soon.
What's The Bear season 2 about?
"The Bear" is a show all foodies should be up to date with, and you can expect season 2 to feel as authentically real as the first. In terms of precise details about the plot, there's little to go on but the team behind "The Bear" have revealed quite a bit about the general tone of these next 10 episodes. Creator and co-showrunner Christopher Storer has said (via TVLine), that the group at The Beef have to struggle to bring the new vision for their restaurant to fruition before the reopening date. As he put it:
"They think they're starting from a healthy place, but a restaurant, like many other businesses, just creates the same amount of problems and headaches every day. So we see them have to step up in certain ways, in some ways regressing, but hopefully coming back together to open this thing by a very specific date."
It sounds as though the reopening will be just as stressful as actually running the shop, with Storer adding, "They are trying to execute a finer level of dining, but it doesn't mean it's easy. It doesn't mean everyone thinks it's the right thing to do. So obviously, there is inner turmoil."
In terms of any romance, there's been a lot of talk about Carmy and Sydney's relationship developing into something more, but many have argued the show should just avoid romance altogether. That includes actors Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri, who, along with Storer, told Variety the idea of their characters having a romantic relationship was never part of the plan. In other words, don't expect Allen White and Edebiri's characters to be anything other than colleagues and friends in season 2.