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The Bear season 2 has finally arrived (in the US, at least – UK viewers have a little longer to wait, unfortunately) and critics are loving the latest serving of Chicago kitchen mishaps, with the new season earning a score of 100% on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes.
After exploding onto the small screen as an unsuspecting hit last summer with its portrayal of Carmy (Jeremy Allen White), a successful chef in New York City's fine dining scene, who returns home to Chicago to take over his late brother's floundering sandwich shop.
Season 1 ended with The Beef, the aforementioned establishment, closing down to be replaced by something bigger and better – The Bear – and season 2 opens with renovations well underway. By taking the action away from the anxiety-inducing pressure of a commercial kitchen, the new season has more space to explore its characters' lives outside of work, and critics think this only makes the show stronger.
"Here's the swerve (and the genius) of season two's first few episodes: They take a beat. Slow down. I'd go as far to tell you that some scenes are downright relaxing," says Esquire's Brady Langmann, while EW's Kristen Baldwin writes, "As Carmy and Co. venture outside of their dysfunctional Beef family bubble, The Bear serves up 10 new episodes that are reliably intense and watchable, but even more tender."
"Just as not every dish survives a menu retooling, some elements get lost as the dramedy transitions from a series about working in a kitchen to one about launching a restaurant; the boiling tension of season one is now more of a rapid simmer," echoes The Hollywood Reporter's Angie Han. "But the series doubles down on its deep affection for the characters and the relationship between them – and in doing so, delivers a second season that’s even more delectable than the first."
All episodes of The Bear season 2 are now streaming on Hulu in the US and the new season arrives on Disney Plus in the UK on July 19. For more viewing inspiration, check out our guide to the other best new TV shows coming our way in 2023 and beyond.
