The Bear is back tomorrow, and we cannot wait.
Season two of the Plus comedy drama sees the return of all our favourite characters who , albeit with a heavy sprinkle of stress.
The series is well-known for perfectly encapsulating the high-octave drama, anxieties, and warmth (in more ways than one) of working in a restaurant.
as distressed, talented chef, Carmy, who is hell-bent on getting his restaurant The Bear up and running after the family’s failed sandwich shop The Beef lead to his late brother’s suicide.
Ayo Edebiri is returning as passionate whippersnapper Sydney, hungry for a Michelin star.
The motley crew of Neil Fak, played by real life Canadian chef Matty Mattheson, and damaged soul Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) are also back.
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?
Metro.co.uk caught up with Lionel ahead of season two dropping tomorrow, and, er, it isn’t him.
‘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.
Luckily, culinary producer Courtney Storer – sister to director Chris Storer and real life chef – was on hand to create an authentic illusion of kitchen competency.
So much so, going out for dinner is a bit of an experience for Lionel now, as chefs often try to chat to him passionately about food, before realising he is, in fact, just an actor.
‘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 dab hands in the kitchen behind the scenes – and the best 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 the character of Richie is the main chaos-driver of the series, with his inability to move on from the doomed old ways – and ongoing anger issues – the man who plays 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 thought!
While Lionel’s Marcus goes on a foodie journey to Copenhagen in season two, Richie stays mostly on the ground in Chicago, as the crew battle with disintegrating walls, mounting costs, and very little time to open The Bear.
But will they get a Michelin star? And can the team get themselves together for an almost impossible opening deadline?
Grow your nails out folks, because we’re in for a truly nail-biting season two.
But of course we can also expect a lick of The Bear’s trademark wit and human warmth, you know, to keep us – like the on-screen staff – coming back for more.
The Bear is available to stream at Disney Plus on July 19.
