An Exchange: Cody Townsend & Jonathan Ellsworth on The Bear

Intro

Regular listeners of the Blister Podcast will know that I have been talking a lot about The Bear, the FX show that currently airs on Hulu. This is my favorite show of 2022 (or, at a minimum, it is tied for 1st with Succession), and it is definitely one of my favorite shows of the century.

And I finally got Cody Townsend to watch it.

Cody loved the show, but … he hated the ending.

I loved the ending.

A rather fast-and-furious text exchange about the show and its ending ensued, and I think some very interesting points were made that are also relevant for how we think about all novels and films.

So we thought it would be worth sharing with you our real-time exchange, show how our arguments and counter arguments unfolded in real time.

Then you can see what you think — and whether you see it more my way or Cody’s way, or some other way. Let us know in the Comments Section below.

(We did leave out here most of the texts devoted to the NFL, Chicago Bears quarterback, Justin Fields, and other things not related to this particular topic.)

SPOILERS INCOMING:

At this point, there are now going to be spoilers galore in this exchange, so if you haven’t watched The Bear or the final episode of season 1 … please go do that first, then come on back. Here we go:

Wednesday, November 2

Cody: Watched the first episode of The Bear today

Jonathan: YES!!!!!!!!!!

Friday, November 4

Cody: Watched this video talking about how things are shot and cut, a great breakdown of The Bear. The only thing I didn’t notice while watching is the complete lack of pulling wide in these chaotic moments. Which would cement the audience as “the audience”, not a participant in the madness. 

Jonathan: Oh cool, can’t wait to watch this later today. Ask me which show I like better – The Bear or Succession … and I’ll have to get back to you in about a week. (And I’d actually want to re-watch Succession again before answering.)

Did you get a chance to get any deeper into The Bear?

Cody: Halfway through episode 2. Had to stop because yeah, life is busy and we all got our first day care sickness going around the home. 

Jonathan: I can see the headline now: “50 Project called off indefinitely due to Never-Ending Day-Care Sickness.”

Cody: Seriously. Everyone warned us about it and they were very spot on with their assessment. Only took three weeks. But ultimately it’s so important for their little immune systems to be exposed to it, so while it sucks, it’s good in the long run.

Jonathan: Makes sense. Still also sucks.

Sunday, November 13

Jonathan: Watched Top Gun: Maverick again on my flight to Italy last night. Here’s my review — based on 3 hours of sleep and two glasses of red wine:

(1) Best f—ing movie ever made.

(2) If this doesn’t win best picture, then the Oscars are worse than most ski buyers guides.

Cody: You better say (2) on air or else I’m gonna fight back on your take heavily.

Thursday, December 1

Cody: On episode 7 of The Bear. Fuck man, what an intense show. It chronicles what the edge of society, poverty and tragedy looks like better than any other series I’ve ever watched. It’s just so intense.

(Granted Xanax-ing a children’s party was one of the funnier moments I’ve seen on TV in a long time.)

Jonathan: This is very good to hear. I probably would have had to publicly break up with you if you didn’t like this show.

Funny you bring up the children’s party: When I first saw it … I was terrified. I actually thought Richie accidentally killed all of those children, and that the show just took an absolutely horrifying turn. Kind of like the Red Wedding scene in Game of Thrones.

(I must have just been really wound up tight that day or something. WTF.)

But yeah, on my 2nd watch, when I knew they didn’t just slaughter a bunch of children … it was hilarious. Especially Cicero’s reaction to it.

The other big thing from my 2nd viewing is … just how damn funny the show is. Pretty remarkable combination of intensity and humor.

Cody: Succession is the same way. So fucking funny on the second watch. But man, The Bear stresses me out. I have to like mentally prepare for it before watching. I think in terms of an emotional impact a show can have on you, it’s a 10/10. But as a casual viewing, it’s kinda hard to watch at times. Like I’m kinda in pain after watching it. But I love its dichotomy of the beauty and artistry of cooking vs the anxiety, stress, and pain that comes from it. The love vs hate. I do love how much it shows the stresses of poverty, yet the glue of pride, family and passion that holds everything together in the face of the insane tragedy of poverty.

Jonathan:

(And I still need to begin my Succession rewatch.)

Saturday, December 3

Cody: Okay. Finished the Bear. We gotta talk about that ending. I am not happy with it. Honestly, one of the worst endings to a great show I can remember. Just WTF?

Jonathan: Oh wow, you and I are gonna fight. I liked it.

Cody: Yup. And I’m gonna win that fight. You build 99% of one of the most intense, realistic, humble shows I’ve ever watched and then you just throw in a fairy tale ending. Like one of the main themes of the show to me was how dreams can both haunt / destroy you and everything around you while also being the only thing that drives you. So just some miraculous dream come true ending and everything is peachy and great is just an ending that is antithesis to your entire plot line. Like to me, the producers wrote that ending, not the writers.

Jonathan: Ha, I love this – that two people can love a show, and have such opposite reactions to the ending.

Especially since the “consistency” of an ending is something that I tend to care a lot about. E.g., I was furious with Cormac McCarthy for his **truly** miraculous dream ending to The Road — no fucking way does the little boy not get eaten by zombies.

But in the case of The Bear … Carmy’s brother was a drug dealer and a drug addict. Who ran a horrible operation of a restaurant.

So while I see where you’re coming from, I feel like The Bear has actually set up — throughout  the show — that ending. I didn’t see that ending coming, that’s for sure. But their fuck-up drug addict brother was stashing cash and not paying bills or his investors (Cicero).

And as you said, you found the show almost too intense to watch. I have other friends who felt the same way. But to see all of these good people coming together at the end … and to have this money from their drug-addict shit-show brother to try to do something good … maybe I’m getting soft.

Cody: Huh. I actually don’t even remember the ending to The Road, the rest of the book is what haunted me. 

Jonathan: Fuck that ending. I hate it hate it hate it.

I swear, I think that as he was nearing the end of the book, Cormac remembered that he was planning to dedicate the book to his son (which he did) … so he saves his son on the last damn page.

(Also, I’ve met his son – very nice guy. Ha)

Also also … to defend the ending of The Bear even further … keep in mind that their brother left Carmy that note before he killed himself — the note that said something like, “Use the large tomatoes. They’re better.” So the brother who had been using the restaurant basically as a front to stash cash … left Carmy a note before he off’d himself.

Not exactly all rainbows-and-unicorns type stuff.

Cody: Totally, I get the ‘shit guy with a heart of gold’ premise. That’s like practically the entire premise of the show. But what I liked was the dichotomy of how family is the only / best thing you have while also maybe being the worst thing you have. Honestly, to me, just leaving like 50 grand would’ve done it for me. Not like 500 grand. Just the message of leaving something behind would’ve done it without making it feel like a fairy tale ending. It would’ve been more cohesive to the entirety of the show imho. 

Jonathan: I see where you’re coming from – leave less cash – enough to help em out a bit, but not enough to where things aren’t going to be super hard still.

Anyway, the important thing here is … I’m still right about the ending. 

Because I *don’t* think it’s a “shit guy with a heart of gold” – I think it’s a shit guy who is a fuck up … but he has some illegal cash … and his life is so bad he’s going to kill himself … but the least he can do is leave the money to his family before he blows his head off.

Cody: That is exactly what a “shit guy with a heart of gold” is. But yeah, leave some behind to show you were thinking of your family, but no enough that they just close the restaurant down to start their Dream restaurant. The dream restaurant is what haunts Carmy, the dream of Syd almost breaks the entire restaurant apart for good, the dream of the Baker makes him live in his own lala land, the dream of Ritchie tries to stop time…so much of the show is how dreams both drive and haunt…so to just suddenly make everyone’s dream come true goes against everything that was being built by the characters. It literally is the opposite of the intro to the entire series. 

Jonathan: Ok well this is all quite smart and well thought out. And I can’t say you’re wrong about any of it.

But to me, the question – with all novels and movies – is whether the ending feels unearned.

You spell out why you think it isn’t.

I still feel like the ground work for the ending has been laid throughout.

I’m seeing the ending as more of a mystery reveal, where the seeds have been planted throughout.

I think the ending makes more sense of the show and answers questions.

But if the focus is on the role of dreams in the show … then I think you’re right.

I’m also very curious to see what happens in season 2. Like, will the writers try to create a show where the characters are actually happy and they get along and things are good?

It’s hard – perhaps nearly impossible to write dramas that aren’t just based on darkness and major conflict. Nobody is happy in Succession, and it’s all kind of gross.

That’s what makes Ted Lasso so unique – there is conflict, but there is a lot of goodness and kindness, too.

I don’t want to think that we only call shows & movies “great” that just bludgeon us with darkness and unkindness.  Again … maybe I’m getting soft.

Cody: Okay, well let’s end the pod with this talk, we’ll just do a spoiler alert, invite people to turn off if they haven’t seen it and have this discussion 

Jonathan: Ha, for sure.