Review: ‘The Bear’ Season 2, Episode 4 “Honeydew”

In the previous episode of The Bear on FX, the crew of the restaurant was faced with another problem. That problem is having to break down a wall, which will only make improving the place longer than planned. The opening scene of “Honeydew” shows a whiteboard and calendar with notes on the days and inspirational notes for the crew, mostly for Carmy (Jeremy Allen White). He talks to his sister Sugar (Abby Elliot) and she says that they are seven weeks out. Within those seven weeks, they have to work faster and smarter. They are facing so many different issues and roadblocks with adding new changes and trying to bring the restaurant to its best before re-opening. They don’t have much money left, but to get things situated, they need to spend money that they don’t have, including the bills that need to be paid. 

Sugar finally tells Carmy that she is pregnant. She only wants him to know, but as soon as she says the words, “I’m pregnant,” the wall that they are standing in front of completely falls and everyone on the other side of that wall is standing there and heard the news. They all are excited for him, but Sugar can tell it may only get worse for her, with everyone now knowing. Not only is she nervous about starting a family, but she is also excited as well. Sugar is overwhelmed with emotions, because not only does she have to now make plans for her baby, but she also has to continue planning on helping with the opening for ‘The Bear’. 

The next scene shows Marcus (L-Boy) back with his mother in the hospital. He tells her all that’s going on in his life with being a cook and making new desserts. Even though his mother can’t speak, verbally, Marcus still holds a conversation with her, just as he would if she could talk. Marcus is starting to be more of a spotlight in the show, giving the audience more of a background on his life. He is going out of the country to Copenhagen to train with Carmy’s old friend Luca (Will Poulter), who is a chef.  

This episode seems to focus more on Marcus and his start of training with Luca. During their first session of training, individually, there’s a sense that Marcus will have a good learning experience from Luca. Marcus asks him questions and Luca answers, giving him the advice and reasoning he needs. Marcus points out that he is nervous, but Luca tells him it’s all about being confident and that it is okay for him to just do it, without hesitating. While he’s learning new recipes, he’s also trying new foods, and taking notes on what to add or have in different pastries. While Marcus is training, Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) is interviewing new chefs. It seems as though she isn’t having any luck. 

In this episode, viewers learn a lot about Marcus. He was born and raised in Chicago, the reason why he became a cook is because he needed a job, and he was a football player in high school. There’s a better understanding of his mother’s situation. The doctor said that she had a life expectancy of a couple of years and it has been four years. Introducing Luca as a chef who has been in the business for over a decade, but also learning new stuff every day, is a great way to introduce a character like his. It’s not hard to tell that the two chefs will build a good work relationship, even if Marcus is just training under his wing for a certain period. 

In the last few minutes of the episode, Marcus finds a man who is in a bike accident. This scene shows how good of a person Marcus is and the stranger hugs him. Although the man may not be able to understand what he is saying, it still shows that the man is grateful that Marcus practically saved his life. Marcus later on has a Facetime call with Sydney. She tells him what’s been going on and he says that he’s feeling guilty about not being at home. He’s afraid that his mother’s caregiver will call him and tell him that his mother is dead. 

Overall, this episode was good. It’s nice seeing other characters having an episode where it’s more about them than the other main characters. The audience was able to understand Marcus more and a new character, Luca, was introduced into the series. It will be interesting to see what skills and recipes Marcus takes back home with him after his training is over. There’s already been a lot of character development within Marcus, since season one, but there definitely will be more coming with this new chapter for him. 

Rating: 10/10

Related Post