If you’ve worked in a restaurant, you’ve probably had a crush on a line cook. You know the type: he’s a little bit sleazy, smells like cigarettes, and probably has a criminal record, but he brings you free food with an irresistible smile. Hulu’s summer release “The Bear” captures the gritty details of the restaurant business while wrestling with complex family dynamics.

The show centers on Carmen Berzatto, or “Carmy,” an accomplished chef who worked and studied at some of the top restaurants in the world. When his older brother Michael commits suicide, Carmy is left in charge of the family restaurant, an Italian beef sandwich shop in Chicago. He returns to the city, completely estranged from his family, and struggles to manage the failing business. The workplace is hostile. The food is mediocre. The health inspector is on his tail.

In the first 10 minutes of the first episode, I realized “The Bear,” was unlike any show I had seen. Carmy sits at a disheveled desk with a duct-taped phone receiver up to his ear. He brushes off comments about Michael’s death as he tries to negotiate a discount on an order for beef. As the scene unfolds, the viewer immediately understands the mood of the show: abrasive, contradictory, and cruelly funny. 

The series verges on hyperrealism, as the camera tracks a slamming door on its hinges, bubbling oil as it sautés onions, and the sweat trickling down a character’s face. It places the viewer directly in the kitchen under a haze of smoke and a volley of expletives. The camerawork is fast, the sound effects are loud, and the cuts are jarring.

“The Bear” most notably features Jeremy Allen White, who initially gained fame for his role as Lip Gallagher on Showtime’s “Shameless.” Other actors have come to newfound fame, especially Ayo Edebiri, who plays Sydney, the bright line cook who joins Carmy in his efforts to revitalize the restaurant. 

Director Christopher Storer is an expert in comedy specials, working with famed comics like Ramy Youssef and Bo Burnham. “The Bear” is his first dramedy. It highlights his abilities as a producer and director while displaying his ambitions as a writer. “The Bear” shows Storer’s ability to do it all. 

It took off upon its release, gaining traction among film fanatics and then with the general public. I personally wasn’t convinced by the posts on my Twitter feed, but I caved when some of my friends encouraged me to watch it. I immediately understood the hype.  At only eight episodes long, each about 25 minutes, the show is easily accessible. Many publications, most notably Rolling Stone and The Guardian, have praised it incessantly and argue that it’s the most accurate depiction of the service industry to date. Since its release, it has maintained a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

“The Bear” has been renewed for another season, set to release in 2023, and my hopes are high for more screaming contests over to-go orders, Radiohead montages, and endless repetitions of “Yes, chef.”

It’s impossible to discuss this show’s reception without mentioning the Twitter mania over Jeremy Allen White. Carmy has an irresistible appeal, but whether that is due to his long hair, tattoos, or emotional instability, no one can say. He is the poster child of angst, down to lighting a cigarette over a stovetop and walking through the city soundtracked to Sufjan Stevens’s “Chicago.” 

Image aside, though, his character is carefully crafted. Carmy is a world-renowned cook who leaves the luxury of fine dining to return to the streets of his home city. He deals with the tragic loss of his brother, the struggling finances of the restaurant, the incessant conflict among his employees, and the ongoing process of nursing familial relationships back to life. White gives an incredibly refreshing performance during an age in which most television feels unoriginal.