The Bear has invited countless viewers into the world of running a restaurant. For better or worse, each character of the show goes through their own emotional rides in their personal and work lives. So, why would such a dramatic series be considered a comedy at the Emmy Awards and other awards shows?
Hollywood Life breaks down the reason behind The Bear’s category, below.
Why Is ‘The Bear’ Considered a Comedy?
The show encompasses a wide variety of categories, as it’s widely considered to be a psychological comedy-drama. However, the show focuses on dark humor. Even with difficult topics such as mental health, breakups, abusive bosses, and more dramatic situations, The Bear implements enough dark humor to elicit some uncomfortable laughs out of its audience.
Take the season 1 finale, for example. Viewers have wondered how on earth that wild — and aggressive — scene could be considered funny. Ayo Edebiri‘s Sydney stabs Ebon Moss-Bachrach‘s Richie with a kitchen knife, and they get into a tense altercation. Meanwhile, Jeremy Allen White‘s Carmy screams over the cacophony of kitchen chaos while struggling to hold down the fort. Then, to make matters worse, Sydney quits.
By seasons 2 and 3, viewers have more backstories to unpack, from Carmy’s trauma to Sydney’s anxiety. However, the show manages to inject enough sarcasm, wit and irony to make it funny.
After fans watched Carmy unknowingly break his girlfriend Claire’s heart, the aftermath still has its humorous moments. Toward the end of season 3, Jeremy is asked whether or not he thinks about Claire anymore, to which he nonchalantly responds that he thinks of her every day. It’s in moments like this one when viewers can chuckle at the witty comedy that the show offers around its drama.
Who Is in ‘The Bear’ Cast?
Apart from Ayo, Jeremy and Ebon, the rest of The Bear cast includes Lionel Boyce, Liza Colón-Zayas, Abby Elliot, Matty Matheson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Edwin Lee Gibson, Oliver Platt. Molly Gordon and several others.