The Bear: People are calling Hulu chef drama the ‘most stressful show’ they’ve ever seen

We love a chef drama, so you can bet our interest was piqued when Hulu’s The Bear landed on screens.

The show, starring Shameless’ Jeremy Allen White, is all about a successful fine-dining chef, named Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto, who returns to his late brother’s Chicago beef sandwich shop, and tries to make it into a success.

With all the ingredients you’d expect from a cooking drama (we’re talking the usual toxic temper flares and über tense meal prepping scenes), the eight-part drama has been hailed as super realistic by chefs who have watched it.

And every day viewers have been engrossed, too, with many saying the series is the “most stressful” they have ever watched.

Get ready for tense sandwich making like you’ve never seen before (Credit: Hulu/ FX)

“The Bear is the most stressful show I’ve ever watched. It’s also amazing,” wrote one person on Twitter. 

Whilst another wrote: “The Bear is incredibly well written and makes me anxious as hell”.

“How is a show about making sandwiches the most stressful thing on TV? #TheBear,” a third concurred. 

The Bear is the most stressful show I’ve ever watched.

It’s also amazing.

— Aaron Kaufman (@Just_Tank) July 18, 2022

The Bear is incredibly well written and makes me anxious as hell

— Slim Bálor (@TheCreativeJC) July 17, 2022

How is a show about making sandwiches the most stressful thing on TV? #TheBear pic.twitter.com/M8cLqcTqUU

— Nick Molnar (@nickmolnar) July 22, 2022

Created by Christopher Storer, where The Bear is also as funny as it is stressful, with light moments of respite amongst the fast paced, frantic editing.

We’ve spoken before about how sometimes cooking movies and TV show make excuses for toxic masculinity and aggression, but The Bear manages to show the characters’ humanity – the good and the bad, rather than a caricature of a chef as a raging bull.

Moments like an online ordering system suddenly erupting with copious tickets and staff losing important documents leave you on the edge of your seat, but then when service ends, like the staff, you’re breathing a sigh of relief.

The Bear had people on the edge of their seats (Credit: Hulu/ FX)

As well as Carmy, viewers meet Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), an existing employee of the sandwich shop who has to adjust to its new management, and fellow employee, Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas), who is so annoyed at the prospect of change she pretends she doesn’t speak English.

The chef also ventures into a new job with bread maker Marcus (Lionel Boyce), who is more enthusiastic about the changes he’s making and brings along ambitious new sous chef, Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) to shake things up.

Plus, we meet Natalie “Sugar” (Abby Elliott), who is Carmy’s sister, and shares his grief over their brother’s passing.

The cast of the Bear all share their journeys throughout (Credit: Hulu)

With a season two already confirmed after the show’s incredible reception, we wouldn’t suggest sleeping on this show.

If you’re looking for a new chef drama then this is the one to watch, just make sure to make yourself a sandwich first, and bring a stress ball to squeeze throughout.

You have been warned.