There was an Essentials feature on season 1 of Hulu’s hit TV series “The Bear” posted back in June (2025). Much has changed leading into season 2. Picking up seemingly days after the first season’s end, the “Original Beef” crew are breaking down the old restaurant in an effort to move toward Carmy and Sydney’s new upscale dining vision. The sign comes off the restaurant’s exterior as signed pics of Harold Ramis, Anthony Bourdain, Paul Rudd, Bill Murray and other celebrities are removed from the interior. There is quibbling over how much the whole remodel is going to cost, and it is clear the group is in deep shit. They might have the $300,000 Mikey squirrelled away in peeled tomato cans, but cutting through Chicago’s outrageous red tape to secure permits will require a deft hand, some look-the-other-way cash and a lot of patience. Carmy’s sister Sugar has come on board as project manager, but hiring someone other than Fak to tackle major repairs won’t come cheap.
While the group is figuring all this out, Carmy brings up the expensive fact that most of the restaurant staff will need to be retrained at various culinary institutes. Over the course of the season, Marcus will head to Sweden in search of the perfect dessert, and Richie will train to be a Maitre’d. Tina will learn to be Sydney’s new sous-chef as the latter becomes the CDC (Chef de Cuisine). And so on.
They ask sketchy Uncle Jimmy (Oliver Platt) to back their new venture to the tune of an additional $500,000. He doesn’t seem all that into the idea until Carmy spontaneously offers to pay him off completely in 18 months, saying that if he is not whole by then, they will close the restaurant and give him both the building and the lot, which he can sell or use as he pleases.
The estimate is it will take 8 months to turn a profit, which means they are in serious trouble. There is a vision board, timeline, and plan of attack, and while they are all pretty sure that everything they are planning on doing is a terrible idea, they are doing it all the same. It’s that kind of manic confidence and blind ambition that made us all fall for “The Bear” in the first place, so, to quote Mikey Berzatto, “let’s let it rip.”
If the soundtrack to season 2 was a 10-course meal, it would earn a Michelin star. So, let’s mind our manners and be civilised at the table this time. Instead of bringing out the speciality of the house for some food critic, let Chef Sydney punch up some delicious tunes on the jukebox for the music critic in all of us. Spread the napkin on your lap and dig in while enjoying the top 10 songs from season 2 of “The Bear.”
Number 10: Steve Earle ‘Transcendental Blues’ (“Transcendental Blues”, 2000)
The blues often represents the struggles and mistakes we all make on life’s journey. Transcendental suggests moving beyond them, overcoming what went wrong. Earle uses harmonium to drone into the song, which is spattered with lyrics that give you pause: Happy ever after ’til the day you die / Careful what you ask for, you don’t know ’til you try. That sounds like a good recipe for a successful season. When opportunity comes around, even if it seems a little out there, if it puts a certain feeling in your gut, say yes.
Richie is down in the basement moping. He’s been trying to sort out his life’s purpose, explaining to Carmy that he is reading a book about a guy who gets dropped by his longtime friends because all he really likes to do is watch trains. The guy’s friends — an athlete, a genius, someone who is “nasty on the keys,” and someone who has “charisma like a motherfucker” — drop him because he has no purpose. Of course, Richie is talking about himself. He’s 45 and “I’m afraid one day I’m going to wake up and you guys are just going to drop this ass,” he tells Carmy, who kindly responds, “Richie, I’m not going to drop this ass.”
Number 9: Jim Croce ‘Top Hat Bar and Grille’ (“Life and Times”, 1973)
Jim Croce was from a suburb of Philadelphia, and, of course, he travelled the country with his songs and guitar. Consequently, there are more than a few establishments named Top Hat Bar and Grille from sea to shining sea. There is even a Top Hat Bar and Restaurant on Tottenham Court Road in London that was inspired by the Monopoly board game. It is probably not the one Croce visited. Some man from Loveland, Colorado is certain his town has Croce’s Top Hat and has tried to find out from a previous owner whether he named the restaurant/bar for the song or if Croce once passed through and found inspiration from patrons having a rollicking good time.
It is great that Carmy lives, breathes, and sleeps food because that has gotten him to where he is, but it also hasn’t left him time to grieve his brother, have a relationship, or get his imported jeans out of the oven. Opening “The Bear” might mean that he is dealing with a heap of pressure and decisions, but he should be applauded for letting Sydney in both literally and figuratively, telling her how good it felt to wear a monogrammed chef’s jacket and about the nightmarish pressure he was under when he was working at that three-Michelin–stars restaurant in New York. He relates the story of why he signs “I’m sorry” by circling his hand over his heart. The usefulness of having a way to say “I know you feel something, and I apologise, but we have to get through this and will talk later” is super-applicable in all sorts of situations.
Number 8: Neil Finn ‘Anytime’ (“7 Worlds Collide”, 2001)
There’s a line in ‘Anytime’ the leadoff track from Neil Finn’s “7 Worlds Collide” album, in which he sings “Everything is in the balance of a moment I can’t control”. It is easy to view that lyric as a projection of things going haywire at “The Bear,” but obviously that is impossible because the Kiwi singer/songwriter wrote this song twenty years before Hulu premiered the series. The song was actually inspired by a motorist nearly running over Finn’s dog. The brush with death brought up morbid thoughts and the realisation that he is not alone in pondering the great mysteries.
How about Carmy’s chance crossing paths with Claire, played by “Booksmart” star Molly Gordon! It is pretty clear she will be a love interest. They know each other from growing up, but still it was surprising how much chemistry they exuded at the grocery store. She has got her life together, doing a residency to become an ER doctor — another high-pressure, long-hours position. He gives her a fake cell number, making it likely that he is not ready for a moment he can’t control.
Number 7: Taylor Swift ‘Love Story’ (“Fearless”, 2008)
Written before formation of the annoying “Swifties” cult, ‘Love Story’ was, according to the singer, inspired by Will Shakespeare’s tragedy of “Romeo & Juliet”. Swift’s Juliet falls for a boy, though her father warns the lad to stay clear of his young daughter. She begs her beau to disregard her dad and run away. She wails “You’ll be the prince and I’ll be the princess / It’s a love story, baby, just say, “Yes”. In an interview, Swift said that she wrote the song about someone she was infatuated with at the time. She never revealed the fellow’s name, but it became common knowledge that singer Joe Jonas was her Romeo at the time. She believed their relationship had potential. You have to wonder what potential she saw in NFL star Travis Kelce before their engagement.
Richie makes great use of the word “jagoff” as the most perfect put-down. He gets a call from his estranged wife to tell him her boyfriend has proposed and she accepted. It’s kinda sad but you know their ship sailed a long time ago. Richie embraces his Taylor Swift fandom by belting out a ‘Love Story’ sing-along in the car with his daughter.
Number 6: Fine Young Cannibals ‘She Drives Me Crazy’ (“The Raw & The Cooked”, 1988)
This leftfield hit has ingredients of soul, acid jazz and funk in the secret sauce, blended into a slamming guitar riff. David Steele and Andy Cox had been members of the British ska band The Beat during the late ‘70s revival. They found out their services were no longer needed when a news article mentioned that the other two members, Ranking Roger and Dave Wakeling, had formed a new band called General Public. Oops! Roland Gift was the singer with the band Akrylykz, who had opened some shows for The Beat. The hit song about a massively unhealthy relationship was recorded at Prince’s Paisley Park studios with producer David Z. I can’t get any rest / People say I’m obsessed / Everything you say is lies / But to me, there’s no surprise. The surprise was the group folded despite having a hit single.
Marcus (the pastry guy) has traveled to Copenhagen, where he roams the streets, lives in a houseboat and is learning the art of dessert creation with a friend of Carmy’s. Essentially that is being an intern learning to craft wildly tantalizing pastry concoctions like shiso gelée. It’s a big swing for Marcus, who’s never even made ice cream let alone tackled a quenelle, but somehow he handles it with wonder and aplomb. Before going back to Chicago, Marcus had whipped up three desserts, one a savoury cannoli with mortadella mousse and a parmesan shell that looked amazing. I could eat about ten.
Number 5: The Replacements ‘Can’t Hardly Wait’ (“Pleased To Meet Me”, 1987)
Paul Westerberg first wrote this song about a guy driving to a water tower intending to kill himself. It was a thinly-veiled allusion to his own dark thoughts -“I’ll be sad in heaven / If I don’t find a hole in the gate / Climb on to the top of this scummy water tower screamin’ / I can’t hardly wait I can’t wait… ’til it’s over”. Probably on the pleas of some A&R person that suicide does not sell records, the lyrics were slightly altered and horns were added. Westerberg grudgingly consented to the decision but didn’t want to own it, so he bailed on the scene likely to claim plausible deniability. Although the song never came close to charting, it was considered one of the band’s best.
You know an episode of the series is going be good when it features not one, but two songs by The Replacements, plus a little background debate about why the Minneapolis rockers are so severely underrated. ‘Bastards of Young’ opens the episode, where things have stalled with contractors waiting on other contractors to finish so they can do their jobs. Uncle Jimmy pops in and after telling everyone to “stop pissing away money,” Sugar sweet talks him into helping them get a certificate of occupancy. Carmy tells Sugar he will drop off the beer-and-liquor permit application and ends up driving around with Claire Bear.
Number 4: Lindsey Buckingham ‘Holiday Road’ (single on “National Lampoon’s Vacation” OST, 1983)
This movie is one of the all-time classics and Chevy Chase gives the finest performance of his career as family man Clark Griswold, who just wants to take his family on a fun vacation. The song plays over the opening credits where we see the Griswolds in a station wagon on their way to Wally World amusement park. The song was in all the “Vacation” sequels though two different cover versions are used – a less upbeat one by Matt Pond PA and a country-ish take by Zac Brown. The simplicity and skilful arrangement of the Buckingham original can’t be topped, though.
Carmy sends Richie to learn how to “stage” (pronounced stah-zh) at a 3-star restaurant where he spends the first day learning how to de-streak 2000 forks. He is convinced Carmy is trying to get him out of the way until his supervisor informs him there are 5000 people on the waiting list for a table. He also comes to respect the work and time everyone puts into the restaurant. When he is allowed out among the diners in the restaurant, he takes to the job like a fish to water, picking up tips about how servers get messages across without talking in the dining room or kitchen, how restaurants research their guests, and how, to quote Jess the expediter lady, “every night we make someone’s day.” He finally sees the purpose he was flailing after back in episode 1.
Number 3: R.E.M. ‘Strange Currencies’ (“Monster”, 1994)
Michael Stipe, who wrote the lyrics, said the song was about “when somebody actually thinks that, through words, they’re going to be able to convince somebody that they are their one and only.” R.E.M. decided to go for a grunge-y, more aggressive approach on “Monster” after the balladry of “Automatic for the People”. Peter Buck’s distorted guitar licks and crunching power chords are highlights of the album. The rhythm section of Mike Mills and Bill Berry is at peak performance, and you can even hear what sounds like a toy piano over the arpeggios. There is yearning – maybe this can work out – “I don’t know why you’re mean to me / When I call you on the telephone”, Stipe moans.
Carmy takes what amounts to a holiday by spending the night cooking dinner for Claire, who he realises is now his girlfriend, not a friend who’s a girl. Things have progressed so swimmingly that she is waking up in Carmy’s apartment and walking around in one of his T-shirts and some very cute underwear. He is stressed to the max about the building passing a fire-suppression exam. She calms him down and tells him to stop waiting for the other shoe to drop on their new relationship. “Want to know a secret?” she says. “Nobody’s keeping track of shoes.” I said to myself, Carmy, dude, don’t let this one get away.
Number 2: Wilco ‘Handshake Drugs’ (“A Ghost Is Born”, 2004)
Like many of Wilco’s songs, this one sticks with the themes of co-dependence and addiction straight out of the Jeff Tweedy playbook. That is why he is “inside out of love”. Conscious of the effect his need to satisfy physical cravings (artistic and substances) has on the emotional love he has for his wife and family, he simply does not know how to harmonise these passions. The repetitive riff in the song underscores the loop the narrator finds himself stuck in. What is really interesting is how the beautifully simple melody collapses but continues under the weight of all the feedback and distortion from Nels Cline’s stupendous guitar gyrations. The narrative takes place in Tweedy’s hometown, Chicago, also the home of “The Bear” in case anyone wonders why so many Wilco songs are featured prominently throughout the series.
Carmy has fallen from grace, getting locked inside the walk-in cooler when the handle breaks and turning into a full-on rage monster. If he doesn’t get out of the fridge instantly, in his mind he has destroyed everything forever, and that makes running a restaurant where you are not supposed to be SCREAMING AT EACH OTHER AT MAXIMUM VOLUME very fucking hard. Carmy is hallucinating his abusive NYC boss in the corner of the cooler. He is unable to accept love from pretty much anyone, including Claire Bear and Richie, and he lashes out at the latter and blows it with the former by spouting off about how he doesn’t need anything except the restaurant, which she overhears. Let’s please get Carmy a therapist or some street Ambien before season 3.
Number 1: Bruce Hornsby & The Range ‘The Show Goes On’ (“Scenes from the Southside”, 1988)
This is a reflective song about watching someone you care for deeply make bad choices, inviting public scrutiny and gossip – “everybody watching knows he’s the one keeping score”. In an interview, Hornsby revealed: “The ‘show’ is basically she’s putting on this show and everyone’s just gossiping about her.” There are the obvious themes of hypocrisy, mistrust and gossip, and they can apply to society and human nature in general. When Hornsby sings about time passing in the second half of the song (“slowly passing you by”), it is a warning to get your act together and stop making the same mistakes over and over. The show must go on with or without you.
Before opening night, Sydney makes stressed-out Sugar an omelet with sour-cream–and–onion chips. I found the recipe online and, after several mishaps, finally succeeded. It rocks. Unfortunately, Sydney is popping Tums like they’re going out of style while her dad keeps assuring her he loves her very much and she can live with him forever if the restaurant folds. She straight-up doesn’t realise Marcus was asking her out, and it was pretty sad to see her just ignore him. Hang in there, buddy, maybe you two will get your shot someday. Meanwhile, “The Bear” gets ready for “friends-and-family night,” which is traditional before opening a restaurant. It is also a dry run to find the glitches and snafus. The food does look great. That T-bone? The seven fishes and the bucatini? I want a cookbook STAT, or better yet, a month-long home delivery bringing exactly what they serve.
