Season two of The Bear had a hard act to follow, the debut season being such a breakthrough hit for all concerned, but the team behind this tale of Chicago restaurant life have let the story breathe in new ways, beyond the confines of the Original Beef.

For those who gorged on season one you’ll remember that Carmy, played by Jeremy Allen White, was centre stage as he grappled with grief and the mental trauma of life in fine dining. The final scenes of season one set up the second, an unexpected windfall laying the groundwork for Carmy to transform his families Italian beef joint into the restaurant he’d long dreamed of.

Much of the second season is the countdown to opening, the returning cast navigating construction, city bureaucracy and the financial realities of opening restaurants. In the opening scene we follow pastry chef Marcus (Lionel Boyce), not Carmy, as he cares for his ailing mother. It’s a signal that this season is as much about the supporting characters as it is Carmy.

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While he’s still the lead, excavating the lives of those around him is the most compelling ingredient of season two. The recent announcement of nominations for the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards saw season one performances by Jeremy Allen White in contention, as well as Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Cousin Richie given the nod in the Outstanding Supporting Actor category, Ayo Edebiri who plays sous chef Sydney Adamu nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress, and both Oliver Platt and Jon Bernthal up for Outstanding Guest Actor for their turns as Uncle Jimmy and Carmy’s late brother Mikey.

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While those awards have yet to be handed out, here’s a prediction for the 76th . The Bear will be back, and you may well hear the names of Liza Colón-Zayas as Tina, and Lionel Boyce as Marcus, alongside that of Oscar winner Jamie Lee Curtis who takes on the role of Carmy’s mother, Diane Berzatto.

The word most often attributed to season one by those in the hospitality world was “triggering,” and in particular for the penultimate episode as we see a real-time service meltdown.

This latest season doesn’t let up, but in the spirit of a wider lens it’s a flashback episode to a Berzatto family Christmas, where we first meet Diane, that raises the tempo. If we were picking favourites Cousin Richie, is it. The role, described as a breakthrough for Ebon Moss-Bachrach when the show first debuted, was all about the brash, recklessness of Richie.

He was, as we said back then, the chain-smoking blue-collar foil to Carmy. Early on in season two we find him rudderless, asking Carmy what his purpose is, scared that he’s going to be left behind. The malaise of a middle-aged man if you will.

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As the series progresses, we see more of Richie’s vulnerability, the relationship with his former partner, and as a doting dad. There’s an air of fatherly guilt in Moss-Bachrach’s performance, and a relentless hunt for Taylor Swift tickets to assuage it. Without too many spoilers Richie finds his purpose, and has his moment.

The Bear is available to stream now in Australia on Disney+.

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