The Bear

Few shows capture the texture of work — actual, sweaty, high-stakes work — like The Bear. It’s loud, it’s anxious, and then, every few episodes, it gets very quiet and breaks you a little.

What works

The ensemble is the whole point. Watching a broken kitchen slowly learn to function as a team is more compelling than most prestige-TV plotting, and the bottle episodes (“Forks,” “Fishes”) are some of the best TV of the decade.

What doesn’t

Season 3 mistakes stillness for depth in a few places, and a couple of storylines stall. The shouting, used well early on, occasionally becomes a substitute for momentum.

Verdict

Still great, still stressful. Eat something first.