Tomorrow (The Bear)

"Tomorrow" is the first episode of the third season of the American television comedy-drama The Bear. It is the 19th overall episode of the series and was written by series creator Christopher Storer from a story he co-wrote with cast member Matty Matheson, and directed by Storer. It was released on Hulu on June 26, 2024, along with the rest of the season.

The series follows Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto, an award-winning New York City chef de cuisine, who returns to his hometown of Chicago to run his late brother Michael's failing Italian beef sandwich shop. In the episode, Carmy reminisces over his past experiences in other restaurants as he tries to move forward with the new restaurant's structure.

The episode received mostly positive reviews from critics, who praised its editing, music, performances and minimal dialogue. However, some critics found the episode self-indulgent and lacking in narrative momentum, while others expressed confusion regarding its nonlinear narrative.

Plot

Flashbacks

Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) goes to New York City to work for renowned chefs at various restaurants. The first restaurant belongs to the abusive Chef David Fields (Joel McHale), who admonishes him for his constant mistakes. In the next restaurant, Carmy and Chef Luca (Will Poulter) work for Chef Terry (Olivia Colman), who prefers they perform their duties in silence. Carmy also gets to work for René Redzepi at Noma, and Daniel Boulud at Daniel.

In subsequent days, Sugar (Abby Elliott) calls Carmy to inform him that Mikey (Jon Bernthal) committed suicide. While the family attends the funeral, Carmy cannot bring himself to enter the church and stays in his car. He also gets into a conflict with Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) when Mikey gives Carmy ownership of The Beef.

Present day

Carmy arrives early at The Bear to arrange seats and clean the restaurant. When Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) arrives, Carmy apologizes for having abandoned her during the soft opening. He later leaves a message to Richie apologizing. Marcus (Lionel Boyce) is devastated upon discovering that his mother has passed away.

Using his knowledge through the many restaurants, Carmy creates a list of "non-negotiables" for the restaurant to follow, hoping to finally have some control in the workplace.

Production

Development

In May 2024, Hulu confirmed that the first episode of the season would be titled "Tomorrow", and was to be written by series creator Christopher Storer from a story he co-wrote with cast member Matty Matheson, and directed by Storer. It was Storer's eighth writing credit, Matheson's first writing credit, and Storer's 13th directing credit.

Writing

On the episode's structure, Jeremy Allen White said, "It felt very fresh and new. It felt very exciting in its structure and style. It felt different, while also being very much at the heart of the same tone as the show."

Regarding the conversation between Carmy and Sugar, White explained, "So often and so frequently, Sugar does this beautiful thing where she's really reaching out to Carmy. And he feels incapable of reaching back or being like, accepting in some kind of way. I think for that scene, for Carm, he just felt like he had to go, there was nothing left for him in this place anymore."

Music

The entire episode is set to the same single piece of music, "Together", composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross as part of their Nine Inch Nails album, Ghosts V: Together.

Release

The episode, along with the rest of the season, premiered on June 26, 2024, on Hulu. Originally, the season was scheduled to premiere on June 27, 2024.

Reception

Critical reviews

"Tomorrow" received mostly positive reviews from critics. Alan Sepinwall of Rolling Stone wrote, "The premiere, "Tomorrow" is the sort of thing that only a show this beloved can get away with. Though it offers us glimpses of Carmy and the others in the immediate aftermath of the soft opening, it's less interested in its eponymous day than in all of Carmy Berzatto's yesterdays. [...] There's dialogue here and there, but the whole thing is essentially a tone poem, working to put us inside our hero's head even more than usual. [...] It's a lovely table-setter for the season."

Marah Eakin of Vulture gave the episode a 4 star out of 5 rating and wrote, "Carmy can't control all that no matter how hard he tries, even after countless tough hours spent working in kitchens worldwide. However, if we know anything about The Bear, none of that will preclude Carmy from putting immense pressure on himself to somehow circumvent it anyway." Matt Singer of Screen Crush wrote, "Though not the most conventionally satisfying episode of The Bear, I wondered whether "Tomorrow" was meant to suggest Season 3 as a whole will be structured like one long tasting menu. In which case this episode could be seen as the equivalent of a chef preparing for work by gathering their ingredients. With that out of the way, they can now start to turn up the heat."

A.J. Daulerio of Decider wrote, "Filled with quiet walks, gentle plant tending, cozy houseboats, sparkling workstations, and inspirational dough rolling by a stoic pastry chef named Luca, this episode proved that the characters (and the audience) are allowed to breathe every once in a while." Josh Rosenberg of Esquire wrote, "The Bear is still asking which part of the artistic process brings happiness: the work or the reward? Is it selfish to want to enjoy the experience, too, or is it that self-centeredness that drives you to put blinders on in the pursuit of glory? I can't promise that Carm will find an answer by the end of season 3."

In a less positive review, Jenna Scherer of The A.V. Club gave the episode a "B–" grade and wrote, ""Tomorrow" itself is an odd dish, combining ingredients that don't quite go together. Though it sometimes feels like a dreamy (and nightmarish) journey through Carmy's psyche, it often lands with all the artfulness of a clip show, making what should be a stage-setting season premiere feel like a filler episode. Maybe Storer could stand to take his own advice: subtract."

References

External links

• "Tomorrow" at IMDb