Rant: The Bear is stressful, not binge worthy

Everyone keeps calling The Bear a masterpiece, but I made it through 6 episodes last Thursday and had to turn it off because my chest was actually tight. The yelling and the constant kitchen panic just felt like my old Sunday close shift, not entertainment. Am I the only one who thinks a show needs some breathing room to be bingeable?

2 comments

2 Comments

ellis.leo1mo ago

That tight chest feeling is real, and I get exactly what you mean about it feeling like a shift instead of a show. I had to watch it in two episode chunks with a walk outside in between, and that helped a lot. The trick for me was treating it like a drama you have to pause and breathe through, not a comedy you can blow through in one sitting. It is good, but it is not a hangout show and it never pretends to be. If you go back to it, just plan for breaks and maybe watch something light after to shake off the stress.

nancycooper1mo ago

Watching it in two episode chunks with a walk in between sounds like a solid plan. My problem is I kept telling myself "just one more" and then I was a wreck by midnight, so I ended up needing a week to recover. At this point I think I need a whole recovery day scheduled after each episode, like I'm prepping for a marathon I didn't sign up for. Maybe I'll try your approach next time, if I ever get brave enough to hit play again.