The Bear Has Been Renewed For A Second Season. Here's What We Know

Home cooks love a good cooking show. Food Network brought viewers such classic competitions as "Chopped," "Cupcake Wars," and while other networks brought television favorites like Gordon Ramsay's world-renowned "MasterChef." Now, as cooking shows' audiences have grown, the shows have expanded to streaming platforms like Netflix and Hulu, which boasts one of most suddenly-popular programs taking fans by storm.

The FX original series, "The Bear," available for streaming on Hulu, boasts the super-rare 100% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average audience score of 93% to boot. Fans fell for fine dining chef Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto (played by Jeremy Allen White of "Shameless" fame), who returns to his family in Chicago to run their sandwich shop following the death of his brother (per The Wrap). 

Now, fans are packing their bags for a return to The Original Beef of Chicagoland. On June 23, FX dropped all eight episodes of the show's debut season (available for streaming on Hulu), and, less than one month later, "The Bear" has officially been renewed for season two. Here's what we know so far. 

When season one's trailer dropped earlier last month, the show immediately promised chaos for Carmy. "25 pounds? No, no, I ordered 200!" he exclaims to a butcher before the camera cuts to Carmy's apartment — where his jeans are kept (neatly folded) inside the oven. During the first season, Carmy got to work transforming his family's restaurant and rallying the rag-tag kitchen staff into a well-oiled machine. "I refer to everybody as 'chef' because it's a sign of respect," he says, to a room of incredulous faces.

As season two rolls around, fans of the show and the folks who created it are excited to see how Carmy's efforts progress. Eric Schrier, president of FX Entertainment, is thrilled about the future of the show. "'The Bear' has exceeded our wildest creative, critical and commercial expectations," Schrier says in a statement announcing the renewal, via Variety. "We can't wait to get to work on season two."

As far as content goes, fans will just have to wait and see. In an interview with The Associated Press, White reveals that he and the show's creator, Christopher Storer, have been brainstorming what the future of Carmy and The Beef might look like. "We want to get into fine dining a little bit more," says White. "And Carmy opens more of the restaurant of his dreams. And then, let's say Carmy does find success, is that going to make him happy? Is he going to be OK or not?"

Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter's Chief Television Critic, praises the dark comedy for "captur[ing] the modern kitchen's chaotic bedlam and precarious sense of family better than any show I've ever seen." Fienberg also compares "The Bear" to predecessor Anthony Bourdain's "Kitchen Confidential," which revealed the gritty realities of working in a kitchen. Indeed, alongside alluring Chicago landscapes and enticing dishes, the FX show also explores the unflattering side of small business ownership. In fact, the bulk of the show is set in a cramped, poorly maintained kitchen.

There's a reason for "The Bear's" authenticity. White reveals that, in preparation for the role, he went to culinary school and worked alongside different chefs for nearly a year. However, the bulk of his training happens off-set. "I just need to keep cooking at home. I can hang out with the best chefs in the world, but if I'm not coming home and cooking for myself and my family, then that's where the comfort and ease comes from," White explains, via the Associated Press. "It's just the repetition, I think." Fans will get to see the protagonist's chops (pun intended) when season two rolls out. Which, judging by other FX shows' production timelines, Bustle predicts will happen sometime around June 2023. In the meantime, home cooks can brush up on their own kitchen skills as they wait for the premiere.