The Bear

 is/was:
- one of the address names i used for a few email accounts some 30 years ago. what i didn't know that it was also apparently part of gay vernacular at the time and a few people thought i was broadcasting an alternative life choice at the time. i thought i'd mention that just because;
- the name of a cable series centered around a chef trying to open a restaurant in the chicago area. the chef in question is trying to revitalize a place run by his older brother who has committed suicide ;

this post has to do with the second clause. i decided to binge watch season two to get caught before i watch season 3 which i downloaded earlier this yearbut haven't made the time to watch yet.

the episode in the series that prompts this post is episode 6 which centers around a family christmas dinner in the past where the now deceased brother is still alive and the main character has returned from from doing a stage in copenhagen (ostensibly at noma, but they don't explicitly say so).

the matriarch of the family is played by jamie lee curtis (who is amazing in her role) who is apparently bipolar, alcholic or both. the stepfather is bob odenkirk (better call saul). i admit that i was surprised that the series managed to get two heavy hitters like that to guest star in this episode.

my attempts to describe the episode would not do it credit. i will say that it resonates for me in part because i am more or less estranged from my immediate family, but IIRC the reviews of the episode when it was first released were all suggesting emmy nominations for the episode. 

anyway, find a way to watch the episode, especially with the holiday season approaching.