genuinely had no idea this was shot in one take. as someone that worked as a line cook for years the chaos just seemed so natural that i didnt even notice it didnt cut at all. the amount of anxiety this episode gave me felt like i was having war flashbacks or something. it was so real.
I remember wondering why the episode was only 17 minutes long when it first premiered. Afterwards, I was like “Yeah, that was very intense. 17 minutes is fine.” 😂
"Donut Guy" is named Marcus and his character is not underdeveloped or underused. He is a very important character on the show. He shows the drive people get to become professional chefs or bakers. He has a passion, and pursues it to the point of perfection. His obsession is what would help him succeed in culinary school, but as he is in a commercial kitchen, and therefore his obsession is a hindrance to his actual job. Yet, when the kitchen becomes abusive, he doesn't sit and take it. He leaves. Marcus is the anti-Carmen, because he aims for perfection, but never at the cost of his own mental health or soul.
Good write up, I just wish the show did more to demonstrate what you are talking about. I think the show missed opportunities to show the negative aspects of him that accompany his drive. Idk about you, but to me, making donuts during the busiest moment of the kitchen when everyone else is stressed out trying to make it all work is simply immature and dumb. But the show wants his following his obsession to be endearing at all costs have it all be all Carmen's fault-- which makes his character very flat to me. I use the name "Donut guy" as a way to illustrate how I view him as a shallow character btw.
Also, would like to add that it feels a little lazy to name every character by their actual name and consistently refer to Marcus as donut guy when it was SO SO SO SO easy to go out and fine that information.
The most impressive thing about this episode was how understated and naturalistic the camerawork is. It draws so little attention to itself that most people don't even realize they're watching a long take until several minutes in. Some people never even realized it was a long take at all until afterwards.
You're absolutely right haha. I remember looking up how others felt about the episode because I loved it and clicked on a UA-cam video breaking it down and found out it was one take. I was so intrigued that I didn't even notice.
I honestly didn’t realize the whole episode was only 17 minutes. Like watching it made me feel like I was IN the chaos and I just couldn’t wait for it to be over so I could get away from the feeling of surreally high anxiety. 17 minutes felt like 45 I swear
Marcus was not a frustratingly underdeveloped character. Although info about him was limited through out the season everything set up for such a heartbreaking moment and I felt like I very much knew his character the whole time. He got into baking because he fell in love with donuts as a child, he had pride in the fact that he want to become a baker. When Carmy taught him the steam trick he went from being arrogant to immediately being humbled student, you see his passion and skills grow more and more throughout the season, you see that he’s homeless and his whole life is about baking, just wanting approval from the man that proves you can take the culinary arts to the point of perfection and fame. So when carmy blows up on him, you feel that depth and weight of his whole life’s passion get shut down. I don’t know, his character worked really for me.
I get that. I just think for the fourth most focused character on a show you need more interesting qualities than wanting to be a baker. What I was saying in the video was definitely hyperbolic and I think I overlooked the steam trick part.
I think it'd be funny to explore how The Bear uses both short scenes with hundreds of cuts and episode-long oners to serve the same purpose of making the viewer ridiculously anxious
The one problem I had with Donut Guy was that he didn't see anything wrong with what he did during that episode (and the show doesn't either). He completely let the team down when they needed him the most, just to selfishly pursue a side project. Imo he 100% deserved to get that donut slapped out of his hand, but the show just resolves it as "Carmy was being an asshole" and has him apologize to Donut Guy without even making Donut Guy apologize back.
@@ComeWatchTV The worst part is the show could've EASILY remedied this by just having Marcus ACKNOWLEDGE that he messed up too. One or two lines of dialogue could have fixed the whole thing.
I felt the same way! It was not likable at all… it pissed me off. Shit was hitting the fan and my dude was completely ignoring everything it was so frustrating. You can’t be like that in a kitchen you’d be fired immediately 😂
When i first watched the episode i almost paused it when the machine broke. It was so great because it was 1. likely to happen 2. such a sudden twist of events and 3. Sydney had been talking herself up all the way up until that point, and how they need to listen to her more, so for her idea to be the one that put them all in jeopardy increased the tension to indescribable levels, you could feel her stomach drop as if it was your own. Fucking great episode.
Exactly my thoughts, especially in humanizing Sydney a little. She was kinda getting annoying with how right she was all the time even though it feels slightly undeserved- so her making that mistake felt crucial in developing her character
I agree with pretty much everything but the Donut guy. I don’t think he’s a flat character at all. Throughout the show the characters tend to forget about the joy & curiosity of cooking all due because of the chaos that the restaurant started out in and how they are trying to fix it. The donut guys is almost a constant reminder of how cooking can make us almost feel like a curious child, makes us want to learn something new despite all the chaos.
I just realized it was one take when watching this video. I was so invested in the show that the one take went over my head. Just another good sign of solid filmmaking and story telling
My favorite one take is in Haunting of Hill House. It is the funeral episode, when the family releases all this pent up resentment and anger. They start at the funeral home and the set changes into Hill House. It goes from present day, to the past, and back to the present. The set, lighting, and characters all change. It's amazing.
I disagree about Donut Guy. Donut Guy was the first beef local to get into Gourmet cooking and, according to the acting and the many points during the show that he stopped to talk shop with him instead of talking orders, Really giving Carmen the hope that it is possible to transform the restaurant. He’s a pretty flat character but he’s a mark of intent to get better in cooking that is aggressively opposed by the rest of the crew for the beginning of the show. I loved every moment of that acting of wonder and desire to learn acted through that character. Flat or not his function was a great de-stressed for this show mostly about stress
I agree! I do enjoy the video but I did also disagree about Marcus' being only labeled as the donut guy 🍩. I felt his contributions were important especially when talking to Carmy in the back and when Carmy was like (paraphrasing): "when a fire starts in the kitchen I think of this place burning along with all my anxieties." It was Marcus who chimed to him: "And then, you put it out" which Carmy solemly replied back: "And then, you put it out."
i agree i think that there’s a lot more nuance to the character and i think he’s in a really interesting spot regarding what success means to marcus in the kitchen and how and what he will do to achieve that “success”.
This episode was the best representation of what working in a kitchen truly in the weeds is like. That sense of anxiety the "one take" gives the episode is very similar to what you feel during a rush like this when everything is going to shit. You feel like there's constantly something going on, or something that you should be doing, and you are just moving a mile a minute trying to stay focused. Honestly, this episode almost felt like it was giving me some PTSD to the when I worked in one, and delivers the levels of stress that caused me to leave the industry ultimately. I mean, ask anyone that has worked in a kitchen. That printer sound haunts your dreams.
As someone who worked as a chef in a hectic kitchen I can confirm this is how a restaurant is runned on a stressful day .. very accurate and entertaining by far the best representation of the job 9.5/10 😊
Saying the Pastry chef is just “donut guy and is underdeveloped” is such an awful way to perceive this character, from the very beginning Marcus (donut guy) was struggling to make desserts and we see his highs and lows of doing things and improving in the kitchen, him getting the recipes right the same day the review happens is beautifully executed, prior to this we saw him improve making bread by adding water in the oven to steam them, we see him damage the circuits of the restaurant because he was over using a lot of his kitchen equipment and that episode we saw him finally succeed on making his desserts, but at the worst time possible, other than that, this was such an excellent video and you killed this video
late and as someone who likes marcus i do think they missed a character moment by having neither of them acknowledge what happened, we know carmy apologized to sydney, why not marcus too? marcus also needed to apologize for not having his priorities straight
I love when a long cut is so intense that you don't realize it's a oner until it's over or you're near the end. I remember this episode nearly being done before I realized what was even happening and it works so well.
so funny remembering how i was so invested in the chaotic-ness and messiness of this episode and then checking the timestamp to realize that that was basically the whole plot
for people who’ve never worked in a commercial kitchen before, i worked in one with 0 issues for 6 months. Got in, did the work, got out. Never had any sort of anxiety issues or anything (which i am prone to). Cut 6 or so years later, did a trial shift in a completely different commercial kitchen and came VERY close to having a panic attack. It never leaves you. I’m happy working in the café kitchen that I do, it’s much more manageable (for my mental health too), but man, working in a kitchen can be a nightmare.
I remember watching this episode and like 8 minutes in I looked at my wife and said this is all one scene there’s no cut aways. I was thoroughly impressed
Great commentary... I think you understate the importance of sound in this shot. The "background noise" of the local radio broadcast drives the intensity of this episode to its "boiling point." The shot is amazing. I'm blown away that there weren't any hidden cuts. I would encourage anyone who is interested to go back and LISTEN to this episode. Though the music is practical (a radio in a kitchen) it becomes the film score, subconsciously provoking the audience's emotional stress.
Seconding. I loved the sound design in this show - things felt real, evocative of the constant hum of kitchens, built the tension and environment. The radio, the background convos, the sounds of cooking, the constant constant sensory input. Just done so well
The one shot in 2005 Pride and Prejudice party scene is one of my favorites. The movement and getting all the character dynamics with very little dialogue was so well done. This video makes me want to go seek one shot scenes out for sure.
Oh no! There was no mention of Haunting of Hill House-Two Storms. The whole episode is a compilation of five long shots and it is an absolute masterclass. Love this video!
My roommate and I were watching and about seven minutes in or so we were like "wait ... they haven't cut. Oh my god!" It was already great tv, and then it was like they went "oh how about a whole episode as a Oner?" just to completely knock everyone else away. Immensely impressed with the cast and crew doing this.
I think the oner was used perfectly in the bear - the intensity and trapped feeling put the viewer in Carmy’s shoes and I remember thinking this level of stress is nowhere near compensated by what line cooks are paid. On top of that, I didn’t even realise the episode was only 17 minutes long when I watched it - possibly because 15 of those were pure chaos and anxiety. Anything longer and it may have been a negative, somewhat torturous experience for the viewer.
I thought the decision to use cuts to help communicate stress was a smart and accurate depiction of what it feels like to work in hospitality, but then that long, painful dragging take in the worst moment they’ve had so far in the series is such a true and honest reflection of how it feels to be in that moment
That episode felt so short I was honestly surprised at first but now looking back it was probably due to the one take run. Definitely helped create a sense of urgency I started to almost feel overwhelmed.
When I first watched that episode I got to the first cut. Paused, turned to my roommate and asked "wait was that the first cut?" And had to start over to double check. They had such a smoothness to the oner that I did not notice until the cut happened.
I love one-shot takes. One of the ones that sticks with me, is the first episode of "19-2"'s second season opens with two cops responding to what turns out to be a school shooting. The first 13 minutes are one uninterrupted take, no soundtrack; it REALLY ratchets up the tension
The 7th episode made me start crying. I don't know if it was the anxiety or the bad memories that I'm sure most cooks have, but boy, that was so fucked.
The Bear is an insane show. So incredibly perfect. This episode stressed me TF out to the point of needing to take a breath myself just watching. Crazy how they pulled this off. Perfect execution with building chaotic energy with the one take 🤌
I wholeheartedly disagreed with you about Marcus. I honestly didn't feel like I needed more interesting qualities from him in this season because Carmy's arc held most of my attention. I really enjoyed the small and unassuming donut arc. His background so far puts him as working in Mcdonalds where everything is pre-made and the same - to being inspired by Carmy and by pastries, which is rooted in his nostalgia of being a child. He was the first to embrace the new kitchen style (language and the aprons) and it's nice to see him going from arrogant (first episode) to a willing student who (I think in later seasons) will learn that artistry and "creative genius" has to come second to doing his job. These are very short episodes and there is a lot to get through in terms of Carmy's grief and the restaurant's arc so it makes sense for them to not spend too much time on him. On a bright side though, it leaves a great deal to be explored in Season 2 and I for one can't wait! Great video.
This is so cool I never noticed this before! I did however notice and LOVE that one uninterrupted, 6-minute monologue in the season finale where the shot stays on his face the whole time. That was amazing.
anyone who has worked in the food industry completely felt this episode. the overload of the receipts, crashing into others, screaming, sweating, and just wanting to die. it’s stressful work, but it’s worth it.
Wait do you actually not understand "donut guy's" significance as a character? He's not a shallow character at all, IMO, and his meaning was pretty clear to me, in that he represents the obsessiveness of a chef in love with what they do. Through all this chaos, for the whole time, he's hyperfocused on his own recipe, contributing to the chaos by not contributing. Only thinking of oneself in a group environment.
@@ComeWatchTV it’s so technical with stunt doubles coming in and out of fights in small spaces, breaks in action for dialogue etc. They built dark spots in so they could cut if they needed to but it was a true one shot and they lightened those bits in post to basically show off that they did it
a 17 minute single take is crazy. I wonder how long it took them to get it perfect. gotta remember all your lines and exactly how the episode plays out with no chance to redo a simple mess up, just gotta roll with it or start all over
Oh yeah, I was a dishwasher for a single shift, kitchens are chaotic. At the end they asked me if I wanted to come back and I was like NOPE! I will go do something else.
by far my favorite moment was when I was watching this moment with my dad and, about a 1/4 of the way in, we realized it was all one take and were left awestruck the rest of the episode
Episode 7 was one of the most stressful things I've seen, someone told me it was a single take and I had no idea until I saw this video. I'm absolutely blown away.
I was just a food runner when I was in college but this show is so accurate. Some of the people I worked with are still good friends 10 years later. I’ve never been so close with my coworkers than at this restaurant. I’m so happy I don’t do this now though.
A clip of this episode on twitter was the reason I decided to watch the show. I didn't realize how much went into to making it but it really was impeccable acting and it made me feel like I was in the kitchen with them. Thanks for the video explaining this!
this show is really funny because as it aired, i was working as a sandwich line cook, 4 blocks-ish away from the actual film location, and it’s pretty fucking accurate
As someone who has a lot of restaurant experience, this episode encapsulated the restaurant experience better than anything else I have seen. The printer constantly going off was so stressful.
Great video man! I thoroughly enjoyed that you went over a bit of history on the TV oner. I remember in film school my professor showed us oner from The Shield (2002) and like The Bear it does a great job of showing all the characters relationships with each other while portraying the chaos of the LAPD. I really commend The Bear, this episode especially, for having so many moving parts and purposefully being overwhelming, but never for a moment are you lost. I think that's an underrated aspect of the oner when it's done well. Just because it's one take, often from one POV, doesn't mean the audience can't be lost
One you didn't mention which was good, was from the show "kidding" where they had to change the set realtime as camera moved. My favourite though is Mr Robot, to go from outside location to inside and multiple floors then have a riot break out then do a top down view, to outside again etc...
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 10/10 -OY3AH! @0:06 - @0:09 the best UA-cam INTROSssss of all time “ STRAIGHT TO THE POINT - no white talking just straight up “ get to the point !!! All that talking give me the meat!
I actually had to rewatch the episode all over because I realized halfway in the moment that it looked all in one take. I was astonished to see how this was all entirely done in one take. Bravo to the cinematographer.
I think the one shot thing works in this setting particularly well as it makes sense for whats going on - they have about 20 minutes until opening the restaurant and the episode is just under 20 minutes. It creates urgency in real time, the stakes are high, and you're not allowed to escape. I like 'Mr Robot' a lot and think what they did is impressive but I think its ultimately a bit distracting as it draws too much attention to itself - especially when you're going over walls and have these impossible camera shots. With 'The Bear' you're just in a room and it doesn't bring too much attention to itself - it doesn't 'feel' technical. It just works for the material. Banger show.
Idk, to me it still works very well, especially given the context. In Mr Robot it was an extremely frantic situation, with characters running from room to room and constantly being under pressure from the imposing mob of people that were trashing the building. The one shot adds to that feeling of having very little time to work with as they navigate the labyrinth of cubicles and rioters. Edit: Also because the audience is meant to be a sort of character in the show, and right at the beginning he looks at the camera and says "Stay with me. I need you to be focused."
I have to rewatch it, did not notice that it was in one cut. That’s honestly mind blowing, imagine all the small details all having to be perfect amazing
calling Lionel "donut guy" is nuts,😂 I agree we could've gotten more backstory but wouldn't say to the extent of frustratingly underdeveloped. Great analysis if the one shot though and it's TV history.
I just finished the season and holy shit, I wasn't mentally prepared for the one take episode, the levels of stress and anxiety it and the whole season gave me were on another level. I absolutely love this show and cant wait for second season. I give the Bear a full 7/5 points, this is top tier TV.
If you love shows like this- be sure to check out my latest video: How "BARRY" Perfectly Combines Comedy and Drama ua-cam.com/video/ZV9AtW8V1zY/v-deo.html
I like you come watch tv but can you please raise the quality of your videos, your shit is in like 480p and it ticks me off I dont even know why. I loved this video and this was my only qualm with it.
I would genuinely love to watch you break down Boiling Point. After my father and I had watched The Bear, we immediately watched Boiling Point. We couldn't look away, and it really didn't hold your hand through any of it, I was enthralled.
Whenever I think of a oner, I think of the uncut shot from me, earl, and the dying girl. There’s virtually no camerawork as it’s all in the perspective from the corner of the room, but it’s just so powerful.
The "donut guy" is not just the donut guy through the whole season. He was the bread maker for the restaurant but wanted to do more and when Carm and Sydney come around and start making changes he sees it as the best time to have the restaurant order bread in so that he can make something new and even reads through all of the cook books he's given for new ideas. With this new freedom he tells them to put a chocolate cake on the menu which becomes his new signature at the restaurant, however he gets too ambitious and decides that now is the best time to start working on making donuts using crazy techniques for such a small scale restaurant at the time. He gets too caught up in his work and isolates himself from everyone else and I think that the show visually shows us this by having his station be in a weird small area off to the side of where everything else happens. Because of this he gets too caught up in perfecting his donut that when the chaos breaks out in the main area, he doesn't seem affected in his little corner. Granted everything in that scene very clearly makes him seem like a selfish asshole and the show shouldn't have given him the win after that but oh well.
A well fuctioning kitchen is a machine. Granted his bakery inspirations were awesome. But there is a time and place! Carmy did't fire him. He walked out.
The two storms ep from Haunting of Hill House and the battle of the bastards were my first examples, incredibly tense and this episode from The Bear managed to be even more exciting and tense. Incredible
I really enjoyed the first episode of bear but it was so good that it reminded me of work 😆 so maybe once I’m not working in a kitchen I can sit down and actually enjoy the mess of the kitchen staff and not be like “that’s how Steve be acting all the time an I have to deal with him tomorrow”
There is a Canadian show called 19-2 which follows a police force. One episode begins with a 15 minute long shot of the two main characters responding to a school shooting. It's visceral and tense and high stakes but it is amazing in how it tracks all around the high school, corridors, kitchens, slowly walking around the school. Highly recommend it
There’s this really simple but beautiful episode of Mad About You that is a one take. And it absolutely adds to this story, especially since the whole episode breaks the usual sitcom formula
i work in one of the top 3 finest places in my city and this episode is perfect. i think the only thing i wouldve added (from personal experience) is if there was customers also complaining and someone at the expo asking for certain orders building the stress level, and that background music is too spot on throughout it. 10/10
Had no idea that was one take, but it makes sense. I felt the claustrophobia and intensity of that kitchen. What a show. Also huge love for Charlie Work! One of their best episodes. Lastly, Boiling Point was amazing. An achievement
Soap Operas in the UK do the occasional single take episode, broadcast live. EastEnders and Coronation Street for example. If anyone makes mistakes in the continuity they have to adapt as they go.
i am continually impressed how yt channels with less than 10k subs create a more engaging and thematically interesting productions than hollywood productions. a new sub my boy
If you liked this video, I just posted a new video on the 2nd season of the Bear, check it out please: ua-cam.com/video/fZhwoyDjTH4/v-deo.html
genuinely had no idea this was shot in one take. as someone that worked as a line cook for years the chaos just seemed so natural that i didnt even notice it didnt cut at all. the amount of anxiety this episode gave me felt like i was having war flashbacks or something. it was so real.
I had some serious Line PTSD flashbacks too!
No joke, the PTSD from this episode is insane
Yup, felt like I was back at the restaurant again. Very uncomfortable feeling
Man I was just thinking this seems like a normal saturday dinner
Yup this one definetly gave me some flashbacks as well, like overbooked, understaffed holiday weekend type of PTSD flashbacks
I remember wondering why the episode was only 17 minutes long when it first premiered. Afterwards, I was like “Yeah, that was very intense. 17 minutes is fine.” 😂
I love this comment
Also Carmies monologue at the AA meeting was crazy 7 minutes long... Never wouldve guessed that
felt like the longest episode in the series lol
yeah working food is stressful af
That's why it felt so short! I didn't check the episode length.
"Donut Guy" is named Marcus and his character is not underdeveloped or underused. He is a very important character on the show. He shows the drive people get to become professional chefs or bakers. He has a passion, and pursues it to the point of perfection. His obsession is what would help him succeed in culinary school, but as he is in a commercial kitchen, and therefore his obsession is a hindrance to his actual job. Yet, when the kitchen becomes abusive, he doesn't sit and take it. He leaves. Marcus is the anti-Carmen, because he aims for perfection, but never at the cost of his own mental health or soul.
Good write up, I just wish the show did more to demonstrate what you are talking about. I think the show missed opportunities to show the negative aspects of him that accompany his drive. Idk about you, but to me, making donuts during the busiest moment of the kitchen when everyone else is stressed out trying to make it all work is simply immature and dumb. But the show wants his following his obsession to be endearing at all costs have it all be all Carmen's fault-- which makes his character very flat to me. I use the name "Donut guy" as a way to illustrate how I view him as a shallow character btw.
Also, would like to add that it feels a little lazy to name every character by their actual name and consistently refer to Marcus as donut guy when it was SO SO SO SO easy to go out and fine that information.
@@Sesefields did you read the comment above?
@@The-Doctor6969 We both know the answer to that question....its ofc he didnt.
@@Sesefields easier to just call him donut guy, but as stated above he did know his name anyway
The most impressive thing about this episode was how understated and naturalistic the camerawork is. It draws so little attention to itself that most people don't even realize they're watching a long take until several minutes in. Some people never even realized it was a long take at all until afterwards.
I def did not realize lol
You're absolutely right haha. I remember looking up how others felt about the episode because I loved it and clicked on a UA-cam video breaking it down and found out it was one take. I was so intrigued that I didn't even notice.
I honestly didn’t realize the whole episode was only 17 minutes. Like watching it made me feel like I was IN the chaos and I just couldn’t wait for it to be over so I could get away from the feeling of surreally high anxiety. 17 minutes felt like 45 I swear
This was done so well and so natural that I did not even realize it was one take until this video popped up in my feed
That's awesome. I hope knowing that makes watching it again even more compelling.
Same! That's how good the episode was.
Ditto
Same!!
Same! I was wondering why I needed to take a breather after this episode because I was STRESSED.
Marcus was not a frustratingly underdeveloped character. Although info about him was limited through out the season everything set up for such a heartbreaking moment and I felt like I very much knew his character the whole time. He got into baking because he fell in love with donuts as a child, he had pride in the fact that he want to become a baker. When Carmy taught him the steam trick he went from being arrogant to immediately being humbled student, you see his passion and skills grow more and more throughout the season, you see that he’s homeless and his whole life is about baking, just wanting approval from the man that proves you can take the culinary arts to the point of perfection and fame. So when carmy blows up on him, you feel that depth and weight of his whole life’s passion get shut down. I don’t know, his character worked really for me.
Great video though!!!!
I get that. I just think for the fourth most focused character on a show you need more interesting qualities than wanting to be a baker. What I was saying in the video was definitely hyperbolic and I think I overlooked the steam trick part.
Was he homeless? I thought he had a roommate, the guy that randomly showed up a few times
He wasn’t homeless, his buddy asked him where he had been. He was just obsessing and passionate about perfecting his baking skills
@@gilbster sorry: he was living out of the restaurant depriving himself of showers because of his passion
I think it'd be funny to explore how The Bear uses both short scenes with hundreds of cuts and episode-long oners to serve the same purpose of making the viewer ridiculously anxious
Thomas Flight has a good video on that exact idea
@@arim7181 appreciate it.
The one problem I had with Donut Guy was that he didn't see anything wrong with what he did during that episode (and the show doesn't either). He completely let the team down when they needed him the most, just to selfishly pursue a side project. Imo he 100% deserved to get that donut slapped out of his hand, but the show just resolves it as "Carmy was being an asshole" and has him apologize to Donut Guy without even making Donut Guy apologize back.
Yup. He was a child and we are expected to just find him lovable.
@@ComeWatchTV The worst part is the show could've EASILY remedied this by just having Marcus ACKNOWLEDGE that he messed up too. One or two lines of dialogue could have fixed the whole thing.
THANK YOU, his whole character was low key annoying asf. He’s destined to become a man child..good baker or not.
I felt the same way! It was not likable at all… it pissed me off. Shit was hitting the fan and my dude was completely ignoring everything it was so frustrating. You can’t be like that in a kitchen you’d be fired immediately 😂
True say
When i first watched the episode i almost paused it when the machine broke. It was so great because it was 1. likely to happen 2. such a sudden twist of events and 3. Sydney had been talking herself up all the way up until that point, and how they need to listen to her more, so for her idea to be the one that put them all in jeopardy increased the tension to indescribable levels, you could feel her stomach drop as if it was your own. Fucking great episode.
Exactly my thoughts, especially in humanizing Sydney a little. She was kinda getting annoying with how right she was all the time even though it feels slightly undeserved- so her making that mistake felt crucial in developing her character
And she never once apologised or owned up to her error.
I agree with pretty much everything but the Donut guy. I don’t think he’s a flat character at all. Throughout the show the characters tend to forget about the joy & curiosity of cooking all due because of the chaos that the restaurant started out in and how they are trying to fix it. The donut guys is almost a constant reminder of how cooking can make us almost feel like a curious child, makes us want to learn something new despite all the chaos.
That’s a good insight. Hopefully season two dives deeper into the supporting cast
I just realized it was one take when watching this video. I was so invested in the show that the one take went over my head. Just another good sign of solid filmmaking and story telling
Same!
My favorite one take is in Haunting of Hill House. It is the funeral episode, when the family releases all this pent up resentment and anger. They start at the funeral home and the set changes into Hill House. It goes from present day, to the past, and back to the present. The set, lighting, and characters all change. It's amazing.
yeah that was just amazing set design, like some big theatre shows I've seen, effortlessly sliding in and out complete sets
That’s my favourite too! 17 minutes as well
That episode was the most amazing television episode I have ever laid eyes on; it gives me shivers every time I watch it
I read this, remembered that episode and got so much chills 😂. Damn that was a good show and great episode.
I disagree about Donut Guy. Donut Guy was the first beef local to get into Gourmet cooking and, according to the acting and the many points during the show that he stopped to talk shop with him instead of talking orders, Really giving Carmen the hope that it is possible to transform the restaurant. He’s a pretty flat character but he’s a mark of intent to get better in cooking that is aggressively opposed by the rest of the crew for the beginning of the show. I loved every moment of that acting of wonder and desire to learn acted through that character. Flat or not his function was a great de-stressed for this show mostly about stress
I agree! I do enjoy the video but I did also disagree about Marcus' being only labeled as the donut guy 🍩. I felt his contributions were important especially when talking to Carmy in the back and when Carmy was like (paraphrasing): "when a fire starts in the kitchen I think of this place burning along with all my anxieties." It was Marcus who chimed to him: "And then, you put it out" which Carmy solemly replied back: "And then, you put it out."
Agreed 100%. Also "donut guy" is named Marcus
@@Wreck-It-Raph yes exactly, thank you!
i agree i think that there’s a lot more nuance to the character and i think he’s in a really interesting spot regarding what success means to marcus in the kitchen and how and what he will do to achieve that “success”.
Donut guy should of stayed fired, he didn't have his food compete, and kept agitating a bad situation
This episode was the best representation of what working in a kitchen truly in the weeds is like. That sense of anxiety the "one take" gives the episode is very similar to what you feel during a rush like this when everything is going to shit. You feel like there's constantly something going on, or something that you should be doing, and you are just moving a mile a minute trying to stay focused. Honestly, this episode almost felt like it was giving me some PTSD to the when I worked in one, and delivers the levels of stress that caused me to leave the industry ultimately. I mean, ask anyone that has worked in a kitchen. That printer sound haunts your dreams.
As someone who worked as a chef in a hectic kitchen I can confirm this is how a restaurant is runned on a stressful day .. very accurate and entertaining by far the best representation of the job 9.5/10 😊
Saying the Pastry chef is just “donut guy and is underdeveloped” is such an awful way to perceive this character, from the very beginning Marcus (donut guy) was struggling to make desserts and we see his highs and lows of doing things and improving in the kitchen, him getting the recipes right the same day the review happens is beautifully executed, prior to this we saw him improve making bread by adding water in the oven to steam them, we see him damage the circuits of the restaurant because he was over using a lot of his kitchen equipment and that episode we saw him finally succeed on making his desserts, but at the worst time possible, other than that, this was such an excellent video and you killed this video
Appreciate that. Yea I am getting a lot of pushback on that take, I probably overlooked some things
late and as someone who likes marcus i do think they missed a character moment by having neither of them acknowledge what happened, we know carmy apologized to sydney, why not marcus too? marcus also needed to apologize for not having his priorities straight
The sense of chaos that the show makes wanted to achive was perfectly depicted by the Oner. Gorgeous video essay.👌
Thank you!
I love when a long cut is so intense that you don't realize it's a oner until it's over or you're near the end. I remember this episode nearly being done before I realized what was even happening and it works so well.
so funny remembering how i was so invested in the chaotic-ness and messiness of this episode and then checking the timestamp to realize that that was basically the whole plot
It literally was the whole plot
for people who’ve never worked in a commercial kitchen before, i worked in one with 0 issues for 6 months. Got in, did the work, got out. Never had any sort of anxiety issues or anything (which i am prone to). Cut 6 or so years later, did a trial shift in a completely different commercial kitchen and came VERY close to having a panic attack. It never leaves you. I’m happy working in the café kitchen that I do, it’s much more manageable (for my mental health too), but man, working in a kitchen can be a nightmare.
I remember watching this episode and like 8 minutes in I looked at my wife and said this is all one scene there’s no cut aways. I was thoroughly impressed
I’ve never felt so much anxiety watching a pilot episode. Well done, The Bear
Great commentary... I think you understate the importance of sound in this shot. The "background noise" of the local radio broadcast drives the intensity of this episode to its "boiling point." The shot is amazing. I'm blown away that there weren't any hidden cuts. I would encourage anyone who is interested to go back and LISTEN to this episode. Though the music is practical (a radio in a kitchen) it becomes the film score, subconsciously provoking the audience's emotional stress.
Seconding. I loved the sound design in this show - things felt real, evocative of the constant hum of kitchens, built the tension and environment. The radio, the background convos, the sounds of cooking, the constant constant sensory input. Just done so well
The one shot in 2005 Pride and Prejudice party scene is one of my favorites. The movement and getting all the character dynamics with very little dialogue was so well done. This video makes me want to go seek one shot scenes out for sure.
This is an Emmy-winning episode
No doubt
Oh no! There was no mention of Haunting of Hill House-Two Storms. The whole episode is a compilation of five long shots and it is an absolute masterclass.
Love this video!
My roommate and I were watching and about seven minutes in or so we were like "wait ... they haven't cut. Oh my god!" It was already great tv, and then it was like they went "oh how about a whole episode as a Oner?" just to completely knock everyone else away. Immensely impressed with the cast and crew doing this.
I think the oner was used perfectly in the bear - the intensity and trapped feeling put the viewer in Carmy’s shoes and I remember thinking this level of stress is nowhere near compensated by what line cooks are paid. On top of that, I didn’t even realise the episode was only 17 minutes long when I watched it - possibly because 15 of those were pure chaos and anxiety. Anything longer and it may have been a negative, somewhat torturous experience for the viewer.
Exactly
I thought the decision to use cuts to help communicate stress was a smart and accurate depiction of what it feels like to work in hospitality, but then that long, painful dragging take in the worst moment they’ve had so far in the series is such a true and honest reflection of how it feels to be in that moment
That episode felt so short I was honestly surprised at first but now looking back it was probably due to the one take run. Definitely helped create a sense of urgency I started to almost feel overwhelmed.
Haunting of Hill House has a solid one shot episode/scene
When I first watched that episode I got to the first cut. Paused, turned to my roommate and asked "wait was that the first cut?" And had to start over to double check. They had such a smoothness to the oner that I did not notice until the cut happened.
I love one-shot takes.
One of the ones that sticks with me, is the first episode of "19-2"'s second season opens with two cops responding to what turns out to be a school shooting.
The first 13 minutes are one uninterrupted take, no soundtrack; it REALLY ratchets up the tension
Gotta watch that
Watch the boiling point, a film that’s one take
The 7th episode made me start crying. I don't know if it was the anxiety or the bad memories that I'm sure most cooks have, but boy, that was so fucked.
Any event organizer (big or small) had faced this when they have shitty crew or bad connection with team
The Bear is an insane show. So incredibly perfect. This episode stressed me TF out to the point of needing to take a breath myself just watching. Crazy how they pulled this off. Perfect execution with building chaotic energy with the one take 🤌
I wholeheartedly disagreed with you about Marcus. I honestly didn't feel like I needed more interesting qualities from him in this season because Carmy's arc held most of my attention. I really enjoyed the small and unassuming donut arc. His background so far puts him as working in Mcdonalds where everything is pre-made and the same - to being inspired by Carmy and by pastries, which is rooted in his nostalgia of being a child. He was the first to embrace the new kitchen style (language and the aprons) and it's nice to see him going from arrogant (first episode) to a willing student who (I think in later seasons) will learn that artistry and "creative genius" has to come second to doing his job. These are very short episodes and there is a lot to get through in terms of Carmy's grief and the restaurant's arc so it makes sense for them to not spend too much time on him. On a bright side though, it leaves a great deal to be explored in Season 2 and I for one can't wait! Great video.
This is so cool I never noticed this before! I did however notice and LOVE that one uninterrupted, 6-minute monologue in the season finale where the shot stays on his face the whole time. That was amazing.
anyone who has worked in the food industry completely felt this episode. the overload of the receipts, crashing into others, screaming, sweating, and just wanting to die. it’s stressful work, but it’s worth it.
Wait do you actually not understand "donut guy's" significance as a character? He's not a shallow character at all, IMO, and his meaning was pretty clear to me, in that he represents the obsessiveness of a chef in love with what they do. Through all this chaos, for the whole time, he's hyperfocused on his own recipe, contributing to the chaos by not contributing. Only thinking of oneself in a group environment.
Daredevil has a few long take action scenes that were shot to perfection. A few cuts potentially here and there but a good one take none the less.
Still need to see that.
@@ComeWatchTV Watch the prison escape shot. It's pretty amazing.
@@ComeWatchTV it’s so technical with stunt doubles coming in and out of fights in small spaces, breaks in action for dialogue etc. They built dark spots in so they could cut if they needed to but it was a true one shot and they lightened those bits in post to basically show off that they did it
@@ComeWatchTV I literally suspected that you hadn't watched it when I realised you didn't mention it at all
@@jspur22 I get fucking goosebumps just remembering that shot, it was out of nowhere and soooo fucking good.
Dude..... That was one take..... This was the best show of the year.
That episode is up there for sure
a 17 minute single take is crazy. I wonder how long it took them to get it perfect. gotta remember all your lines and exactly how the episode plays out with no chance to redo a simple mess up, just gotta roll with it or start all over
Marcus growth over season 1 and 2 is amazing. I love donut guy 😂
Oh yeah, I was a dishwasher for a single shift, kitchens are chaotic. At the end they asked me if I wanted to come back and I was like NOPE! I will go do something else.
One of the best episodes ever . The tension , Music , camera work , and the acting ??? I couldn’t look away .
Bless the UA-cam algorithm for putting this in my feed. As an aspiring film maker, this is such a cool breakdown!!
I love to hear that, thank you!
by far my favorite moment was when I was watching this moment with my dad and, about a 1/4 of the way in, we realized it was all one take and were left awestruck the rest of the episode
watched this and was tense the entire time!! the one take truly delivered what was needed
Episode 7 was one of the most stressful things I've seen, someone told me it was a single take and I had no idea until I saw this video. I'm absolutely blown away.
Every commercial break when I viewed felt like a chance to breathe 😂 truly an amazingly stress inducing episode
I remember needing to take a break from the show for like 3 days after watching this episode. Brilliant.
I was just a food runner when I was in college but this show is so accurate. Some of the people I worked with are still good friends 10 years later. I’ve never been so close with my coworkers than at this restaurant. I’m so happy I don’t do this now though.
I absolutely loved this episode because of the chaos. I had no idea that it was a single take in the moment which shows how well done it was.
Episode 7 is one of the best episodes of TV i have seen in probably 10 years
High praise!
A clip of this episode on twitter was the reason I decided to watch the show. I didn't realize how much went into to making it but it really was impeccable acting and it made me feel like I was in the kitchen with them. Thanks for the video explaining this!
this show is really funny because as it aired, i was working as a sandwich line cook, 4 blocks-ish away from the actual film location, and it’s pretty fucking accurate
Legend
As someone who has a lot of restaurant experience, this episode encapsulated the restaurant experience better than anything else I have seen. The printer constantly going off was so stressful.
Glad the bear is getting some love in the video essay genre
One of the best shows of the year
Great video man! I thoroughly enjoyed that you went over a bit of history on the TV oner. I remember in film school my professor showed us oner from The Shield (2002) and like The Bear it does a great job of showing all the characters relationships with each other while portraying the chaos of the LAPD. I really commend The Bear, this episode especially, for having so many moving parts and purposefully being overwhelming, but never for a moment are you lost. I think that's an underrated aspect of the oner when it's done well. Just because it's one take, often from one POV, doesn't mean the audience can't be lost
Randy’s favorite UA-cam video essayist is back with some heat!!! Love it.
Randy I love you
Just binged watched the show and had no idea this episode was one take there was so much going on that I didn’t even think about it
I remember watching this episode and feeling my heartrate increase. such an effective way to film it!
Thanks!
Wow, thank you! You are my first ever Super Thanks!
Let me hear your favorite long takes in the comments!
The first one I ever saw, "The conversation" episode of Mad about you
From a movie but the opening of The Player!
One you didn't mention which was good, was from the show "kidding" where they had to change the set realtime as camera moved.
My favourite though is Mr Robot, to go from outside location to inside and multiple floors then have a riot break out then do a top down view, to outside again etc...
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 10/10 -OY3AH!
@0:06 - @0:09 the best UA-cam INTROSssss of all time “ STRAIGHT TO THE POINT - no white talking just straight up “ get to the point !!! All that talking give me the meat!
If determined by scale & scope, Russian Ark is inarguably the greatest movie-oner of all time.
I actually had to rewatch the episode all over because I realized halfway in the moment that it looked all in one take. I was astonished to see how this was all entirely done in one take. Bravo to the cinematographer.
I think the one shot thing works in this setting particularly well as it makes sense for whats going on - they have about 20 minutes until opening the restaurant and the episode is just under 20 minutes. It creates urgency in real time, the stakes are high, and you're not allowed to escape.
I like 'Mr Robot' a lot and think what they did is impressive but I think its ultimately a bit distracting as it draws too much attention to itself - especially when you're going over walls and have these impossible camera shots. With 'The Bear' you're just in a room and it doesn't bring too much attention to itself - it doesn't 'feel' technical. It just works for the material. Banger show.
Yup
Idk, to me it still works very well, especially given the context. In Mr Robot it was an extremely frantic situation, with characters running from room to room and constantly being under pressure from the imposing mob of people that were trashing the building. The one shot adds to that feeling of having very little time to work with as they navigate the labyrinth of cubicles and rioters.
Edit: Also because the audience is meant to be a sort of character in the show, and right at the beginning he looks at the camera and says "Stay with me. I need you to be focused."
I have to rewatch it, did not notice that it was in one cut. That’s honestly mind blowing, imagine all the small details all having to be perfect amazing
I assumed this had over a million views when I watched it. Criminally underrated channel and video.
Fantastic compliment thank you so much!
The best one takes are so well done, you don't even realize they were one take until later. Just like this show did
calling Lionel "donut guy" is nuts,😂 I agree we could've gotten more backstory but wouldn't say to the extent of frustratingly underdeveloped. Great analysis if the one shot though and it's TV history.
Yea i'm getting a lot of disagreement with that take, I was definitely too harsh.. And Thank you!
'Marcus'
Dude you didn't even get his name right. His name is Marcus. Really shows how important he was to you for the storyline.
@@ComeWatchTV nah bro. You were right, He's Donut Guy and he sucks.
The acid trip in climax is a fully uncut 40 minute shot and it's the most impressive thing I've ever seen.
YES-- I really need a part 2 that focuses on movies, there's so many good examples
Donut Guy deserves to be named, Marcus 😤
Its the best episode of this show I've seen so far. It's absolute chaos from start to finish.
I just finished the season and holy shit, I wasn't mentally prepared for the one take episode, the levels of stress and anxiety it and the whole season gave me were on another level. I absolutely love this show and cant wait for second season. I give the Bear a full 7/5 points, this is top tier TV.
Masterclass in sound design. That was the most impressive aspect for me
If you love shows like this- be sure to check out my latest video: How "BARRY" Perfectly Combines Comedy and Drama
ua-cam.com/video/ZV9AtW8V1zY/v-deo.html
I was surprised not to see Ronny/Lily in this video, can't wait to check that one out!
I like you come watch tv but can you please raise the quality of your videos, your shit is in like 480p and it ticks me off I dont even know why. I loved this video and this was my only qualm with it.
Loud and clear. I understand the frustration and will look to only using 1080p clips, 720 if I must.@@kiktik2413
@@ComeWatchTV 😄
Was not expecting for this video to be so high quality! Absolutely amazing video!!!
Appreciate that.
This is one of my favorite shows now 100%.
I would genuinely love to watch you break down Boiling Point. After my father and I had watched The Bear, we immediately watched Boiling Point. We couldn't look away, and it really didn't hold your hand through any of it, I was enthralled.
this episode was so well made i felt physically sick after it was over
Whenever I think of a oner, I think of the uncut shot from me, earl, and the dying girl. There’s virtually no camerawork as it’s all in the perspective from the corner of the room, but it’s just so powerful.
The "donut guy" is not just the donut guy through the whole season. He was the bread maker for the restaurant but wanted to do more and when Carm and Sydney come around and start making changes he sees it as the best time to have the restaurant order bread in so that he can make something new and even reads through all of the cook books he's given for new ideas. With this new freedom he tells them to put a chocolate cake on the menu which becomes his new signature at the restaurant, however he gets too ambitious and decides that now is the best time to start working on making donuts using crazy techniques for such a small scale restaurant at the time. He gets too caught up in his work and isolates himself from everyone else and I think that the show visually shows us this by having his station be in a weird small area off to the side of where everything else happens. Because of this he gets too caught up in perfecting his donut that when the chaos breaks out in the main area, he doesn't seem affected in his little corner. Granted everything in that scene very clearly makes him seem like a selfish asshole and the show shouldn't have given him the win after that but oh well.
A well fuctioning kitchen is a machine. Granted his bakery inspirations were awesome. But there is a time and place! Carmy did't fire him. He walked out.
its amazing how good they portrayed what its like to work in the kitchen. the chaos, the noise, the calls, its really insane
Yes and the sound is something I completely overlooked in writing this- so immersive
ive avoided watching this show because i didnt want to experience the stress of a kitchen job again so this will suffice and prove my point
Fair enough
The two storms ep from Haunting of Hill House and the battle of the bastards were my first examples, incredibly tense and this episode from The Bear managed to be even more exciting and tense. Incredible
I really enjoyed the first episode of bear but it was so good that it reminded me of work 😆 so maybe once I’m not working in a kitchen I can sit down and actually enjoy the mess of the kitchen staff and not be like “that’s how Steve be acting all the time an I have to deal with him tomorrow”
There is a Canadian show called 19-2 which follows a police force. One episode begins with a 15 minute long shot of the two main characters responding to a school shooting. It's visceral and tense and high stakes but it is amazing in how it tracks all around the high school, corridors, kitchens, slowly walking around the school. Highly recommend it
@@JustMrHill going to watch that right now that sounds sick
Before sunrise is an incredible one take
There’s this really simple but beautiful episode of Mad About You that is a one take. And it absolutely adds to this story, especially since the whole episode breaks the usual sitcom formula
i work in one of the top 3 finest places in my city and this episode is perfect. i think the only thing i wouldve added (from personal experience) is if there was customers also complaining and someone at the expo asking for certain orders building the stress level, and that background music is too spot on throughout it. 10/10
They should hire you as a consultant!
@@ComeWatchTV that would be a dream offer there lol. but it’d likely make it boring too in detail
Had no idea that was one take, but it makes sense. I felt the claustrophobia and intensity of that kitchen. What a show. Also huge love for Charlie Work! One of their best episodes.
Lastly, Boiling Point was amazing. An achievement
My anxiety when I could feel Carmy's anger building
I was screaming at the chefs knowing that they couldn't hear me. That shows how well made it was.
This episode felt so short. When it ended i was like...thats it? It was a great episode.
This one youtube video convinced me to watch this entire season and I loved everything about it. So thank you
I really love to hear that! Thanks!
This video has too few views for the amount of effort put into it, keep up the great work 👍🏻
Appreciate that
I have worked in restaurants most of my working life and this show is so real. I love it so much
Soap Operas in the UK do the occasional single take episode, broadcast live. EastEnders and Coronation Street for example.
If anyone makes mistakes in the continuity they have to adapt as they go.
I imagine that’s almost exactly like theatre with some improvisational elements
i am continually impressed how yt channels with less than 10k subs create a more engaging and thematically interesting productions than hollywood productions. a new sub my boy
Wow, thank you!