The FX drama The Bear is noted for its intense kitchen drama, interesting people, and, more recently, for startling celebrity visits. The show has pulled in famous stars to make its world more real, such Jamie Lee Curtis, who won an Emmy for her role as Donna Berzatto, and Will Poulter, who played Luca. I was ready for Brie Larson's long-awaited role as Francie Fak in The Bear season 4 to have a significant effect. But even though everyone was looking forward to it, her part felt a little off and brought up a problem that was getting worse with the show.
Natalie "Sugar" Berzatto (Abby Elliott) has been angry for seasons just hearing Francie Fak's name. Sugar would always say, "She knows what she did," anytime Francie's name came up, and the mystery surrounding their fight was a running joke. This buildup made everyone very excited for Francie's first appearance on screen, and hiring an Oscar-winning actress like Brie Larson for the part definitely made things more interesting. But there are occasions when a persona is built up so much that the real thing doesn't live up to the hype. That was the case with this cameo.
Brie Larson's Francie Fak didn't fit with the Bear's established tone.The long-awaited fight didn't quite live up to expectations.
Francie Fak eventually shows up in The Bear season 4, episode 7, at Tiff and Frank's wedding, and she and Sugar get into a fight right away. The two ladies start yelling at each other, and sketchy facts about a past betrayal involving booze and a possible hookup come out. Abby Elliott's performance as Sugar is based on real heartache, but I thought Larson's portrayal of Francie was a little too cartoonish at points. It seemed like the persona was largely there for laughs, which didn't go well with the serious emotional weight Sugar was bringing to the fight.
When Francie was just a joke off-screen, it worked well because they didn't know what was going on. It let people picture how bad the "thing" was that made Sugar so upset. But when the plot is about these two making up, I needed Francie to be more clear and grounded in her portrayal in order to really care about their reconciliation. Larson is recognized for her dramatic work, but she has also done comedy, so I was looking for a balance that would make Francie seem like a real, if flawed, member of this complicated family. The sequence, on the other hand, felt forced, like the program was pushing too hard to shoehorn a big-name guest star into an already full episode.
The highly awaited fourth season of The Bear is almost here, reuniting Carmy, Sydney, and Richie for another dramatic journey through the worlds of exquisite dining and chaotic family life.
It is becoming a problem that The Bear is relying more and more on cameos.
There are too many famous people that can take away from the main story.
The Bear has a history of getting great guest stars, especially in its second season with the "Fishes" episode, which featured Jamie Lee Curtis, Sarah Paulson, John Mulaney, and Bob Odenkirk as extended Berzatto family members. These cameos mostly worked because they gave us important background information about Carmy and Sugar that let us appreciate their turbulent childhoods better. But as the series has gone on, the appearances have started to feel less natural and more like stunt casting.
For example, John Cena's role as Sammy Fak in season 3 seems like a stretch, and Larson's role in season 4 maintains this tendency. It felt more natural for Danielle Deadwyler to play Sydney's cousin Chantel and Rob Reiner to play Albert. The show occasionally seems to be seeking for a reason to bring in a big guest star, even if it doesn't really fit with the primary story. When the attention is too much on these guest spots, it can take away from the primary characters' storylines. This season, Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas) didn't have much of an arc, but the Sugar-Francie feud was a big part of the tale, even though it had problems.
The Bear is at its best when it takes its pacing leisurely and focuses on the characters it already has dual difficulties. "Forks" (season 2) and "Napkins" (season 3) were good because they focused on one character's journey, which let the audience explore their feelings in depth. There were some touching moments amongst family members in the wedding episode, but it felt too full because they tried to give everyone a big scene, including the new appearances.
After years of rumors, The Bear season 4 brings in Francie Fak, ending a long-running rivalry with Natalie and sending a strong message about healing in the family.
I hope the bear gets back to what it's good at.
The show doesn't need big stars to be interesting.
Brie Larson is a very good actress, and I can see why The Bear would want her to be in its famous cast. But I don't think her performance as Francie Fak really captured the complex, often messy truth that makes the program so interesting. The character was set up to be a big threat to Sugar, and while their fight had some good parts, it felt like a missed chance to really explore the complexities of their past.
The Bear is still one of my favorite shows because it can tell dramatic, character-driven stories. But I think the program would be better if it was more careful about who it invited as guest stars in future seasons. The series is strongest when its main cast gives raw, real performances and faces problems that are easy to relate to. If you use too many spectacular cameos, you might lose that genuineness. I hope that as the show goes on, it goes back to its roots and lets its existing characters shine without needing a lot of big stars to keep the tale going.