The Bear’s secret ingredient? Characters you want to root for |

 

 

"Watching those compelling, cringe-inducing scenes, I realised how much The Bear causes you to care for, even root for, its characters, and what a rare sensation that is in prestige TV. For the last two decades the standout shows of the moment have tended to present audiences with characters whose behaviour makes rooting for them extremely challenging. This has been the age of the antihero, where behaviour has been uniformly toxic, even if the level of toxicity – from everyday bullying and womanising to running a murderous drug cartel – has been variable. The skill of series from The Sopranos and Mad Men to Succession has been in convincing us that we want to follow these characters’ journeys, but there are limits to our attachment to them: while we may sympathise with Kendall Roy or Don Draper we know, deep down, that any downfall they suffer is pretty much merited, and part of us might even be willing it to happen."

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The Guide #96: The Bear’s secret ingredient? Characters you want to root for | The Bear | The Guardian: