Highlights and recap of The Bear season 2, episode 4: Honeydew
On the award-winning series from FX, The Bear, the fourth episode of season 2 has us go to Copenhagen with The Bear’s pastry chef Marcus, so he can train with Chef Luca, one of Carmy’s friends when he did his own stage in Denmark.
Seven weeks to opening and the obstacles pile up just as fast as The Bear crew can get them accomplished for the renovation. The biggest one is the rejection of their establishment name as “The Bear.”
Apparently Carmy and Nat’s brother Mikey never actually filed for a business permit operation name as The Beef. Now there are fines to be paid for The Beef before they can even file a permit for The Bear.
As Natalie tries to tell Carmy that she’s pregnant and doesn’t want anyone to know, the wall beside them falls down. So now everyone, especially Richie, knows that she has a bun in the oven.
The Bear season 2, episode 4 – Euro trip
Marcus is at the hospital and telling his mother in a coma that he has to go to Copenhagen for training with Chef Luca, Carmy’s old friend. He leaves last-minute reminders for his mother’s caregiver.
When he lands in Denmark and makes his way to the address, Marcus finds out he is billeted in a riverside boat tied to the docks. Inside is a note waiting for him with instructions to, among others, leave water out for Coco the cat.
Because he’s a big black guy, Marcus can touch the ceiling of the boat even when he’s seated. Early the next day he goes to the restaurant where he’ll be training, or doing stage in culinary parlance, and meets British pastry Chef Luca.
Since they start at 5AM Marcus is already a bit late. Above the doorway is a sign that says EVERY SECOND COUNTS, like the one Carmy put up at The Beef.
The Bear season 2, episode 4 – Chef Luca, young Zen master
Training starts right away, and Marcus quickly learns that the precision to make Danish treats is way above his current skill level. But Chef Luca (played by the great Will Poulter) is an excellent teacher, never overbearing but tolerates zero nonsense as well, allowing Marcus to make mistakes and give him all the chances to drill it until he gets techniques correct.
Marcus learns quickly and is always focused when being coached. These sequences, subtle and understated, are some of the best in this episode.
They also illustrate the bond of respect that forms naturally between teacher and student in an apprenticeship scenario. Luca has been in the business for 14 years, while Marcus has barely been pro cooking for two years.
The Bear season 2, episode 4 – Danish dessert paradise
The range of fine European desserts that Marcus and Luca make also look tasty as heck. On his off hours, Marcus walks the streets and dines on street food.
But he also roams the city restaurants and samples their desserts, so he can take insight from them and try to reverse engineer how they were made. It’s like a super pretty tourist ad for Denmark.
Other than that, he leaves messages for his mother and once in a while Fak calls him. After a week, Marcus’s routine has become second nature.
The thing is the cat hasn’t shown up once. Chef Luca dispenses wisdom like they were hard earned and fought-for diamonds.
One special dose of wisdom is when he tells Marcus that most of the awesome dishes that he’s tasted weren’t the ones with fancy techniques but because they were creatively inspired.
The Bear season 2, episode 4 – Bike crash
One night, as he’s walking home, he spots a man trapped under a chain link fence he had collided with during a bicycle crash. Marcus rescues and pulls him out.
Neither of them speak the same language but the man hugs Marcus in gratitude and bikes away, not eager to go to the hospital. Going on towards his final days in Copenhagen, Marcus FaceTime’s Sydney and he finally perfects the ice cream scoop (to quenelle in culinary parlance) that Chef Luca wants him to execute well and makes a great honeydew dessert.
The Bear season 2 episode 4 – But where’s Coco?
What an excellent and ballad-like episode for a great character that I’ve been wanting to know more about. Episode director Ramy Youssef (of the comedy series Ramy) has given Marcus great added dimension.
When he goes back to Chicago, I will definitely appreciate how far he has come on his culinary journey. Also, Coco the cat never shows, meaning leaving water for the feline seems more like a test of discipline and character, rather than actually hydrating any animal on the boat’s premises.
Come to think of it, that makes plenty of sense.
Next. Good Omens season 2: Sneak peek may hint at Crowley’s later actions. dark
You can stream season 2 of The Bear on Hulu.