Christopher Storer, creator of “The Bear,” spoke to students Monday night about his career and work on the show after a screening of two episodes from season three as part of “Television Symposium,” a non-major class in the School of Cinematic Arts taught by Pulitzer-prize winning columnist Mary McNamara. 

The event began with a short introduction by McNamara, followed by the screening. The first episode, “Tomorrow,” is about the painful memories that have plagued Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) throughout his life, constantly playing in his head. Repetition of shots is used to recreate Carmy’s feelings of dread and loneliness that he holds inside himself.

After the screening, Storer sat with McNamara to discuss his experience working on the show. He highlighted the nuances that came with tackling the show’s anxiety-driven topics. Season three takes a step back, slowing the pace down for the characters, especially for the protagonist, Carmy.

“This season not only reinvented the show a little bit but rebooted it a little bit by design,” said Storer. “And I think because the show is so loud and is so annoying or stressful, depending on who you ask, I think it was a real pleasure that it was quiet.”

Because the newest season follows a slower approach to storytelling, Storer understood that he could face backlash from audiences on online platforms like X. However, he also knew that season three was essential to portraying depression in a way that was authentic to him and the characters, making him feel proud of his work.

“We had always built in a double album. I think we’re allowed to frustrate people, and people are going to be mad at me,” Storer said. “But it is the most personal thing I’ve ever been a part of. Season three is, weirdly, the thing that I’m the most proud of because in any creative field … there are those great breakthroughs.”

While “The Bear” is popular on Hulu and among audiences and critics, Storer touched on the current state of the industry and said it was hard to find an audience that will watch a particular show. He was uncertain about whether people would like his series but was surprised when it became a hit with people he would have never expected.

“It is really hard to make noise. It’s just very, very difficult for anything to find an audience or, to be more specific, its intended audience,” Storer said. “We had the first test reading, and I remember a 75-year-old was like, ‘Oh, we really understand Sydney’s journey.’”

Throughout each of the episodes, multiple close-ups are used to portray the emotions faced by the characters. In the second episode, titled “Ice Chips,” close-up shots are used on Donna (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Sugar (Abby Elliott) to intimately illustrate the pain Sugar experiences giving birth while also having a conversation with her mom about the trauma she inflicted on her. 

“The delivery episode is a pretty good example of [the close-ups]. Abby’s sucking it, and the mom is sucking it, and you can’t escape it. And you’re like, ‘I don’t want to see it,’” Storer said.

Like the restaurant The Bear itself, Storer is obsessed with how time affects the production and tone of the show. 

“I am obsessed with time to a detriment. Anyone in a kitchen is obsessed with time,” Storer said. “This show jumps around [time] a lot because I think everyone’s trying to get past certain things in their life that will drive them to a healthier place.”

His stories are not limited to only those who have worked a service job because characters like Carmy and Sydney are humans, just like those who watch. Andrew Huang, a sophomore majoring in business of cinematic arts said Storer’s passion shines through in “The Bear,” and the characters he’s created have touched a lot of people. 

“It was really insightful to hear about the long process of developing one of my favorite shows, a show that I feel like has a really unique approach to dealing with a lot of serious topics,” said Huang. “You can really see that he’s a genuine human being who just loves what he creates.”