‘The Bear’ Closed for Renovation, ‘And Just Like That,’ Kim

FX

From FX, a second season of the acclaimed dramedy that goes behind the scenes of a Chicago family restaurant is all about renovation and renewal. Celebrity chef Carmy “the Bear” Berzatto (Emmy front-runner Jeremy Allen White) has closed his family’s beef-sandwich joint, and with ambitious sous chef Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) hopes to transform the space into a high-end dining destination. The 10-episode season presents one crisis after another as the walls literally come down around them, but there’s also opportunity for each of the chefs to grow—including volatile frontman/manager/“cousin” Richie (the sensational Ebon Moss-Bachrach). The entire season is available for binge-watching, and nothing will prepare you for the harrowing Christmas flashback in episode 6, a tour de force with surprise guest stars illuminating what a miracle it is that any of the Berzattos survived these family gatherings. The Bear has all the flavors of great TV: comedy, tragedy, drama both tender and raw, and a cast that rises to any challenge.

Courtesy of Max

When Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) chirps, “Life’s too short not to try something new,” you may wonder why if that’s the case they’re still making Sex and the City episodes well past their expiration date. Gay hanger-on Anthony (Mario Cantone) may not be the only one mocking the show’s “rich people’s problems” as a second season of the romantic sitcom sequel begins with preparations for the Met Ball, where one character actually blurts out loud when presented a choice: “The man or the Met? Is the universe really that cruel?” On the opposite coast, increasingly neurotic Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) accompanies rising comic Che (Sara Ramirez) as she develops an ABC comedy pilot. In what universe?

Courtesy Of Netflix

And Just Like That made headlines recently when it was leaked that Kim Cattrall would make a brief cameo sometime this season, reprising her much-missed character of Samantha—in a phone call. If you’re seeking more Cattrall, she’s giving her The Devil Wears Prada all as cosmetics CEO Madolyn Addison. The romcom stars non-binary performer Miss Benny as Marco Mejia, a gender non-confirming high-school grad who lands a dream job as Madolyn’s intern. Or is it a nightmare, when she assigns Marco to spy on her employees at Glamorous Cosmetics to unearth possible corporate espionage at the newly struggling company.

Paramount+

Allegory alert! In the new season’s second episode, Capt. Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) leaves the Enterprise to advocate for his “Number One” First Officer Una Chin-Riley (Rebecca Romijn), who was arrested in Season 1’s cliffhanger for lying to Starfleet about her genetic modification status as an Illyrian. When she rejects a plea agreement for an honorable dismissal, a tribunal ends up putting Starfleet’s institutional prejudice on trial when Una is prosecuted merely for being who she is.

INSIDE THURSDAY TV:

• NBA Draft (8/7c, ABC and ESPN): Let the trading games begin. As representatives of 30 professional basketball teams gather at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center to make their picks, there appears to be at least one certainty: San Antonio Spurs, first in line, will snag top prospect Victor Wembanyama, the 7-foot-5 phenom from France.
• The Blacklist (8/7c, NBC): Red (James Spader) gets more than he bargained for when he tries to mediate a meeting between two rival families.
• TMZ Investigates: The Miracle Children of the Amazon (8/7c, Fox): Muckraking TMZ looks into the story of the miracle rescue of four children, including a 1-year-old, from the Colombian jungle who survived 40 days after a fatal plane crash in May. TMZ suggests some aspects of the story don’t hold up to scrutiny.
• Project Runway All-Stars (9/8c, Bravo): The designers turn to toys from FAO Schwarz for inspiration for their next runway look.

ON THE STREAM:

• The Other Two (streaming on Max): The show-biz satire gets increasingly unhinged as it nears the end of its third season. Brooke (Heléne Yorke) goes extremely undercover to see if her saintly nurse ex-boyfriend Lance (Josh Segarra) used a publicity team to snag his People cover—while brother Cary (Drew Tarver) employs his own team to try to land an Oscar-bait role. Both are in for an awakening after mom Pat (Molly Shannon) meets her Ohio friend’s “normal” kids, who have to be seen to be disbelieved.
• Liv Ullmann—A Road Less Traveled (streaming on Viaplay): A three-part docuseries celebrates the life and career of actress-author-humanitarian Liv Ullmann, the Norwegian actress and longtime collaborator with Ingmar Bergman who received a 2022 honorary Oscar. Among those testifying to her artistry and character: Cate Blanchett, Jessica Chastain, John Lithgow, Jeremy Irons and Sam Waterston.
• Downey’s Dream Cars (streaming on Max): A six-part docuseries (two episodes weekly) reveals Robert Downey Jr.’s obsession with restoring classic cars, which in recent years has involved retooling them to make them more energy-efficient in recognition of climate change.
• Clean Sweep (streaming on Sundance Now and AMC+): A six-part Irish crime thriller focuses on Shelly (Charlene McKenna), a housewife and mom who has hidden her dark past from her family—until she kills to protect her secret and her detective husband (Barry Ward) is put on the case.

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