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The following story contains spoilers for The Bear Season 2, "Forks."
IN ITS second season, The Bear has made masterful use of special guest appearances and cameos. While many of the best ones come by way of Episode 6, "Fishes," which depicts a particularly chaotic Christmas at the Berzatto house, perhaps the most impactful appearance of the season comes in the next episode, titled "Forks." After the mania of the "Fishes" flashback, "Forks" brings viewers back into the present for a side quest story centered on Richie (Ebon Moss-Bacharach), as he temporarily works at one of the best restaurants in the entire world. We learn about this restaurant as Richie—not the most cultured person in the world, of course—does, but we can surmise early on that this restaurant is as great as it is thanks, mostly, to one person: Chef Terry.
Chef Terry, who not only runs the restaurant on a culinary level but also owns it, goes unseen for most of the episode. And as we stick with Richie through the ups and downs of learning the workings of a true fine dining establishment, we learn that the initial fears that come from something being well-run and serious aren't fears worth maintaining. A vital takeaway from Richie—and one that results in him wearing suits for the rest of the season rather than his previous T-shirt attire—is that being a serious person, and taking your work seriously, doesn't mean you have to change who you are and stop having fun.
Richie has already come to this realization—what an absolute blast he had bringing a table a surprise elevated pizza dish—when he runs into Chef Terry on his last day. And Chef Terry, at work early preparing mushrooms for a dish, is so much nicer and kinder than anyone could have imagined. Seeing how stressed Carmy always is, and how resistant Luca (Will Poulter) was in Episode 4 to admit that his whole journey was worth it, you'd think that everyone above them is like Carmy's old boss in New York (Joel McHale).
But Chef Terry is decisively not like that. She's nice, smiling, and recognizing Richie immediately, even sharing a story about her own father. And she tells him something he really needs to hear: he's good with people. She's not bullshitting—she's just experienced it herself. And she, like Carmy, believes in him.
It's only a single scene appearance, but it's absolutely vital to The Bear Season 2's story of personal growth.
Olivia Colman plays Chef Terry in The Bear Season 2 Episode 7 "Forks"
If you noticed that Chef Terry's single scene in The Bear had an incredible gravitas to it... that's because she's played by one of the very best actors working today. Olivia Colman's breakthrough came in the British Channel 4 sitcom Peep Show (from Succession creator Jesse Armstrong), and she's been a fixture across genres both on television and in film ever since. In early 2019, she even won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her sensational turn in The Favourite.
A few other roles you may recognize Colman from: Hot Fuzz, Locke, The Lobster, and Murder on the Orient Express; she was also nominated for Academy Awards for her roles in The Father and The Lost Daughter.
The Bear is also far from her first foray into prestige television; in addition to her breakthrough role on Peep Show, she also received much acclaim for her role on the Tom Hiddleston-led limited series The Night Manager, and leads one of the most acclaimed crime/mystery shows in recent history in Broadchurch. She also won an Emmy for The Crown, appeared in HBO's drama Landscapers, and played key supporting roles in both Heartstopper and Fleabag.
If you want more of Colman right now, we've got more good news: she's currently part of the main cast in the new Marvel Cinematic Universe series Secret Invasion, starring opposite Samuel L. Jackson. You're welcome!
Evan is the culture editor for Men’s Health, with bylines in The New York Times, MTV News, Brooklyn Magazine, and VICE. He loves weird movies, watches too much TV, and listens to music more often than he doesn’t.
