What Are They Thinking?
We are fans of the FX TV show “The Bear” since we – somewhat accidentally – stumbled over the first episode. Since then, the show has racked up 23 Emmy Awards and many raving reviews. It is nice to find something early and be on the mainstream for a while.
However, season 3 is irritating. The show’s appeal was always driven by the extremely visual and immediate storytelling with a sparse plot. But the latest episodes are too stylistic and have very little story. Elke and I still have one episode to go, and it looks like there will be something like a showdown. We decided to fast-forward over episode 8, though, as it focused exclusively, figuratively, and literally on two side characters in an endless, expletive-laden dialog.
The enthusiasm about “The Bear” has cooled off a bit, but critics are still raving. If you watched “The Bear” this year, did you like season 3?
It looks like the makers struck gold with a new concept and are now pushing it too far. Even the previous season, with its one character story per episode, did not keep up with the initial airings.
You must admire the show makers to keep the intensity high and surprise the audience with every episode. Conversely, one wishes that the story leads to a better place rather than the characters being on edge most of the time. Some romantic relief would be nice too (the show is officially a comedy, so comedic relief is supposedly somewhere in there).
This reminds me of a memory from 1985, when, on a student exchange trip to the USA, a friend discovered the brand new Prince album Around the World in a Day. He was overly excited, but disappointment set in when he finally got to listen. The predecessor, Purple Rain, had one banger after the other, while the new record was far less accessible. Unpredictability was a hallmark of Prince’s career and made him the outstanding artist he was.
So, in the end, we are looking forward to season 4 of “The Bear.”
glamglare favorites
Listen to glamglare favorites on Spotify or below on YouTube.
If you’re hungry or craving sweets, don’t read any further! Or maybe do it because the following five songs don’t come with calories but still have a lot of flavor and satisfying vibes.
“I love to take the risk if it’s safe to take it,” sings Ora The Molecule and electronic pop-music gem “Sugar” gets me every time.
“Carbonara” - a song by Spliff that I loved back then, in 1982 when Neue Deutsche Welle (NDW) was a new, exciting thing and still absolutely do! The German language was suddenly no longer just used for schmaltzy Schlager but rock songs, often with socio-critical undertones or just plain fun. Instrumentation and beats were also more restrained than the ones from the ‘70s prog-rock era. If you like “Carbonara,” then I recommend, no urge you, to check out their hit album 85555, the one that put Spliff on the map.
“Eiszeit” is another prime example of why many (not all!) bands from the NDW era were so exceptionally cool. I’m stretching our theme here because “Eiszeit” means ‘ice age’ but it could just as well serve as ‘time for ice cream.’ Got it?
Fast forward to 2017 and “Strawberry Skin” by New York’s Dead Leaf Echo. There’s always room for modern shoegaze, no?
And definitely for “Chocolate,” especially if it’s understated cool like Sunna Margrét’s. Enjoy!
Song Pick of the Day
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Nine Photos of a Stroll at Moynihan Hall
Yesterday, I found myself in the Penn District, with a good 90 minutes of me-time to fill, and decided instead of aimlessly walking around or seeking out shopping destinations like Macy’s to check out the renovated Penn Station, the Moynihan Train Station. You might know that Penn Station marks the busiest transit facility in the Western Hemisphere and, as such, was not necessarily a pleasant place. So, I wanted to see Moynihan Hall ever since it opened in January 2021 but never got around, and I am so glad that I finally did. You can safely put this architectural gem on your touristy NYC To-Do list and enjoy a nice cup of coffee or anything else your heart desires. (More on the history of the hall here.) Later in the day, you can even experience LaEsquina Mexican street fare, as they have an outpost there. Other interesting eateries round up the more high-end food court there. And while you won’t find Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts at Moynihan Hall – they’re too ubiquitous as it is anyway – you can choose between Birch Coffee, Blue Bottle Coffee, or Maman, which I did because I’ve never had it before, and the cups are just so pretty! The coffee was, too, and the atmosphere in the food court was very pleasant. Enjoy a little stroll through Penn District.
Photos: Elke Nominikat