‘The Bear’ and the Suitcase

The latest in pop-culture news, recaps, and reviews, plus close reads, profiles, interviews, and more from Vulture.com. [Brand Logo]( close read [The Bear’s Suitcase Episodes]( “Honeydew” and “Forks” may appear to be bottle episodes, but they’re something else. (Mad Men’s greatest hour provides a clue.) Photo-Illustration: Vulture. Photos: FX “Honeydew,” the [fourth episode]( of [The Bear](’s [second season](, diverges from restaurant-renovation chaos to follow budding pastry chef Marcus (Lionel Boyce) to Copenhagen as he studies under Carmy’s former colleague Luca (Will Poulter). The half-hour sees Marcus brainstorm recipes on a houseboat, practice the precise plating of fancy pudding dishes in a gleaming kitchen, and experience a new culture that fires the creative synapses in his brain. It’s tempting to witness the single focus of “Honeydew” and deem it a [bottle episode](. One might be inclined to use the same term to describe “[Forks](,” a later episode centered on Richie’s experience staging at Chicago’s most celebrated restaurant, overseen by Carmy’s mentor, [Chef Terry (Olivia Colman)](. But these episodes are not bottle episodes; they fall into a category [previously defined]( by Vulture as “departure episodes” — “self-contained installments of a TV series that depart from the established norms of how that TV series operates.” That’s a broad umbrella that includes flashback episodes (The Bear’s “[Fishes](” fits into this category), musical episodes, and, yes, bottle episodes, a form originally created to save money by stripping a narrative down to its essential (and least expensive) elements. [read more]( The Latest TV Recaps • The Bachelorette: [Oh, Brother]( • Below Deck Sailing Yacht: [Daisy’s Sister Stirs the Pot]( • Cruel Summer: [Spy Kids]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( Stories We Think You’ll Like [The Best Comedy Specials of 2023 (So Far) Featuring pointed personal reflections, unflashy collections of jokes, and snow globes.]( By Kathryn VanArendonk [Paramount+ Takes Aim at More Streaming Casualties Removing content is very in right now.]( By Eric Vilas-Boas and Savannah Salazar [Wheel of Fortune’s New Host Will Be R_AN S_ACR_ST At least Vanna White is reportedly sticking around.]( By Justin Curto [Andy Cohen Threw Kamala Harris Her First ‘Padam’ at Stonewall “Okay. I like it.”]( By Jason P. Frank [Hideo Kojima Is a Genius. What Else Is New? A new documentary about the acclaimed video-game auteur reveals very little.]( By Shannon Liao [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( [Today’s Crossword]( 30-Across, Six Letters: Penelope and True to Kim. Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos: Getty,Disney [Into It With Sam Sanders]( Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Parkwood Content creator and head of the Beyhive Kalen Allen is more than fine with the fact that he spent $4,000 on one ticket for Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour. On the handful of tickets he’s purchased so far, Allen’s spent close to $8,000 in total. “I work my ass off to be able to go where I want, when I want,” Allen says. “And if I go bankrupt because I was at Beyoncé, so be it.” He’s kidding, of course. But he did go [through a very public struggle to get tickets](, which a lot of people related to as they sought tickets for artists like Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay, and Ed Sheeran this summer. Why are tickets so expensive, and how much are fans willing to put up with in order to go? [Listen to the full episode of Into It]( to learn more about this post-pandemic summer of concerts, why the touring industry is broken, and how some lawmakers and artists are trying to fix it. [Read more from Vulture]( A newsletter of TV and movie recommendations. [Sign up]( to get it every week. [Get the Newsletter]( [logo]( [facebook logo]( [instagram logo]( [twitter logo]( [unsubscribe]( | [privacy notice]( | [update preferences]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Was this email forwarded to you? [Sign up now]( to get this newsletter in your inbox. [View this email in your browser.]( You received this email because you have a subscription to New York. Reach the right online audience with us For advertising information on email newsletters, please contact AdOps@nymag.com Vox Media, LLC 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, 12th Floor Washington, DC 20036 Copyright © 2023, All rights reserved