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What do people want from Jon Bernthal?
But the answer from TV viewers is more difficult to decipher.
The first two were opportunities for Bernthal to step fully intoleading-man statuswith hour-long episodes and season-long arcs.
So, its time for another question: Why did they land with such thuds?
Its been a weird year for TV overall.
There were series that premiered withvery little fanfare but became hits, and othersthat were canceled too soon.
Amid all that, its not impossible to guess why certain shows got lost in the shuffle.
Was demand super-high forAmerican Gigolo, a remake of a Paul Schrader 80s movie?
Whether or not people were watching, in his most major TV year, Bernthal did the work.
It was, of course, bleak, since the Gun Trace Task Forcescrimes were so plentiful.
He walks back that approach for Gun Trace Task Force leader Sgt.
Bernthal calibrates Jenkins so that his puffed-up sense of self becomes the miniseries through-line.
This role should have been what lit Bernthal fans on fire.
As Julian Kaye, Bernthal wears an array of well-fitted suits and silky-smooth shirts before he strips them off.
The aesthetics are all there, untilAmerican Gigolovery quickly hits a stylistic and narrative plateau.
Where is Julians agency or interiority in any of this?
That failure fromAmerican Gigolomakes whatThe Bearpulls off even more skillful.
His voice is engaged and engaging, drawing his listeners into the story while remaining in control of it.
Hes at ease in the kitchen environment that transcended both his personal and professional lives.
The final shot ofThe Bears first season reminded us of the affective power of Bernthals uninterrupted attention.
This year, he deserved more of ours.
