Hi Reader!

My first job was working at Denny’s. Not just any Denny’s, one of the busiest stores directly off the I-40 exit every tourist headed to the Grand Canyon would take. We’d get busloads of people moving through our doors before the sun was even up. There was no amount of caffeine that could prepare me for the gut drop I’d feel when I saw a bus pull up and a line of sleepy tourists streaming through the doors.

If you’ve ever worked in a restaurant, you know that chaos is an occupational hazard. In The Bear, chaos isn’t there just to give you the vibe of working in a fast-paced kitchen. It’s a powerful storytelling device, which is why I could not wait to dissect this one for you.

This week, we’re looking at one of the most iconic scenes from the show: Season 1, Episode 7 “Review”, at the point where everything unravels. Orders are piling up, the printer won’t stop spitting out tickets, the cooks are shouting over each other, and Carmy is moments away from losing control.

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You can feel your pulse rising just watching it. A simple mistake sends the entire kitchen into complete chaos in an instant. Carmy is trying to understand what Syd did while also trying to figure out how to turn out a hundred orders in 8 minutes. He starts shouting orders. They start snapping at each other. The claustrophobia of the kitchen adds to the stress as everyone is trying to move quickly while also on top of each other.

Did you find yourself holding your breath while you watched the scene?

The rapid-fire dialogue, overlapping sound, and seamless camera work pull you directly into the storm. But here’s the genius: this isn’t messy chaos. It’s choreographed chaos. Every cut, every line, every sound is carefully placed to make you feel exactly what the characters are feeling without losing you completely.

That’s what makes it work.

When using this storytelling device in speaking, chaos can be a powerful way to heighten emotion, tension, or transformation. You just have to control it.

When you want to show pressure, overwhelm, or the stakes of a moment, don’t rush through it or flatten it out. Let the rhythm of your words speed up. Stack short sentences. Choose hyper descriptive language. Use your body to illustrate the moment. Let your voice tighten.

Then…pause. Exhale.

That’s your release valve. It's the moment that tells your audience: the transformation just happened.

Think of a moment in your story when everything went wrong. Dig deep into the feeling when the pressure was on, and something had to give. Try writing or saying it out loud at full speed, without editing. Let it sound breathless and messy.

Then, go back and refine the beats—the rise, the crescendo, and the pause.

When you’re sharing a story of growth or transformation, show how you navigated the pressure, not just the resolution. Controlled chaos helps your audience feel your evolution.

Your turn: create a two-minute “controlled chaos” moment in a story. Build the tension, then let it break. Try it out this week and tell me how it felt.

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See you next week,