The more I watch The Bear, the more I wonder how this show ever became as popular as it did. Not because it’s not good, but because it is not the kind of show that usually has mass appeal. It’s artsy, it’s moody, it has long stretches with no real plot development and some without any dialogue. It’s sometimes tense and chaotic and sometimes painstakingly slow. I love all of those things about it. That’s what makes The Bear, The Bear. And that’s why I keep tuning in. To be surprised. To see something I’ve never seen before. But it sometimes feels like the show rose to such prominence and then people realized that this actually isn’t your run-of-the-mill television series. It’s not ol’ reliable. It’s going to challenge you. And, for some, that’s not enjoyable. Acclaim both publicly and critically has waned since the show’s peak in season 2. I can’t necessarily argue. Season 2 reached highs that The Bear has been unable to replicate since. But I don’t agree that that means it’s no longer interesting or good or that the schtick is getting old. I’m just as locked in and emotionally invested in everyone and everything as I was back then.

Like season 3, season 4 is once again shaped by time. This time specifically in the form of a literal countdown clock installed in the kitchen by Uncle Jimmy (Oliver Platt), the financial backer of the restaurant. It ticks down the minutes until the restaurant officially runs out of money. When it hits zero, Jimmy will cut Carmy off and The Bear will either sink or float. At the start of the season, the clock is set at 1,440 hours or about two months. The Bear has always had a strange relationship with time. In the early episodes, the show became famous for its frenzy and restlessness, exploding with stress, always giving audiences the sensation that we were racing an invisible clock and barely had time to breathe. But season 3 pulled hard on the breaks. I wrote in my season 3 review: 

The mantra inherited from kitchen to kitchen in the show is “Every Second Counts”. A sign with this phrase hangs in the background of many scenes and the show often cuts to shots of clocks to further emphasize the point. Time is everything in the kitchen. But for a show so obsessed with time, this season doesn’t make the best use of it. The show’s creator, Christopher Storer, has said he initially envisioned the series as a 3 season run, but the network then ordered 4 seasons. I’m not a person who believes in too much of a good thing so this isn’t necessarily a complaint on my part, but there are definitely moments in this season where you can feel them stretching. Some montages are overlong, certain scenes repeat, and, ultimately, the plot doesn’t cover too much ground. In some moments, the season shows that time doesn’t need to be the enemy. Having to push back the finish line can be solved by looking backwards in one-off episodes like “Napkins” which explores Tina’s backstory, a true high point of the season, or zeroing in on a precise point in time like Natalie in labor in “Ice Chips”, a less successful but still powerful episode. But there are definitely moments where time feels wasted in stylistic choices when it could be better spent digging deeper into other characters. They don’t all need to be full blown solo episodes, but even just a few more scenes of Marcus processing his grief might have felt more substantive than the filler they opted for. … opting for prestige and “artsiness” sometimes came at the cost of emotional connection, something The Bear typically does so well.

While much of this remains true in season 4, it bothered me to a lesser extent this time. Maybe because I was able to find more entry points to emotional connection this season. Maybe they figured out a good recipe with enough balance between style and feeling. That isn’t to say season 4 doesn’t still have its moments of drag and repetition. Tina’s (Liza Colón-Zayas) entire arc this season involves her trying to shave seconds off her pasta preparation time, a story that, while likely true to kitchen life, does not need to extend over multiple episodes. Similarly, Sydney’s decision about whether or not to stay at The Bear or start a new restaurant with Adam Shapiro, a plot point that was introduced last season, is dragged out over much of this season as well. It’s frustrating to feel like we’re stalling in place sometimes. We want to move forward, but the show won’t move with us. I called out in my season 3 review that you could often feel the show stretching 3 seasons into 4 and that is once again apparent in moments like this. Seasons 3 and 4 were actually filmed back-to-back, so it’s essentially one season of plot spread out over two seasons of episodes. But, like I said, it bothered me less this go around. I felt like this season was stronger overall and also used some of this repetition to make a point. 

The season begins with Carmy watching Groundhog Day and he even says later on, “What would you do if you were stuck in one place, and every day was exactly the same, and nothing that you did mattered?” Many critics felt like naming the thing and saying it out loud was too on-the-nose, but I didn’t mind it. Groundhog Day, besides being a great movie, is the perfect metaphor for the experience of The Bear both inside and outside the show. Carmy and the Berzattos and everyone else in their orbit are stuck in a cyclical loop of generational trauma that the kitchen of the restaurant just perpetuates. The Berzattos and The Bear staff are just different versions of the same dysfunctional family. Is working there and choosing that lifestyle just keeping Carmy stuck in the same Groundhog Day, doomed to repeat the same patterns over and over again? “I Got You Babe” (key to the film Groundhog Day) even plays over a montage of typical restaurant life, showing dishes, invoices, order lists, clock countdowns, and food prep. A bright and optimistic sequence visually, but the song choice adds an ominous undertone. There’s always something darker lurking beneath even the best days at The Bear: the harsh truth that maybe this place is more damaging than healing and the only way to break a cycle is to break out. 

Something else I noted in my season 3 review was, “This isn’t a season where you will remember specific episodes (for the most part) but rather specific scenes and moments with the characters. The little moments are really what make this show so special.” Once again, that still rings true. Especially when binge watching the show it starts to feel like one long movie as opposed to distinct episodes. The little moments that stuck with me this season were Richie and crew going all out to make snow for the family of the cancer survivor and Carm going to Claire’s apartment to apologize and everyone in the kitchen meeting Sugar’s baby and Claire telling Sydney after her father’s heart attack that “Worrying about people and having people worry about us is, like, everything we got,” and Carm going to finally see his mom. Did these moments all make me cry? Absolutely. But maybe that’s what made them stand out. That they operated on a higher emotional level than the rest of the season.

Of course every season does have its few standalone episodes. Like the wedding episode this season, the one obligatory, hour-long, extended cast and cameo episode. And “Worms”, the Sydney-centric episode, written by Ayo Edebiri and Lionel Boyce (who plays Marcus but doesn’t appear in the episode), that shows us that cooking for someone can be an act of love but so can cooking with someone. And, of course, the finale. To reference my season 3 review for (maybe?) the last time, I broke down season 3 episode 2 by saying, 

“Episode 2 goes in the opposite direction from the score-heavy montage to essentially a one act play. ‘Next’ (the title of the episode) is almost entirely one scene where characters come in and out of the kitchen and just talk. This feels like a new take on what The Bear does best. We get to see our main characters interact and talk over each other and fight like siblings and it’s stressful and hysterical at the same time. These long scenes of dialogue highlight the impossibly high caliber of both writing and acting this show has to offer and remind us this is what the core of The Bear is: these people we love, talking (yelling) in a room (kitchen).” 

The season 4 finale takes this to an even more tense level, dropping many of the characters and much of the humor of “Next”. This version of a one act play stars Carmy and Sydney, with Richie joining halfway through, fighting and yelling in the back alley behind the restaurant but also healing years of trauma. It’s almost like they all agreed to finally say all the things that they had been holding on to but never said. It’s impressive on all levels and so powerful to watch.

The Bear is truly an acting showcase. A masterclass. Every single cast member is operating on such a high-level that the material demands but also deserves. Jeremy Allen White as Carmy isn’t always the best hang, but his performance is incredible. His scene with Jamie Lee Curtis in episode 9 where she finally apologizes to him ripped my heart open. Just his subtle, wordless reactions to her were so unbelievably moving. Ayo Edebiri also rises to new heights this season, getting to show a more dramatic, emotional side to her performance. Ayo is best known for her comedy, but getting a chance to showcase these other skills opens her up to a world of future opportunities. I adore Molly Gordon and think Claire is such a great character. Just a pure soul who injects goodness and lightness to this often strained world. Ayo and Molly are also friends in real life so I loved seeing them on screen together this season. Ebon Moss-Bachrach is so consistently good it’s almost not even noteworthy because he does it so naturally. I really liked seeing and thinking about the evolution of Richie’s relationship with Sydney as it’s grown from her literally stabbing him in season 1 to becoming pillars of support for each other in season 4. When Will Poulter’s Luca came back this season, my first thought was, “How are they affording all this high-end help?” But then I soon forgot about that because I was just happy to see him. I haven’t loved Will Poulter in some other roles recently but I really do think he shines in this one. In the cameo-heavy wedding episode, we see the return of John Mulaney who is always welcome on my screen and Josh Hartnett who was funny to see after working on a movie he stars in and getting to meet him (can confirm: nice guy). I say this a lot but I just love spending time with these people.

The question in all of our minds upon finishing season 4 is: where does the show go now? That applies to both internally within the story of the show and externally with actors and contracts and renewals. Internally, the finale fight stems from the revelation that Carmy has taken his name off the restaurant agreement which Syd (correctly) interprets to mean he is leaving The Bear. At first, this admission feels like it’s coming out of nowhere. After all the hard work, the blood, sweat, and tears, the things he’s given up to make the restaurant work, Carmy’s just going to walk away? But looking back over the season with this end point in mind, it starts to become slightly clearer. In episode 2, Sugar tells Carmy of cooking, “It’s okay if you don’t love it anymore.” It’s such a generous and empathetic out she offers him. Especially from her position within the restaurant, it would be easy for Sugar to say, “You can’t quit. We need you!” But, as his sister, she views him as a person first, and sees right through him to know there’s something he might be feeling but not saying. Or feeling but not even know what it is that he’s feeling. It becomes apparent in the edit too. We rarely see any scenes of Carmy actually cooking this season. It’s still his love language, as he offers to make dinner for his mom at her house, but we don’t get any closeup shots or loving montages of him in the process of creating. Of the artist making his art. Where we do get that is with Syd. We hear over and over how good her scallop dish is at the restaurant and see her put care and love into making an elevated Hamburger Helper with her cousin’s kid. She has not yet lost her love and passion for her craft. That’s what leads Carmy to tell her in the finale, “You’re The Bear.” Sydney has become the heart and soul of the restaurant while Carmy, despite bringing his elite knowledge and experience, has just become a drain on the operation. When Carmy said that line I immediately thought of the most recent season of Hacks where Ava says to Deborah, “I don’t even know your voice anymore,” and Deborah replies, “You are my voice.” (Cue the tears!) I also compared these two shows in their previous seasons saying, “In a similar way to shows like The Bear and Succession, Hacks manages to be both incredibly funny but also deeply human and emotional.” That remains true, especially in moments like this, but this dialogue is so specifically parallel. The young ingénue up-and-comer in the field doesn’t think they have what it takes to step into the spotlight, but the celebrated, luminary mentor figure assures them that not only are they ready, but they have already become the star. Carmy may be the show The Bear, but Sydney is the restaurant The Bear.

Obviously my first question was “does Carmy leaving the restaurant mean Jeremy Allen White leaving the show?” Well, when season 4 premiered, there was still no word on whether or not it would be the final season. And the finale episode functioned as either an ambiguous ending or a new direction for a season 5. The season 5 renewal did come through, but there are still questions and complications. The biggest challenge being finding time when the principal cast is all available to shoot. Seasons 3 and 4 had the benefit of being filmed simultaneously so it didn’t take much additional effort. But as more and more time passes, the stock of almost all the actors on the show just continues to rise. Jeremy Allen White is playing Bruce Springsteen in the upcoming biopic Deliver Me From Nowhere, coming out in October. Not only is it the biggest role of his career up to this point, but it is also expected to be a significant Oscar player. Ebon Moss-Bachrach has joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Ben Grimm, a.k.a. The Thing, in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which crossed $100 million at the box office opening weekend. He will also have roles in the upcoming Marvel properties Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars in 2026 and 2027, which he’s currently shooting. Ayo Edebiri leant her voice to the character of Envy in Pixar’s Inside Out 2 which was the #1 movie at the box office worldwide in 2024, grossing nearly $1.7 billion. Coming up next, she will appear opposite Julia Roberts in Luca Guadagnino’s After the Hunt in October and alongside Woody Harrelson in James L. Brooks’ Ella McCay in December. These are giant stars and very busy people. However, sources have reported that the principal cast is contractually committed for a 5th season. So The Bear will return. When? Who’s to say, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it took a while. And what will it look like when it does return? That’s the real question. Just because Jeremy Allen White is contractually signed on for season 5 doesn’t necessarily mean the writers will include him. Maybe their plan was always to phase Carmy out. Or he could just be a guest star in a few episodes. If the show is truly moving away from Carmy as the center of The Bear universe, they might have other ideas in mind for the future. Personally, I feel like it’s not the show without him. But at the same time, this cast bench is deep. Spending less time in Carmy’s world could open up the show to some entirely new and fascinating possibilities. And I just have to put my faith in the people behind it all that they know exactly what story they want to tell.

Like its characters, The Bear is complex. It has flaws but, again, they’re what make The Bear, The Bear. I spent a lot of time this season thinking about where the show started, as a word-of-mouth show about a tiny sandwich shop. I think I preferred the vibe of the show back then vs. the fine dining establishment it’s become. Something about the clean lines of the brand new restaurant can feel a little soulless. And what does it say that the sandwich is still their bestseller? This dichotomy is one that is mirrored in the show itself. As The Bear received more and more success and accolades, the creators were given more and more money and control of the project. But sometimes content is better when it’s not unlimited. Big budgets, big stars, and big expectations can actually be hurtful to the quality of a project. Creators sometimes produce more interesting work when operating within confines than with free rein because it really does push your creativity. The Bear creator Christopher Storer’s sister Courtney, a real-life chef who advises on the show (and who has led kitchens at a long list of restaurants, but probably most notably Jon & Vinny’s in Los Angeles!!), described Carmy’s journey in the restaurant redesign by saying, “That’s the biggest change. Control to collaboration. He went in trying to do all the bells and whistles, and realized that maybe, that’s not really necessary to provide a delicious experience to the customer. Maybe it’s more about heart.” I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy this season. I most definitely did. The writing, the acting, the music, the editing, every single aspect is incredible. But I would still love to see the show remember and recapture what made season 1 so special and rediscover the roots that lie beneath the big budgets. Heart, more than anything else, makes The Bear, The Bear. 

P.S. I couldn’t not include this tweet about the show that I just found so incredibly accurate and funny.

2025 Count: 47 movies, 34 seasons of television, 3 specials