The Bear Season 3 Review

The Bear (2022-)
Season 3 - 10 episodes (2024 June 26)

Watch The Bear Season 3 on Hulu
Created by: Christopher Storer
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Oliver Platt, Lionel Boyce, Liza Colón-Zayas
Rating: TV-MA
Watch the trailer

Plot
A young chef from the fine dining world returns to Chicago to run his family's sandwich shop.

Verdict
It feels ridiculous to say I was slightly disappointed, but this show has set the bar incredibly high, especially after season two. This doesn't have the highlights of the second season, but it's still a great season that begins and ends authoritatively. This season is very much focused on Carmy and the fallout from the tantrum he had last season as well as showing us his career and how the two connect. The conclusion of this season is that back of house doesn't have to be the chaos Carmy has created and fuels. He's learned a lot but not everything. His life seems to be a cycle of strained relationships and he can't see himself out of that. If season two didn't exist, I would be raving about this season. Still, this show is such a joy to watch.
Watch It.

Review
The Bear has been a show I can't wait to watch the next season or episode. The characters, dialog, and setting form an absolutely amazing experience. 

This starts right at the end of season two where Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) got locked in a freezer, missing opening night of his new restaurant. His inability to control the night and ensuing rage left many in his wake. The first episode of this season puts us in Carmy's head, a montage of images from past to present and everything that has shaped him. It's a masterful episode that shows us his past, letting us use that to guess at his future. His career has spanned various chef's and plenty of ridicule. All of these experiences have shaped him, and that comes to a point when Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) is served a dish by Carmy. It's a great opening episode. I wondered how this show could maintain the quality after one season. That's even more difficult after two stellar seasons, but this is a strong start.

Jeremy Allen White plays Carmy Berzatto

Carmy's solution to coping with the fallout from his tirade is to create more rules, drafting a list of non-negotiables. Now he wants a Michelin star, and Sydney is overwhelmed with the list and ambition. I love 'new suit' Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) starting from season two. Sydney is caught in the middle of a fight between Richie and Carmy who aren't talking to each other. It's a comical moment, adding levity to the drama.

I love how passionate Richie is about his job. Season two changed him, and he's just as passionate about front of house as Carmy is about the kitchen. Richie cares, and he wants to be great. Despite their fervor, Richie and Carmy have a rift. It's funny and intense. They also can't sustain this infighting while running the restaurant. It's packed every night despite not making much money. Uncle Jimmy (Oliver Platt) wants to make money, not just spend it.

Jeremy Allen White, Ebon Moss-Bachrach play Carmy Berzatto, Richie Jerimovich

Episode six is a history lesson on how Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas) got to The Bear. It's a distraction from the main plot. Regardless of the quality, it feels like filler.

Carmy agrees to make Sydney a partner, but she's not signing the document. Part of it is concerne at changing the dynamic, and she also doesn't like new things. This document has a larger implication later in the show. The other issue is that Carmy doesn't treat her like a partner. This restaurant and the dynamic isn't what she imagined. Carmy is pushing her away, and he doesn't realize it. All of the articles about the restaurant tout Carmy as a visionary genius. Sydney doesn't even get a mention.

Ayo Edebiri, Ebon Moss-Bachrach play Sydney Adamu, Richie Jerimovich

A large part of this season has been a look back at Carmy's career under various chefs; where he is and where he's been. It's all influenced him. I was really hoping the final episode would tie all these snippets together, and give this season the push it needed. While I really like this season, season two was almost too good. How do you match it? This season doesn't have an episode like two's Richie transformation or Christmas dinner. What this season's final episode does have is a dinner to commemorate Chef Andrea Ever (Olivia Colman). Many of the chefs in attendance are actual well known chefs. This episode does exactly what I was hoping. It brings the season's ideas to a point. The final episode shows us that Carmy has created a similar culture to one of his most hated jobs under an overbearing chef. While the night is supposed to be a fun time swapping stories, Carmy is preoccupied with the past.

The entire season we've been waiting for a review of the restaurant. We know it's coming as there have been photo shoots and talk, but this season ends on a "to be continued." That's one of my big annoyances in the age of streaming and constantly canceled shows. While The Bear was renewed for a fourth season at the same time the third was optioned, I can't help but think with a little less padding this season could have gotten us far enough in this season's story for more answers and a satisfying conclusion that ends one chapter to begin another. Whatever the verdict of the review, there's a lot of story after that. This show doesn't need to trick with a "to be continued," I'm watching no matter what.