FX’s hit comedy-drama show “The Bear” returned on June 26 with the release of its third season on Disney+ and Hulu. The show received 10 Primetime Emmy Awards including Outstanding Comedy Series for its first season and followed a model set by its previous season by releasing 10 new episodes at once.
Season three of “The Bear” is an emotional tribute to the hardships that can come from trying to run a restaurant while dealing with the challenges of everyday life, but it also fails to produce a level of engagement and a sense of freshness that fans have come to expect from the show.
“The Bear” tells the story of a talented young chef named Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) who returns to his hometown of Chicago in order to take over his late brother’s sandwich business. In an attempt to turn the place around, Carmy must work closely with staff both old and new, including the old manager Richard “Richie” Jerimovich (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and a new sous-chef named Sydney Adamu (Ayo Edebiri).
With the release of its third season, creator and showrunner Christopher Storer delivered another high-stakes series of episodes that explore both the pain and the magic in the cooking world. While this new season sometimes finds itself falling behind the precedent set by the critically acclaimed first and second seasons, the third season of “The Bear” is nevertheless a testament to family, friends and good food.
Season three serves fans with more witty dialogue and sharp camera movements. Episodes like “Next” and “Doors” are fast-paced and flooded with moments of biting banter. The characters’ humorous barbs are made exponentially more funny through quick cuts and intimate close-ups. These episodes exemplify the engaging style that fans have come to expect from “The Bear.”
This season also continues the show’s pattern of mixing incredible sound design with an engaging score. While every slice, dice and stroke of a sharpie on tape is clean, the score (which notably features the award-winning duo of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross this season) is emotional and heartfelt.
Noteworthy episodes this season include “Napkins,” the directorial debut for actress Ayo Edebiri. The episode gives the viewers a long-awaited glimpse into the past of beloved staff member Tina Marrero (Liza Colón-Zayas) as it follows her attempts to find a job in order to support her family.
While episodes like “Napkins” and “Next” act as examples of what “The Bear” can do at its best, season three has also proven itself to be the least engaging season yet.
The end of the episode features a particularly powerful conversation between Tina and Carmen’s brother Michael “Mikey” Berzatto (Jon Bernthal). The two connect through their shared qualms with aging, and bonding over what it means to not only have people depending on you, but the struggles that come from trying to survive when there isn’t one specific thing you’re passionate about. Throughout this entire heartfelt conversation, the audience can’t help but be reminded of Mikey’s fate — which has hung over the storyline since “The Bear’s” very first episode.
While episodes like “Napkins” and “Next” act as examples of what “The Bear” can do at its best, season three has also proven itself to be the least engaging season yet. The show seems to be getting dragged down by its dedication to telling the story of Carmy and his reconnection with childhood crush Claire (Molly Gordon). The romance between the two, which played a crucial part in the second season, is still being dragged out for the third.
Season two ended with Carmy accidentally confessing that he believes his relationship with Claire destroyed his focus and work ethic as a chef. Claire overheard this conversation and left Carmy. While this moment was devastating and painful, especially in light of Carmy’s rampant self-hatred, the third season does nothing to expand upon this crucial scene.
Carmy’s mistake should have been rectified in this newest season, either through having him issue an apology to Claire or through allowing Carmy to move on from the situation. Instead, Carmy’s confession is a dark, uninteresting cloud hanging over the entire season.
“The Bear” defined itself as a show that can expertly weave together heavy topics with comedic ping pong, but got bogged down by its inability to deal with the relationship between Carmy and Claire in a satisfying way.
Despite season three falling behind the impressive standards set by the first two seasons, the show remains a touching story about family (the one we are born into and the one we make), and food as a unifying force. The show continues to demonstrate the ways in which cooking can be magic, a moment of sleight-of-hand (as referenced in episode nine, “Apologies”), that can bring people together. From the soothing repetition of the first episode (“Tomorrow”) to the intense, rhapsodic, tone of the third (“Doors”), “The Bear” is a love letter to the world of the culinary arts.
The show has already been renewed for a fourth season, which began production in February 2024. All episodes are currently streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.
