I’ll be the first to admit that I started Season 4 of The Bear with very low expectations. After a flawed but decent Season 2 and a dismal Season 3, Christopher Storer’s dramedy ultimately ends on a high note. Approaching it for the first time, I was worried that the overstuffed and half-baked nature of the third season would only be exacerbated in Season 4, but this chapter of the story sees a rise not only in quality but also a rounding out of existing storylines.
That being said, it’s currently unclear if Season 4 is the final chapter in The Bear or if there might be more to come. And despite my positive feelings, this is a show that’s reached a natural and strong conclusion. Continuing after this point would be a mistake and risk the show backsliding again. However, as a potential conclusion to the story of the restaurant that could in Chicago, there couldn’t have been a stronger finish.
Unsurprisingly, one of the things that The Bear has always excelled at and never faltered in is its talent. The cast is overflowing with charisma and on-screen chemistry, and as much as the chefs make every second count, the actors do the same. At the helm is Jeremy Allen White, who is still consistent in his portrayal of Carmy’s near-constant neurosis and anxiety. However, while White is certainly talented, he’s often overshadowed by his co-stars.
Ayo Edebiri stands at the forefront of this season and the show as a whole. While the show is called The Bear, and, in the show’s mythology, that most often refers to Carmy, Season 4 emphasizes that the entire staff is “The Bear.” As much as all the Berzattos are bears, so are their extended and found family. If that’s the case, then Edebiri’s Sydney exists at the center of it all. Edebiri has several standout moments, both on her own (in a stunning monologue that feels far too relatable) and alongside actors like White, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Jamie Lee Curtis. She also pens an episode alongside Lionel Boyce, who plays Marcus, and it’s one of the highlights of the season.
Speaking of Moss-Bachrach and Curtis, both of whom I’ve praised in previous seasons, they once again deliver strong performances. Moss-Bachrach doesn’t reach the heights of Season 2’s “Forks,” but he’s a constant and anchoring presence. Richie has come a long way since Season 1, and every moment we’re reminded of the man he was and the man he’s become, and that change feels deeply organic.
On the flipside, Curtis’ Donna, the chaotic matriarch of the Berzatto clan, continues on a trajectory of gentling her character. When we first met her, she was a live wire, equal parts scary and magnetic, but the Donna of Season 4 contains a thousand more layers, due to both the writing of her character and also Curtis’ incredibly nuanced performance. One of her big scenes with Carmy stands as one of the most powerful and cathartic scenes of the season. What started as a surprise cameo that felt more like a way to star-stud the show has matured and flourished into something that is rooted in the heart of The Bear.
‘The Bear’ Finally Gives Purpose to All of Those Glitzy Guest Stars
I’ll admit that I’ve always felt like The Bear‘s guest star roles and cameos have felt like stunt casting. This was especially true in the final episode of Season 3, which featured a veritable who’s who of celebrity and famous chefs. But it always felt heavy-handed when we’d visit the Berzatto clan and get slapped in the face with as many notable faces and names as the show could jam into the family tree. However, Season 4 has proven me wrong.
The Bear once again brings the family together for a big event in Episode 7 (clocking in at a whopping hour and nine minutes, the longest of the season), but it isn’t full of quippy jokes and clever back-and-forths. Those scenes always felt a little too much like Storer was leaning into his inner Aaron Sorkin or Amy Sherman-Palladino — but Episode 7 digs much deeper into these relationships. There are heartfelt moments between Richie and Frank (Josh Hartnett), a tearjerker exchange between Carmy and Uncle Lee (Bob Odenkirk), and a beat with all the family together that feels like the perfect scene for this imperfect unit. Although there’s another big name (like Marvel-big) who comes in as a new Berzatto family member, and that cameo does feel like stunt casting once again, it doesn’t take much away from the season. Storer and company have proven that they can turn something that looks like pyrite into real gold, and we can put our faith in that.
‘The Bear’ Season 4 Isn’t Perfect, but It’s Getting There
Despite the praise, Season 4 isn’t perfect. It’s clear now that The Bear is good at a lot of things, but what it doesn’t succeed in is romance. Molly Gordon returns as the beautiful and kind Claire, but once again, despite the chemistry Gordon has with White, I can’t help but want to shake her and tell her to run from Carmy as fast as she can. There’s some flirtatious energy between Richie and Jessica (Sarah Ramos) as well, but it’s neither explored nor is it really developed in any meaningful way.
Additionally, Oliver Platt‘s Uncle Jimmy is often one of the best parts of the show, but his storyline feels cut short in Season 4, with much of the development happening in the background. The same happens with other characters like Corey Hendrix‘s Sweeps, the sommelier who can’t tell a 2019 wine from one that was bottled decades ago, or Liza Colón-Zayas‘ Tina, who grapples with a singular issue the entire season. As for Edwin Lee Gibson‘s Ebraheim, who was missing for most of Season 3, he has one of the best storylines of Season 4 but feels kind of swept to the side.
Of course, there are only so many episodes, so it makes sense that these plots kind of have to exist within their own boundaries, but it’s also a shame simply because — especially in the case of Ebra — we know that the show is so good at dedicating whole episodes to these characters and giving them fully fleshed-out arcs. It’s a champagne problem to have too much talent and not enough time, but it’s a problem nonetheless.
‘The Bear’ Finally Understands That It’s Not Really About the Kitchen at All
Although the subject of The Bear revolves around a restaurant and the family that runs it, Season 4 takes most of the story out of the kitchen and away from the action. This not only improves the pacing, but it helps to wrap up stories that can’t organically come to a conclusion during a service. No matter how often the cast members yell at each other, the show’s pacing is better when it leaves the kitchen behind.
If this is indeed the final season of The Bear, it will have ended on a high note. The finale, in particular, is a masterclass in acting and has none of the fancy cuts or chaotic music that made the first season so iconic, but it does boast the heart that allows the show to really speak to its audience. It’s essentially an extended conversation, but it airs out all grievances. For any other show, this would feel like a shortcut — a tell without showing moment — but The Bear has spent three seasons showing and not telling. It feels good to finally see the dam burst, with everything spilling out in the process.
Although the Season 4 finale left me wanting to know more, wanting to follow the story of the Bears to its next chapter of life, it also feels like the perfect time for this show to end. Contrary to popular opinion, there’s such a thing as too much of a good thing. For a while, I thought The Bear overreached after its first two seasons, but now I’m sure that four seasons was the right call. Should it continue after? No. If it did, I have no doubt that the acting would still be superb, and we’d all be entertained, but this present has been tied up perfectly with a bow. Why ruin it with more?
The Bear Season 4 is now available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.
The Bear delivers a strong Season 4 that wraps up long-running storylines in a satisfying and cathartic way with powerhouse performances.
- Release Date
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June 23, 2022
- Network
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Hulu
- A strong conclusion that feels like the natural end of this story.
- Ayo Edebiri and Jamie Lee Curtis are the standouts of this season with powerful monologue moments.
- The pacing of the story improves as it is taken out of the kitchen service and focuses on individual characters.
- Romantic elements of the story still suffer and are the weakest point.
- The show leaves the door open but it should not go through it for more seasons.
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