The Bear, season 4

We had a very slow, uneventful weekend, which leaves this space open to discuss how S and I spent Thursday and Friday evenings: binging season four of The Bear.

If you want the TLDR version: I liked it. Although it had some flaws and inconsistencies and did not match the first two seasons, it was a nice rebound from the uneven and divisive season three.

Most importantly, it felt like there was momentum throughout the season, augmented visually by Uncle Jimmy’s countdown clock, reminding the restaurant’s crew when he would pull financial support and begin exploring options to unload the property. Like the proverbial gun in act one of a play, the constant presence of the clock made it feel like the show was moving forward, even when it was spinning its wheels.

There are three classic episodes in this season. Episode 4, “Worms,” in which Sydney hangs out with her hairdresser cousin, Chantel, and is forced to watch her daughter when Chantel has to run out. Ayo Edebiri was proven her acting chops over the past three years, but in this season, notably in this episode, we see what a remarkable screen presence she has. I would watch her in anything at this point. Episode 7, “Bears,” is the big ensemble piece we’ve come to expect each year. It takes a very different tack than others, “Fishes” for example, and because of that sums up what this season is all about. It is one of the longest, if not THE longest, episode in program history but it is so charming and warm that time races by. And episode 10, “Goodbye,” is almost exclusively shot on one set with two, then three, then briefly four actors. It crackles with energy. While it is secondary to the interaction between Carm and Syd, Carm and Richie’s segment of the episode floored me. We’ve seen Richie transform himself over the show’s run. As their scene begins in “Goodbye,” for a moment you feel him slipping back into his old ways. Then he shakes it off and he and Carmen have this deeply revealing and touching moment. “Goodbye” is the standard half-hour episode, but it felt much longer (in a good way) because the acting is so strong and the emotions so intense.

Aside from those three excellent entries, I thought the season was solid. I guess one downside of binging a show is sometimes the good and not-so-good all mix together. Maybe there was an episode that fell flat in the first six we watched Thursday and the final four we watched Friday, but they get lost when you’re rolling right into the next one. The season was filled with personal growth and genuine, heart warming connections between characters. There were so many deeply moving moments. And I found this to be one of the funniest seasons in the show’s run.

That said, despite the ticking clock in the background, there were too many plot lines that felt stuck. Tina spending an entire season trying to cook a pasta dish in 3:00 was the biggest waste. It’s been hard to give each character enough time as the cast has grown larger. Tina is one of the most satisfying characters and deserved better.

Along those lines, while I liked the addition of the refugees from the closed eatery Ever, did we really need them? Jessica and Richie’s connection was interesting, but only hinted at anything bigger. I would rather have spent more time with Tina. And for a restaurant that is in a serious money crunch – they couldn’t pay their weekly supplier bills! – how can they bring these A-list pinch hitters into the fold?

The final episode closes with ambiguity. The clock runs out, but what does that mean for the restaurant and the show? Neither FX nor the show creators have made any statements about a potential season five. While most people expect the show to continue, in retrospect so much of this season looks like a long goodbye, as Carmy comes to terms with his personal and professional failures, makes amends, and prepares to move on. It would be an odd way to end a show, but one critic I follow suggested it might be the best way to end The Bear as whatever comes next would be too far removed and less interesting than what the first four seasons gave us.

I get that. I also think that the combination of amazing actors and mostly great writing could still result in a compulsive watch. When The Bear was at its best, it was awe-inspiring. Not just in terms of pure television, but also because I would sit there and think that Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, or whoever was doing some of the most incredible acting I’ve ever seen. And the connections the cast made with each other on screen, even the bit players who show up for just a few scenes each season,[1] are so compelling and interesting and emotional that it feels like you could still make a prestige show after subtracting Carmen.

Honestly continuing the show may not be the choice of the network or show creator Christopher Storer. White is poised to become a big movie star. Edebiri can do whatever she wants. And the supporting cast is so broad it has to be a nightmare to schedule them. It feels like any season five would be very different simply because of logistics. Is it best to stop now, even with an unconventional finish?

The Bear was a great show, especially the first two seasons. I remember putting it off for several months when it first aired, thinking it was a documentary not a “dramedy,” and then watching the entire thing in one night once I finally gave it a shot.[2] Season two took all that was great about season one and ramped it up more. It may have become too ambitious, or full of itself, or chasing artistic originality over coherent story at times. Or maybe it just reached such a high peak that it was impossible to keep pushing and seasons three and four had to step back some, or take different directions. Even at its most frustrating, it was one of the most interesting shows of its era.