Month: July 2024 (Page 2 of 2)

We knocked out season three of The Bear over the weekend, binging six episodes Friday and four Saturday.

Before I dive in, a couple preliminary notes.

First, I had not heard official word that there will be a season four until after we finished. I believe I heard there might be another season, but not that it had been confirmed. Thus, when we paused things Friday night, I was a little concerned about how things were going to wrap up in the final four episodes. Turns out that season four, or at least part of it, was shot right after season three. There’s been no word about a release date, so maybe they just shot a few parts for continuity’s sake and will reconvene later this year for a summer 2025 release? Regardless, at least one more season of The Bear!

Second, this is such a beautifully shot show, and has such perfectly selected music, and is filled with such great actors, that even an uneven, possibly disappointing season like this one still delights in so many ways. It’s always been a gorgeous show to watch, but this year it went to another level in terms of pure visuals. So many stunning moments.

Now, calling it disappointing probably isn’t fair, but that’s in comparison to the bar set in the first two years. Like so many shows that move beyond season three, that third year becomes more about setup for what’s next than being as rich as its predecessors.

I think this season can be called disappointing largely because of how it ended. Season one ended with an immense sense of relief and hope for what was ahead. Season two’s finale was a big bummer, with Carmen melting down on opening night. But there was still a sense of accomplishment from actually getting the restaurant open and an eagerness to see what happened after that first night.

This time, though, it feels like the core of the show is spinning apart. Sydney is so dissatisfied with Carmy’s disfunction and controlling nature that she will surely take Shapiro’s offer to jump ship to where she has more control and security. Richie, having discovered how a prestige restaurant should be run, seems disgusted by every choice Carmen makes. Marcus is too expensive for what he provides (according to The Computer). Tina tries nobly, but often can’t handle the pressures of the dinner rush or meet Carmy’s expectations. Natalie just had a kid and her husband just won an important trial. She can turn her back on an enterprise that is home to exactly the kind of toxic relationships she does not want to expose her daughter to.

And Carmen is so inside his own head that he can’t relax and enjoy the reality of running the restaurant he’s always wanted. He has stacks of notebooks filled with incredible ideas. Yet he spends hours staring at plates me makes, tinkers with, and then tosses aside because they can’t reach the impossible ideal he thinks will earn the Michelin star he craves. He’s forgotten what great food is supposed to be about, and is wasting his own talent and that of his crew in his pursuit of perfection. He built this great team, empowered and inspired them, then totally undermines them when they are on the verge of success. Instead of all the good things he learned from Chef Terry and others, he’s repeating the negativity pumped out by Chef David.

Where the audience could once put up with his moods and tantrums, he’s become unlikable in almost everything he does. He was one the tortured artist with a dream. Now he’s just kind of a dick.

All of this is worth it because, I think and hope, it will lead to someplace very interesting next season. It’s just a bummer that so much time was spent without advancing the story very far.

I LOVED episode one. Thirty minutes of food and photography porn. It was quite a way to remind, refresh, and reset. I can’t recall another show ever taking that direction to set up a new season, devoting an entire episode to the process. It also ended up being a perfect setup for how cluttered Carmy’s mind would be by the end of the year. The soundtrack by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, a constant drone that never either peaked or crashed, was a superb accompaniment.

We finally got Tina’s origin story! That was another of my favorite episodes of the season. You see where that fierce pride in her comes from. I think it helped that you know how it ends up, but her meeting and conversation with Mikey was a wonderful piece of TV. I like to think the tears in Liza Colon-Zayas’ eyes were because she knew what a powerful moment that was, not just because of her character’s emotions.

Little tidbit some of you might already know: the man who played Tina’s wife, David Zayas, is Liza’s real-life husband.

Another great episode: “Ice Chips.” Shockingly intimate moments between Natalie and Donna in the hospital. The intensity of them just looking and holding each other was as powerful as the screaming in season two’s “Fishes.” Them coming to an understanding of each other and Donna having to step aside when Pete shows up was a huge gut punch. I don’t think Donna is a super sympathetic character because she is SOOOO crazy. Sure, you feel sorry for how she is and how she got there. But you also see the havoc and pain she causes, especially in Sugar, and you want to tell her to knock it the fuck off. But the moment when she leaves Natalie’s room and you see life drain from her as she realizes she is alone again, was devastating.

This may be an unpopular opinion, but there were too many and too much of the Faks this season. When a show starts running out its comic foil more often, it generally means something is awry with the core story. In this case, I think they just needed 10 episodes and couldn’t quite get there, so padded each one with some Fak nonsense. Don’t get me wrong: I love the Faks! But like a powerful spice, they need to be used sparingly to avoid overwhelming the dish they are in.

Along those lines, John Cena was funny as Sammy Fak. But was he needed? His presence distracted. Just let Matty Matheson do his thing.

I didn’t get all the people who hated Claire’s introduction last year. Most of that criticism was that she was kind of formulaic and we never got to know much about her, thus her time on screen distracted from the story we were really interested in. I doubt those people will be pleased with how she floated in and out of this season, without ever being a big part of it aside from a couple scenes. And I guess this means she’s back next year?

Marcus is still the best. His eulogy for his mother was wonderful.

Favorite line of the year: Chef David telling Carmy “You basically made nachos” when he adds a dot of sauce to an already spare dish. Joel McHale is so good in his limited moments as David.

Another good line, this time from Richie: “Chef Carmen uses power phrases ’cause he’s a baby replicant who’s not self-actualized.” I love self-actualized Richie!

Richie is totally taking Jess to his ex-wife’s wedding, isn’t he? Good for them both. And good for Richie and his ex being civil to each other for their daughter’s sake. I loved their scene where they are having a normal, adult conversation then occasionally scream at their daughter not to eat something she finds on the playground.

Interesting to read theories about the Chicago Tribune review. I’m not totally convinced Carmen read it, but instead wonder if those words that flashed on the screen were another product of the mess in his head.

However, some TV critics think he did read it. One thought it was a bad review. One thought it was mixed, praising The Beef side of the business while dinging The Bear side. And another thought it was actually a positive one that pointed out that, like so many other new places, it needed some time to work out the kinks and find its focus.

I’m not sure any of it matters. Even if the review was positive, does that end up reinforcing in Carmen that he’s on the right path and he doesn’t need to make concessions that will bring The Bear at least to a break-even point? And, thus, Cicero pulls the plug? Might Syd be so far gone that she will take Shapiro’s offer no matter what the future of The Bear is? Is season four all about Carmy and Syd going two different directions because that was inevitable?

At the Ever funeral dinner, we see all these famous chefs, many of whom have worked together but eventually scattered out on their own. Great chefs rarely stay together for long. Even if Carmen cleans up his act and The Bear begins making money, Sydney is destined to take her own journey at some point.

One review of season three I read drew some parallels between the arc of The Bear and Ted Lasso. That writer suggested season four will follow the Lasso lead of putting everyone in a good place before it wraps up. I think we all want that to happen. But on The Bear, I’m wondering if a happy ending means the crew we’ve come to love so much end up going off on their own rather than conquering the world together.

There were plenty of high points in season three. Overall, though, it was frustrating because of its lack of focus. Or, perhaps, it was more focused on what’s ahead than what was in the present. I hope the writers know what they are doing, get their groove back for season four, and return the show to where it was in seasons one and two.

B