In the beginning of the great third season, Carmy (played by Jeremy Allen White) is by himself in the dark. It's the morning after his new restaurant's first night, and he's looking at an old scar on his hand. He's thinking about people who aren't with him anymore—some who have passed away and others he has hurt. There are also people he feels awkward talking to and those who have influenced him in both good and bad ways.
The episode unfolds in a complex way, not following a straight path but showing different parts of Carmy's life layered together, like a stack of pancakes you can slice through to see all at once. One part focuses on the tough morning after he was accidentally locked in a fridge. Others show events with his family—like Mikey's death and saying goodbye to Nat when he moved away. Some scenes involve Claire, whom he kisses briefly. Most of all, we see Carmy's experiences in various kitchens across Chicago, the East Coast, West Coast, and Copenhagen. He works with Luca under chef Terry, played by Olivia Colman. We also see him learning from famous chefs like Daniel Boulud, Rene Redzepi, and Thomas Keller, who appear as themselves. Throughout, we witness more of the harm inflicted on him by a mean New York chef played by Joel McHale.
While it doesn't deliver the usual enjoyment of a big cast arguing loudly, this episode highlights The Bear's greatest strength. Despite its success, the show is always seeking new creative paths. This episode isn't like typical TV—it's moody, disorienting, and doesn't push the story forward much. It might take a couple of viewings to understand its timeline. If episodes were released one by one, this opener might not connect well with the audience. However, with multiple episodes available at once, including a more traditional second episode where the restaurant prepares for its real opening night, creator Christopher Storer and the team can experiment freely, which they do here.
Similarly, there are episodes in this season that move away from focusing on Carmy, Sydney, and Richie, despite their popularity. While there aren't any grand stories like the brilliant "Forks" and "Fishes" from season two, there are more personal moments with the rest of the cast. Ayo Edebiri, who plays Sydney, directs "Napkins," a standout episode centered on Tina, played by Liza Colón-Zayas. "Napkins" features the strongest scene with Mikey, portrayed by Jon Bernthal, who is seen as the most significant ghost in The Bear. Abby Elliott and Jamie Lee Curtis star in "Ice Chips," where Nat's mother, Donna—a presence Nat isn't entirely comfortable with—is by her side as she prepares for childbirth.
What makes The Bear interesting is its continual resistance to taking the easy route. The first season was praised for its gritty and affectionate chaos at The Beef, but the show shifted focus in season 2 to fine dining. This change allowed for new stories about growth and personal fulfillment.
In the real world, there's a movement to stop glorifying abusive behaviors once seen as necessary for achieving greatness. The Bear boldly explores this theme of toxicity and hard work without lecturing or becoming preachy about it.
Now that The Bear is established and serving food, the focus shifts once more. In the latter part of this third season, the show delves into questions about creativity and achieving excellence. In the real world, there's a movement to stop glorifying abusive behaviors that were once seen as necessary rites of passage for achieving greatness. The Bear explores themes of toxicity and hard work without becoming preachy. Instead, it returns to its strengths—depicting the emotional weight and impact of scars and ghosts, which have been central to its storytelling since the beginning.
Carmy's past mentors in the restaurant industry have left both positive and negative impacts on him. Chef Terry, for instance, runs a kitchen that maintains high standards while treating staff with kindness, and her restaurant Ever has positively influenced Richie as well. On the other hand, Carmy has also endured working under an abusive boss portrayed by Joel McHale. The scars from this experience manifest in Carmy's anxiety and self-criticism, as well as in small habits like meticulously labeling deli containers and saucepan handles.
It would be nice to think that Carmy could never resemble Joel McHale. However, when he presents his list of "non-negotiables" for The Bear, it's not just the items themselves but how he delivers them—authoritatively and impatiently—that raises concerns. Carmy has become fixated on achieving a Michelin star and insists on changing the menu daily, disrupting the restaurant's economics and the efforts of Sydney, Richie, Nat, Tina, Marcus, and everyone else on the team.
This season also focuses strongly on Sydney and Richie. Edebiri portrays Sydney's reluctance to fully commit to Carmy as his intense drive for perfection starts to become self-destructive. Richie, who discovered his talent for fine dining service at Ever, finds himself defending his role in the dining room and his authority over it. Their complex feelings for Carmy and each other add emotional urgency to the story. The thought of Carmy ending up as one of Sydney's regrets is deeply troubling, especially after a bitter argument between Carmy and Richie leaves their relationship strained. However, Claire's character, who was not fully developed last season, doesn't have the same emotional impact this time, as she is mostly talked about but rarely seen.
There are some aspects of the season that don't work as well, though they seem more like instances of going too far rather than outright failures. The Fak family, led by Neil played by Matty Matheson, is a standout example. Neil is a well-crafted character and his interactions with the entire staff add depth to those scenes. However, as more Faks are introduced throughout the season, their presence becomes a bit exaggerated and starts to feel too silly. They also include the only guest appearance in the show's history that seems like it was done just for the sake of it, rather than adding genuine value to the story.
By the end of this season, the frequent appearances by real chefs start to offer less excitement. A lesson Carmy receives from Thomas Keller drags on too long, and a gathering of real chefs later in the season, while enjoyable, feels overly self-indulgent. It's clear the show wants to showcase its popularity in the culinary world and how star chefs eagerly join episodes. However, The Bear truly shines with its performances from actors, and inserting celebrity cameos becomes tricky when time with the main cast feels limited and the story is gaining momentum.
This "season" isn't really a full one—it's only half. It concludes with a cliffhanger and the words "To Be Continued." It leaves both the main storylines and the emotional complexities unresolved after ten episodes. This choice by the show's creators seems risky, especially since the next season might not return for a long time. Despite the exceptional acting and writing, they might be forgiven for this less dramatic ending compared to previous seasons. However, it could have been more satisfying to provide some closure on at least one aspect of the story.
Overall, this is still an incredibly imaginative and daring show that offers both anticipated and surprising delights. Instead of repeating what works, it constantly reinvents itself, much like Carmy's constantly evolving menu. This approach can sometimes result in mistakes, but it also allows the show to showcase and explore its full range of capabilities.
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tv series