Streaming on: Disney+
Episodes viewed: 10 of 10
While The Bear might not be the laugh-out-loud comedy Emmy voters claim it to be, that hasn't stopped showrunners Christopher Storer and Joanna Calo from poking fun at the mixed reception they received following a somewhat repetitive third season. That is, unless it's just a coincidence that the new season premiere begins with Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) waking up to Groundhog Day on TV.
Season 3 was far from an outright catastrophe, but it did feel like this once unstoppable series had grown somewhat stale, recycling ideas with just minute variations. As such, Carmy's restaurant and the show itself are both in dire need of a menu change-up, before visitors and viewers alike give up on The Bear completely.
Season 4 creates more space to ensure every main character gets their due.
At first, the Groundhog Day parallels feel almost too apt, with a reset that further emphasises just how little was accomplished last season. But then something begins to shift. The Bear has always been a slow burn — a simmer, if you will — despite explosive moments of tension and a frantic pace in the kitchen. The difference now is that momentum can be felt in the show's quieter moments too, gently pushing our faves to change and grow rather than recircle the same old traumas. Carmy's cathartic talk with Claire (Molly Gordon), for example, couldn't have come at a better time.
By eschewing the standalone episodes of previous runs, Season 4 creates more space to ensure every main character gets their due, including Sydney's (Ayo Edebiri) showcase in Episode 4 (penned by Edebiri and co-star Lionel Boyce), which stands out as a huge highlight. In hindsight, this new chapter also reframes the lull of Season 3 as the first half of a bigger story that comes to its natural conclusion here. Although there's no word yet on whether Season 4 is actually the end, it's hard to imagine The Bear continuing beyond these ten episodes without running the risk of repeating itself again, Groundhog-style.
