Movies

The Bear’s Stagnation: Has the Hit Show Lost its Plot?

BBG News

This article contains extremely minor spoilers for The Bear Season 4.

In the 1990s, Food Network proved that people love watching delectable dishes and skilled chefs on television. This concept held strong throughout the Y2K reality boom, with shows like Top Chef and Hell’s Kitchen remaining popular even after over two decades. Anthony Bourdain pioneered a new genre of culturally conscious, personality-driven food travel shows that has endured, with figures like Padma Lakshmi, Stanley Tucci, Phil Rosenthal, and others carrying on his legacy. The streaming era has brought forth an abundance of visually stunning food programs such as Chef’s Table, Omnivore, High on the Hog, Salt Fat Acid Heat.

Essentially, what I’m trying to convey is that while FX’s The Bear was unexpectedly successful, it was primed for the level of acclaim it currently enjoys. Being a unique scripted series set in a restaurant, it combines the allure of top-tier food documentaries with the gripping story of a mourning, Paul Newman-esque master chef (Jeremy Allen White), who strives to elevate his family’s Italian beef joint into a Michelin-starred fine-dining establishment. Just like many popular food shows, The Bear offers a comfortable viewing experience even when the storyline falters. However, its fourth season, now available on Hulu in full, amplifies the stagnation that began in Season 3 to such an extent that even casual fans might feel frustrated. Visually, the show remains appealing. Yet, it has, quite unfortunately, lost its narrative direction.

In Season 1, Carmy Berzatto of White’s The Original Beef of Chicagoland, previously owned by his late brother Mikey (John Bernthal), made strenuous attempts to preserve the establishment. As the venue was reborn as The Bear in Season 2, the third season depicted its rocky beginning. Carmy prioritized his work over a budding romance with Claire (Molly Gordon), pushing himself and his staff towards artistic achievement while edging them towards insanity through daily menu changes. His refusal to make concessions made The Bear financially unsustainable, enraging investor Uncle Jimmy (Oliver Platt) and complicating the life of Sugar (Abby Elliott), Carmy’s sister and business manager, as she navigated a newborn. This also intensified Carmy’s long-standing feud with Mikey’s friend Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), who transitioned from managing The Beef to running front of house for The Bear. Their kitchen arguments disrupted meal services, causing talented young chef Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) to contemplate leaving the restaurant she helped establish to accept a job offer from a more reliable competitor.

However, as the season drew to a close, no issues were resolved and very few questions were answered. This could be an indication of the same prolonged plot development that has also led to frustratingly unfinished seasons of popular shows such as “The Last of Us” and “Squid Game”. To give “The Bear” the benefit of the doubt, one might view the first 10 episodes’ worth of seemingly aimless storytelling as a deliberate stylistic choice highlighting the characters’ poor communication and inability to move forward. The finale hinted at impending change with its cliffhanger involving a Chicago Tribune review. Regrettably, Season 4, which revolves around Carmy and his family and co-workers healing damaged relationships and making restitution for past wrongs, remains just as static.

In a premier episode, Carmy expresses feelings of being trapped in repetition as he sadly watches Groundhog Day on TV and voicing his frustrations to the pastry chef Marcus (Lionel Boyce), stating that he feels “stuck in a loop.” The headline from The Trib reads: “Missing Bear Necessities: The Bear Struggles With Culinary Dissonance,” implying that despite intriguing and daring dishes, disarray in the kitchen makes the dining experience unpredictable. As Syd puts it, “The Trib visited three different times at three separate restaurants… They didn’t enjoy the chaos.” Reflecting on the situation, Carmy views it through his pessimistic and self-centered perspective: “I wasn’t good enough, and I need to improve.” The review has instilled a sense of urgency for change, as Jimmy and The Computer (Brian Koppelman) bring in a large digital timer, counting down the remaining seconds for two months – the deadline for The Bear to alter its financial status or face closure.

The current season of “The Bear” appears to lack the spark that rekindled interest in the show initially. Despite the continuous countdown and periodic displays of the restaurant’s progress, the events unfolding seem disconnected from the pursuit of profitability. It seems as though the creator, Christopher Storer, has forgotten how to create the engaging service scenes that made “The Bear” so captivating earlier, instead opting for more formless episodes. These episodes frequently feature solo scenes (such as Syd refining a dish under dramatic lighting and a haunting St. Vincent track) and heartfelt dialogues between characters. However, these conversations tend to repeat themselves, with each character expressing deep insights from the depths of their soul. These insights often consist of commonplaces or self-help maxims: “People are not so different,” “It’s realizing the capacity to love that matters,” “There is probably one really true thing about restaurants… You are never alone.” Contrary to its reputation, “The Bear” is no longer a comedy; instead, it takes itself excessively seriously.

The evolution in the show’s tone, from its initial blend of humor, awe, and emotion to the intense seriousness of recent seasons, has been quite disappointing when it comes to our main character, Carmy. Although we can easily accept him as a culinary genius, what’s becoming tedious is his portrayal as an ultimate tragic hero, characterized by nobility, beauty, but plagued by a flaw – his obsessive perfectionism and the need to validate himself through excelling at minute aspects of cooking. The scenes focusing on his expressive, sculpturesque features are overly drawn out. Each dialogue seems heavy with symbolism. Despite White’s skillful portrayal, it seems like Carmy has become rather monotonous. It’s not Carmy who’s becoming dull, but the character development surrounding him.

As a movie critic, I found the standout episode of Season 4 that resonated deeply with me. Surprisingly, it’s an episode where our protagonist, Syd, is hardly present. Directed by the talented Janicza Bravo (who helmed most episodes this season), this heartfelt installment focuses on Syd’s day off spent at her hairstylist friend Chantel’s home, played by Danielle Deadwyler.

Syd, a character who is both pragmatic and emotionally intelligent, finds herself grappling with the dilemma of whether to leave The Bear or become one of its partners. When Chantel needs to dash out for hair supplies, Syd steps in as a caring parent figure, preparing a meal and engaging TJ (Arion King), a character navigating her own tumultuous transition.

The episode is a breath of fresh air, owing partly to Bravo’s lighter touch and the welcome respite it provides from Carmy’s emotional turmoil. It serves as a poignant reminder of Syd’s strength and compassion, offering a glimpse into her life beyond The Bear.

Previous seasons have highlighted lesser characters such as Richie in “Forks” from Season 2 and line cook Tina in “Napkins” from Season 3. To maintain its longevity, The Bear should capitalize more on this talented supporting cast, whose characters offer numerous intriguing plotlines. Fortunately, the new season reduces the excessive celebrity-chef appearances and limits guest stars to a select few like Deadwyler. While a wedding episode brings back many characters from Season 2’s controversial family Christmas gathering in “Fishes,” it strives too hard to continue the storyline, often becoming overly lengthy. However, Carmy’s brooding nature doesn’t allow for much exploration into characters like Tina or Marcus.

Similar to the previous season, this one concludes with an intriguing hint of significant, long-overdue transformations on the horizon. If the anticipated twist in the captivating finale indeed unfolds, it will mark The Bear‘s most substantial—and, in my opinion, most ingenious—reinvention yet. Should this not transpire, a series that has been on a downward spiral for half its duration may slip into chaos, becoming as self-indulgent, melancholic, and discordant as its titular character.

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2025-06-26 10:06

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