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Lead Critic for the site, as well as serving as an editor when needed.
Christopher Storer’s The Bear premiered on Hulu in 2022 to rave reviews, and Season Two was fast-tracked for a release last year. Season Three of the critically acclaimed FX on Hulu show released all episodes on June 26th. Part III, as nicely stylized on screen, continues the same trends of the prior two parts with a chase towards perfection. Although, Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) has seemingly finally realized perfection is almost entirely impossible to meet. The series’ title, The Bear, also comes from Carmy’s childhood nickname and is the name of his restaurant.
Contemplation as Meditation
Carmy continues to struggle with his mental health throughout this season. The premiere episode, titled “Tomorrow,” seems like it is Carmy giving retrospect to his journey as a chef up to this point. “Tomorrow” is written and directed by Storer, with a story by Storer and series executive producer, Matty Matheson. The episode is clearly presented as a flashback, yet it begins with Carmy in his apartment, and the visuals scream meditation. Carmy analyzes a huge portion of his life that has led to this season’s first episode. Evidently, he wants nothing more than to be the best possible chef he can be. However, due to his own training and the leaders he has had, he doesn’t feel he can also be a “nice” person or “good” in order to get there at the same time.
Guest Characters’ Impacts on Carmy
Many guests from previous seasons continue to return to The Bear this season. Andrea Terry (Olivia Colman) is perhaps one of the nicest and most skilled chefs Carmy has ever trained under. She continues to appear during this season as well. Her presence is best served as a reminder for Carmy that all the success he wants is possible by being this good person he so stresses to become. In the first episode, she essentially checks Carmy in a scene where he begins to lose his patience, and she does not ever bring it back up. She simply reminds him that the skills to be more successful can often lie within patience.
In juxtaposing her with David Fields (Joel McHale), who continues to linger heavily within Carmy’s mind, it is almost like day and night. In the season finale, “Forever,” Carmy even confronts Fields for the abuse he suffered while being at Fields’s restaurant in New York. More so, in some ways Carmy feels that Fields’s way is the best way towards perfection, considering all the success that Fields has had in his own career. Fields was repeatedly mentally abusive to Carmy, as well as his entire staff. During Carmy’s flashback, he simply walks by him and just mutters “fu** you” with no regard. However, this all can be further from the truth, as Fields is a completely and utterly bad person.
One of the Series’ Best Season Premieres
The flashbacks of “Tomorrow” also feel like filling in blanks for a side of Carmy that has not been presented yet. He knows the difference between right and wrong in terms of the attitude he should present in the kitchen. Each flashback feels more intense than the last, but ultimately, this all works perfectly. Particularly, Joanna Naugle’s editing and Andrew Wehde’s cinematography in this episode are some of the best in the entire series thus far. The execution of this episode makes it easily one of the best season premieres ever. Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross continue their run of subtly great scores as well. The addition of their score makes even the chaos within the flashbacks feel all the more calm.
“Tomorrow” ends with Carmy getting the news of his brother Michael “Mikey” Berzatto’s (Jon Bernthal) suicide and the events that follow. While Carmy was accused of not attending his funeral, it was revealed that he simply could not make his way into the church. It is quite possible he did this because he felt he left everyone to deal with Mikey’s issues and did not contribute as he could have. Carmy and Mikey were also extremely close, and he felt that, in some ways, maybe he let his brother down by leaving.
Their mother, Donna “DD” Berzatto (Jamie Lee Curtis), also has mental health issues she hasn’t dealt with, which could have definitely been a factor as well. Carmy wanted to escape the noise that can come with a hugely dysfunctional family that simply does not want to confront their issues, whatever they are. By Season Three, DeeDee seems to finally be accepting who she truly is.
Fear Towards the Future
Nearly every character in this season of FX on Hulu’s The Bear is contemplating their past mistakes. Episode Four, titled “Violet,” begins with another flashback, this time of Carmy and Claire Dunlap (Molly Gordon) discussing the most intense day of the year in their respective careers. “Violet” is written and directed by Storer. During this conversation, Claire reveals how she almost lost a patient due to misreading her chart on said intense day.
Focus on Richie
As the episode progresses, “Cousin” Richard “Richie” Jerimovich (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) has two similar conversations with his daughter Eva, and then again as he drops her off at her step-father Frank’s (Josh Hartnett) house. While it was great to see a new guest star, Frank somehow serves as a small reminder of Richie’s failed relationship with his daughter’s mother Tiffany “Tiff” (Gillian Jacobs). Frank also expresses his regret at letting Richie know of their impending marriage, as he apparently comes from divorced parents.
In another scene, Richie takes off his wedding ring that he has always worn. It is a great moment for the Cousin as he finally seems ready to move on properly. While he and Frank basically discussed the past, Richie is truly afraid of what comes next, both for himself and his daughter’s new family. However, he also seems ready to accept these things, whatever they may be. The next step would be to sit down with Carmy, as they essentially bit each other’s heads off in the previous season’s finale. They don’t ever truly make up by this current season finale either.
Later on, he has a conversation with Natalie “Sugar” Berzatto (Abby Elliott), the middle Berzatto sibling, who became pregnant at the end of Season Two. They discuss parenthood but also the issue running around Cousin’s mind: Tiff’s marriage to Frank. He feels he should step back. At the same time, naturally, this is both a figurative and literal step in the wrong direction. It’s great to see him finally deal with these issues head on and decide how to become a better person for himself but also his daughter.
Sydney’s Choice
Episode Seven, titled “Legacy,” is similar to “Violet” in that Sydney Adamu (Ayo Edebiri) is presented with an offer from the chef-de-cuisine of Ever. “Legacy” is written by Christopher Storer and directed by series executive producer, Joanna Calo. Ever is closing and the CDC wants to open his own restaurant and offers Sydney the position first, in an effort to poach Sydney from The Bear. It is such a halfhearted move, especially considering the CDC, Adam Shapiro (appearing as a version of himself), trained with Carmy under Chef Andrea. The guy is a bit of a prick.
At this point, considering the benefits and pay, Sydney has also not officially become a partner in The Bear simply due to her not signing the contract agreement. After learning from Pete (Chris Witaske), Sugar’s husband and a lawyer, in Episode Nine, “Apologies,” that her salary and benefits in her partnership with The Bear is a little less than Adam’s, with a bit more flexibility being the huge difference in the two restaurants, she essentially has a panic attack by the end of the season finale. Her choice is ultimately left undecided at the season closes.
There is also a quick scene in “Legacy” where two old workers from when Mikey owned The Bear (The Beef at the time) return to work at the restaurant. It is a great anecdote about the huge loss that can be felt from people, whether big or small. These two workers have a quick line about squaring away their stations for Mikey. You can truly feel the loss that is present in Mikey’s absence.
A Final Look, Inwards
“Apologies” opens with a voiceover by Martin Scorsese about the fantasy of what is reality or not, as well as about creation. Written by Alex Russell and directed by Storer, this entire episode feels like a realization of what it can be like to have to somehow find the willpower to apologize, for anything and everything. It also feels as if some characters, namely Richie and Tina Marrero (Liza Colón-Zayas), are accepting their mistakes in the kitchen, rather than simply blaming Carmy for his bad attitude in the moment… or working harder, and faster before service, and experimenting when they can.
Carmy also finally admits to Sydney that he truly does not want to be this “bad” guy, such as losing his cool so everyone can somehow work faster. This episode heavily features “Hope We Can Again” by Nine Inch Nails, which continues to add to the tone, and sheer contemplation of Carmy’s attitude and reinforces his chase towards perfection.
Marcus Brooks (Lionel Boyce) suffers the loss of his mother this season and seems to be soul searching within the kitchen. More than anyone, Marcus is in the kitchen during his own time, constantly experimenting. This character’s development in this season of The Bear is a great example of using his pain for something worthy. He also puts his entire faith into The Bear and Carmy. Their juxtaposition is almost peaceful, and Carmy has become a mentor for Marcus as well.
The Review
In “Apologies,” “Uncle” Jimmy “Cicero” Kalinowski (Oliver Platt), The Bear’s primary backer, essentially tells Carmy that if the restaurant review from the Chicago Tribune is bad, he will have to pull out of the restaurant. This subtly compounds on Carmy’s already stressful plate.
In the Season Three finale, “Forever,” Carmy, Sydney, and Richie attend the funeral dinner at Ever—the funeral service as it is called. The season finale is written and directed by Storer. So many real-life chefs attend this event, including several chefs that have trained or trained with Carmy throughout his career. Luca (Will Poulter) returns to Chicago from Copenhagen, where Marcus was sent last season to train. Carmy is not really himself during this whole dinner. Luca points this out and he gets up to confront David Fields, who is apparently not as popular as he once was when he trained Carmy.
Fields blows off Carmy’s confrontation entirely and confesses that he should be thanking Fields for his success. McHale surprisingly plays it so well, but Fields is the ultimate villain in some sense. He has caused so much internal pain and suffering to the series’ main character, who himself is arguably some form of anti-hero, and gives absolutely no care to the repercussions of Carmy. During the dinner, Sydney also realizes that many kitchens are dysfunctional in some way and maybe understands Carmy a bit more too.
Smaller Details of The Bear Part III
Anecdotally, in Ever there are several collages of chefs that Andrea has worked with, or could simply admire in some form. Among the pictures is one of Bradley Cooper, probably in character, as Adam Jones from his 2015 film, Burnt. Burnt features an uncannily similar setting to The Bear and is arguably underrated amongst Cooper’s filmography. More than anything, it is potentially an inside joke amongst the cast and crew. It could also be some sort of placeholder for introducing Cooper to this show in a future season.
Afterwards, Carmy talks with Chef Andrea and realizes that eventually, it all ends. However, it would seem one must also create goal after goal to reach their version of perfection, in his case. Of course, he embodies this in a great way. Carmy eventually checks his phone and notices the particularly mixed review from the Tribune was published. Ultimately, the destination towards the perfection of The Bear will continue with Part IV. The Bear has been renewed for Season Four with a currently unknown release date, presumably in late 2025.
Final Thoughts on The Bear Season 3 (Hulu)
With epic needle drops, including Weezer in the season finale, Part III of The Bear continues its main character’s run towards ultimate perfection and a Michelin Star. This season is some of the best television that Hulu has to offer. Whether or not the cast and crew of the show feel it, whatever pressure there is to make such a great show is on full display.
This season does a substantial job of continuing to balance its characters, and giving more character-centric episodes is refreshing for the show. It is a good way to get the audience to slow down and gives viewers more to discover about other characters. Every episode features some of the most chaotically organized editing within a show ever, and the flashes of the food are bound to make even the most bland of palates wet. It is amazing how much detail Christopher Storer can squeeze into these episodes, and The Bear is a fine examination of things such as mental health and the chase towards something.
4.5/5 stars.
Christopher Storer’s The Bear Part III is now streaming on Hulu and Disney+!
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Lead Critic for the site, as well as serving as an editor when needed.
This article was edited by John Tangalin.