The Bear wrapped up its fifth and final season on FX on Hulu / Disney+ or something or other. Wherever the heck it was technically streaming, the show has brought us culinary chaos for the past five years in a fashion different than anything else on television. Now that the show has wrapped up, Jason and I want to give our thoughts on the final season and the show as a whole. Note: Spoilers below for the entirety of The Bear.
Steve: People really got hyped on The Bear after its beautiful second season before souring on it a bit in the third. I, personally, have always loved this show and the journey that it has taken us on over the past five years. Before diving into the series as a whole, let’s discuss the final season. Specifically, I wanted to discuss the fact that the final season made the choice to spend 7 of the 8 episodes focusing on one horrific night in the restaurant. It took me a few episodes to adjust, but ultimately, this format resulted in a couple of tremendous episodes that made me appreciate this rain-soaked journey.
Jason: I never understood the hate for Season 3 outside of hating Carmy (and by extension Claire). It wasn’t my favorite storyline, but felt it was extremely necessary in setting up Carmy’s growth and redemption as he reached the finish line in the series finale.
Like you Steve, I was legitimately disappointed after a few episodes that we weren’t getting more time with these characters outside this one night. By the time we reached Episode 7 I totally got it. I’m not sure we could have gotten a bigger emotional payoff if it was in a more traditional format, rather than this slow methodical approach. I’d argue that the characters that most benefited from this final season were Syd, Richie, Marcus and Tina. They were the main characters that you were most invested in by the end.
I also appreciated the tremendous amounts of callbacks this season.
Steve: Episode 7, “Caramel”, goes down as one of the series’s very best. I cried twice. Seeing Syd and Marcus receive praise for all of the hard work that she has put in really hit home. It’s probably because I am also a member of the Dead Moms Club. And ultimately, it’s the resonance with the characters and their respective journeys that makes The Bear so special. You’re on a journey with these people. We watched Tina go from hardass beef sandwich chef to proud chef de cuisine at a Michelin star restaurant. We watched Richie go from a guy that didn’t hesitate to pull a gun on a rowdy crowd of customers to a hospitality guru that wears suits. Hell, Neil Fak even managed to talk to customers without weirding them out. That’s growth!
There is just a lovely energy to living in this world that I am not sure that everyone gets. People are so impatient for the end result that they don’t take the time to live in the world that has been established and enjoy it for what it is. I have seen The Bear like a hangout show in a lot of ways. It’s like hanging out with Mikey Berzatto – insanely stressful, a little dangerous, but ultimately a fun time that one remembers fondly.
Jason: I think you described that perfectly. If you can’t embrace the chaos, then it isn’t for you. The show is a celebration of life lived, appreciating those close to you, and finding a calling.
You mention Tina and I would be remiss not to mention how much actress Liza Colón-Zayas almost made the entire show for me. Any moment of the show where we focused on Tina and her journey was a delight and profoundly moving. It reminds me of the Season 3 episode “Napkins” in which we get more of a backstory of her character, how she began her journey at The Beef and where she finally ended up by the finale.
One nit to pick about the final episode, is Carmy’s decision to work in architecture. I get that he had a genuine interest in it, but to Syd’s point this season “what skills do you have besides this?”. I appreciate a willingness to try something new and I’m not saying “don’t follow your dreams”, but in this specific case/show it felt more like Storer forcing an idea/ending for Carmy rather than just letting it be (quitting the industry).
Steve: I am so glad you brought up the architecture decision. That was SO WEIRD. My significant other, Emily, thought that Carmy was meeting with a publisher to write a cookbook. This would have made a lot of sense, given how he was joyfully sharing his illustrations and journey with his mother and sister. Instead, he was going to be an intern at an architecture firm? I remember taking an architecture class in middle school and quickly finding out that it was not for me! Too many technical skills! I don’t think it’s a good fit for our mans.
Looking back on the series as a whole, do you have a particular standout episode? “Fishes”, where the Berzatto family has the most chaotic Christmas Eve ever, has become regular holiday viewing in our house. “Forks”, in which Richie finally finds his calling in life, is such a beautiful episode of television. The Tina episode that you mentioned, “Napkins” is outstanding. I think it’s also worth mentioning again how great season 2 as a whole is. It’s a beautiful story of how Carmy gave pieces of himself to everyone at The Beef to elevate and find themselves and make the restaurant that ends up becoming The Bear. Considering this, it’s a shame that Carmy did not become a storyteller or teacher of sorts, because the show has shown him effectively do both.
Jason: Oh man, well I think you nail my two favorite episodes “Forks” and “Fishes”. They are some of my favorite episodes of television…though for completely different reasons. One is chaotic, nerve-wrecking, and provides insight on the Berzzato’s, specifically Mikey. The other is an insightful display of someone finally finding a meaning to his professional life.
Others I really liked include the aforementioned “Napkins” (which Ayo Edebiri directed) and “Honeydew”, where Marcus goes to Copenhagen to learn from Luca. Marcus’ whole journey from a guilt-ridden, eager wide-eyed learner, to this confident extraordinary pastry chef was satisfying to follow along. “Worms” is another one that stuck out to me as a Syd-focused episode where she is stuck at her cousin’s house and winds up cooking hamburger helper for her kid. It was interesting seeing Syd grapple with her decision to leave The Bear and her joy in teaching a kid how to cook. Another is “Forever” with amazing turns from Joe McHale and Olivia Coleman. Their speeches to Carmy were incredibly moving and exactly what Carmy needed to hear. The final two episodes of the series “Caramel” and “The Original Beef of Chicagoland” are also amazing.
One storyline through the final season that really took a hit because of a lost presence was Ebra. You might remember we lost the legendary Rob Reiner to an awful tragedy. He was an integral part of Ebra’s story as the series went on and not seeing him bask in Ebra’s future success made me a bit sad.
Steve: Yeah, I thought the Ebra storyline was going to be pivotal to the final season. Instead we had some (very funny!) scenes of Ebra pacing and trying to psyche himself up into talking to Carmy about franchising The Beef. I really wanted to see Rob Reiner’s Albert Schnurr deal with Oliver Platt’s Uncle Jimmy. I did really like the touch of Ebra saying “as you wish” as a Princess Bride reference and tribute to Reiner. Overall, I’m pretty satisfied with how they left things with those few exceptions. The Berzatto family father remains a bit of a mystery to me, but I’m not sure how much more needed to be said about him. The Bear is so much about the relationship between Carmy, Mikey, Sugar, and Donna that there isn’t even room for anyone else. And I’m all good on prequels and such, just leave this piece of art as it is. Now, if you want to do a SEQUEL series with Richie becoming the greatest hospitality man in Japan, I think I can get into that. I can just see him somehow charming the Yakuza…
