The Bear season three
The Bear has proved to be a smash hit for Disney+, depicting the chaotic environment of Chicago’s Original Beef, a family-run business that Carmie Berzatto inherits and looks to transform into something more. The series is often excruciatingly tense with a sense of realism that few other kitchen-based series boast, while having a real sense of heart at its core and some fantastic writing and character development, making us invested in the fate of all the staff who work in the restaurant, their growth in the kitchen and out of it. With the show’s return for its third season, there is a sense of heightened expectation, with two hugely successful seasons and a wealth of Emmys for its first.
The third installment opens with a hefty recap as we pick up with Carmie and Sydney in the restaurant’s aftermath of the opening night. While most of the footage is of moments we have glimpsed or that have been referenced before, it is thrilling nonetheless, showing Carmie’s journey to this point and his experiences in kitchens across the globe from Denmark to New York. It never feels like a gimmick and serves to remind us of where he is at in his life now.
This season sees the restaurant trying to achieve the ultimate goal of getting a star and cementing itself on the Chicago food scene, with Carmie wanting to assert his culinary knowledge and extensive restaurant experience.
Inevitably, there is a sense of the stakes being lower compared with the complete overhaul of the restaurant, coupled with the personal growth of some of the main characters, namely “cousin” Richie, across season two. However, at its best, this remains one of the best shows on TV, with impeccable performances from Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri, who also gets to direct an episode. It may be marginally less intense and sweary, but it still serves up food to die for.
While season two balanced numerous guest stars, including Will Poulter, Olivia Colman and Jamie Lee Curtis, this season can strain at times, trying to serve too many dishes at once. Despite this, there is more than enough to satisfy fans. Perhaps owing to the demand of its leads, seasons three and four have been filmed simultaneously and this may perhaps have seeped into the storytelling, leaving fans hungry for more.
The Bear is still often intoxicating. After delivering two seasons of the highest calibre, this third has felt the weight of expectation, yet it remains a culinary delight despite some of its more obvious flaws.
Christopher Connor
The Bear season three is released on Disney+ on 27th June 2024.
Watch the trailer for The Bear season three here:
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