The Bear season four

The Bear burst onto screens in 2022 and, across an electrifying first two seasons, really captured viewers’ attention and built a dedicated fanbase. It also won a wealth of major awards at the Emmys. The third season saw far more of a mixed reception, being filmed back-to-back with its fourth season. The third was certainly more cluttered with numerous side plots that weren’t fully resolved come the season’s end, and moments that felt like filler and distracted us from the main storyline surrounding the opening of The Bear restaurant, something the show had been building towards from the beginning.

Fans can rest assured that the fourth season dials back flashbacks and distracting subplots and is far tighter. Following a negative review in one of the Chicago papers, Carmy (Jeremy Allen White), Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) and the rest of the restaurant’s staff face a race against the clock to keep the restaurant open and turn its fortunes around. There are still lingering questions surrounding Sydney’s future with the restaurant after an offer from a rival. Another is whether Carmy’s fire has dimmed: is he still as driven as the man we saw, especially in the first two seasons?

Whilst the third season introduced an assortment of new characters and focused on characters who are more peripheral to the story and ultimately less interesting, this season remembers what makes the show great. The wider ensemble are given more moments to shine as the staff continue to broaden their skillset and food and beverage knowledge to turn the establishment into what they envisage it can be.

The third season could often feel self-indulgent, with cameos from real food industry figures and guest stars who, unlike in the first two seasons, did little to drive the series forward.

With the clock counting down until the restaurant potentially closes, the recurring phrase “every second counts” has never been truer. This adds extra stakes to what is often an already unbearably tense storyline. The tension is offset by the cast and a highly eclectic soundtrack with everything from Led Zeppelin and The Who to St Vincent, Tangerine Dream and Talk Talk.

The Bear’s fourth season recaptures the ingredients that made it a hit, proving a recipe for success. The cast is once again all on song with a more focused narrative and fewer distractions; it looks set to quell the issues some fans and critics had with the previous season.

Christopher Connor

The Bear season four is released on Disney+ on 26^th June 2024.

Watch the trailer for The Bear season four here: