THE BEAR S4 REVIEW 🤩

Esta, Jami, and Aaron are back to review the latest season of THE BEAR. #SpoilerAlert – we all loved it. Here’s our view.

OVERALL SEASON THOUGHTS:

JAMI: I remember back in 2022, I couldn’t bear to watch THE BEAR. I tried, but just the pilot gave me anxiety, or made my own worse. I walked away for months, and it wasn’t until dozens of friends told me to go back and stick with it that I finally did. I’ve enjoyed each season immensely, even if it does sometimes give me “agita”. Season 4 shows incredible character arcs for most of our favorite chefs.

ESTA: This season THE BEAR was different. It seemed to dwell within honest, brutal attempts to heal, accept, and move on. The writers gave audiences private, intense moments of working through what being THE BEAR means for each of the characters. The growth was palpable and felt at a visceral gut level. It was like being lost within an emotional vortex, continually searching for a way to accept life’s choices. It was brilliantly written and extraordinarily executed by stellar actors, creating breathtaking moments that stay long after each episode ends. The beauty of this show isn’t always the loud outbursts that overlap with cringeworthy battles. No, it is also those quiet seconds, the extra beats, the furrowed brows, the lingering sighs, and the stare into each other’s eyes that have no end. All of this is the gift of THE BEAR.

AARON: If I were to rank the seasons of THE BEAR, it would go 2, 1, 4, 3. Despite Season 4 being in 3rd place, it’s still fantastic and does something the other seasons haven’t done before – it offers each of its characters a sense of relief. My only nit is that as the show has gone on, the creators have doubled down on music montages and lengthy dialogue scenes that repeat the same theme. The first two seasons of THE BEAR were super tight, concise, and had breakneck pacing. Season four gets lost in the middle, but ends up sticking the landing so well that audiences should be able to forgive it for any of its slow parts – just get to episode 7.

SEASON MVP:

JAMI: The season VIP is Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), who has come so far from being Mikey’s angry, jilted best friend. He spends much of this season working on himself so he can bring perfection to his role at The Bear. He still hangs onto insecurities related to being an ex-husband and father, which come to a head in the season’s highlight episode, BEARS.  Richie gets an unexpected and emotional confrontation with Frank (Josh Hartnett). In a sea of TV show relationships that feel realistic, it’s Richie and Frank’s that feel the most real. Extra props to the writers for making Frank someone we also want to root for. Sydney (Ayo Edebiri), my favorite character, has a much less obvious arc as she still struggles to find her voice at the restaurant and wonders whether she’d be better off out on her own.

ESTA: My MVP is a three-way tie between Sydney, Richie, and Carmy. They all had unforgettable monologue moments spewing their inner feelings. It was all raw and honest. I must mention how superb an actor Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) is as he continually stayed on the precipice. He held audiences in the palm of his hand with his control and intention. Honorable mention must go to Donna. Jamie Lee Curtis can act rings around anyone in Hollywood. When she read her letter, my heart wept for her. 

AARON: I’m in agreement with Jami on this one. Carmy may be the reason THE BEAR exists, but it’s Richie’s (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) growth that keeps me coming back. My favorite episode of THE BEAR is still S2E7: FORKS. It’s so damn good that I’ve seen it about five times now, and Richie is one such a strong character I wouldn’t mind a spin-off ala BETTER CALL SAUL style to learn more about his journey.

FAVORITE EPISODE:

JAMI: It wouldn’t be the THE BEAR without some great guest-stars and cameos; E7 BEARS features my favorite cameo so far as we finally come face to face with Francie Fak and find out why Natalie/Sugar (Abby Elliott)  has so much animosity toward her. I actually laughed and cried. 

ESTA:  My favorite episode is a tie between E7 BEARS and E10 GOODBYE, which pits my three MVPs against each other in the same scene. Phenomenal season. 

AARON: E7 BEARS. For the first time, THE BEARS gets all the cameos in one episode that’s not a flashback. By doing so, it propels the story forward, leaving audiences excited for one more hopeful season that will wrap up THE BEARS’ journey.

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It’s available on Hulu FX.