Josh Reviews The Bear Season Four

The Bear season four was another beautiful, riveting season of this great show.  I loved every minute of it.

I thought season three was terrific, but one complaint I’ve seen repeatedly leveled against it was that all the characters were spinning their wheels, stuck in place and making bad decisions.  I didn’t think that was a problem, but nevertheless I was pleased that this season, for the most part, it felt like we got to see these characters we love so much make some positive steps forward in their lives.  (Carmy apologizes to Claire and takes a step towards reconciliation with his mother; Ebraheim makes plans to develop and expand The Bear’s successful lunch-counter business; Richie makes peace with his ex-wife Tiff’s re-marrying; etc.)  Of course, there is still pain and drama and plenty of setbacks, but it was nice to feel here in season 4 that we’re seeing these characters take (baby) steps towards growth.

The show remains grippingly compelling and intimate, putting the viewer right into the insecurities and self-doubt that pretty much every character on the show is feeling.  There are some lighter moments and some bursts of humor (which I love) but (despite how this show is categorized at the Emmys), this is still an intense character drama, and I love it for that.

The main narrative through-line of this season is the two-month deadline that Uncle Cicero gives Carmy and the gang to bring The Bear into profitability.  (I only have two complaints about this season, and one is that the finale fails to resolve this plotline.  I believe that Ebraheim’s innovations represent the path forward, but I was annoyed the show didn’t actually resolve that storyline at the end of the season.  The season three finale similarly made us wait a year to find out whether the review of the restaurant would be positive or negative.  That annoyed me then and this annoys me now.  Even though The Bear is one of the most regular streaming shows out there, delivering a new season each year so far, it is still usually a full year’s wait between seasons!!  So I don’t believe these streaming shows should end on cliffhangers.  End of rant.)

As always, Jeremy Allen White is tremendous in the lead role as Carmy.  Mr. White plays Carmy as one big exposed nerve — his damage is written all over his face.  It’s emotional watching Carmy attempt to claw his way out of his past and find a better way of living.  I was delighted that he finally apologized to Claire (Molly Gordon).  I love the two characters together, and it was great to have Ms. Gordon back on the show.  I’m unsure yet whether Carmy’s decision in the finale to step back from the restaurant is actually a step forward or a step backwards.  Is he just running away?  I’m curious to see where this goes.

Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s Richie remains my favorite character on the show.  It’s a pleasure to see this character — who was so abrasive back in season one — trying so hard to be better, even though he can still curse with the best of them.  I loved his gentle flirtation with Jess (Sarah Ramos), who is brought on along with Garrett and Rene to improve the service at The Bear.  I questioned how this struggling restaurant could bring on three new employees, but I loved that the show brought Jess into the regular action at The Bear.  Here’s hoping she and Richie get a happy ending somewhere down the line!  The episode “Bears”, in which Richie and the gang go to Richie’s ex-wife Tiff (Gillian Jacobs)’s wedding was a highlight of the season for me.  The episode was a tremendous showcase for the show’s large and spectacular cast, and most importantly I thought it was very sweet to see Richie find a way past his pain to support his ex-wife.  (I love that Richie still has a close relationship to Tiff.)

It was a surprise and a pleasure to see Ebraheim (Edwin Lee Gibson) get so much attention this season, working with a hired consultant (the great Rob Reiner!) on ways to expand the lunch business.  I was unsure, watching the season, whether Rob Reiner’s character was a swindler or whether he really knew what he was doing.  My conclusion is that it’s possibly a little of both!  Either way, I loved watching Ebraheim navigate their conversations and slowly realize that not only is he (Ebraheim) good at what he does, but that there is more that he can do.  I am eager to see where this goes next season.

I still love Ayo Edeberi’s work as Sydney, and I am rooting for her second only to Richie to succeed and prosper.  But I will say that Sydney’s storyline this season represents my second complaint about the show this season.  I found it tremendously frustrating to watch Sydney vacillate all season long about whether or not to leave The Bear and start a new restaurant along with Shapiro.  Watching her keep stringing Shapiro along, episode after episode, was, to me, an annoying bore.  It was a relief when that finally wrapped up.  It is in-character that Sydney would feel caught between her life at The Bear and potential new opportunities, but as television, watching this storyline drag out episode after episode was unpleasant for me as a viewer.  I’m curious by where things are left at the end of the season and what that means for Sydney.  Will we get to see her fully in charge of The Bear next season?  That’d be very interesting!

I’ve enjoyed the way recent seasons have made Natalie/”Sugar” (Abby Elliott) more connected than ever to the restaurant.  I love this character, and I’ve enjoyed seeing her attempts at growth, both in navigating her crazy family and starting her own, and also bearing the weight of managing The Bear’s rickety finances.

Of course, Marcus (Lionel Boyce), Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas), Neil Fak (Matty Matheson), and Gary/Sweeps (Corey Hendrix) are also fantastic, and I love them all so much too.  Especially Mr. Matheson, who is the show’s most reliable source of comedy as Fak (usually paired up perfectly with Ricky Staffieri as Theodore Fak).  Oliver Platt is great in every scene he’s in as Uncle Cicero, and Brian Koppelman is perfectly deadpan as “computer”, Cicero’s right-hand man.  I’m glad the show still managed to find ways to bring Jon Bernthal back in flashbacks as Carmy’s brother Mikey, such as in the scene in the first episode that shows us how Carmy and Mikey came up with the name The Bear.  I was also thrilled that Luca (Will Poulter) was brought back; he’s a great addition to the ensemble.  I loved all of his scenes working with Marcus!  I hope that future seasons keep Luca on as a member of The Bear’s kitchen team.  Josh Hartnett hit all the right notes as Tiff’s new husband Frank, and it was a delight to see the great Jamie Lee Curtis back as Donna, Carmy’s mother.

The season finale, “Goodbye”, was a barn-burner.  In a bold choice, this episode keeps most of the characters off-screen (many of their storylines got attention in the previous episode), to focus on an extended conversation/argument between Carmy, Syd, and Richie.  This was not at all what I was expecting, but I loved it.  It was compelling to see these characters finally hash out (some of) their differences.  It was tough to watch at times, but I thought the episode was full of powerful character moments, beautifully played by these incredible actors.  I was annoyed that they didn’t show us what happened when Uncle Cicero & Computer’s countdown clock ran out, but I still acknowledge this was a tremendous episode of television.

Creator and show-runner Christopher Storer seems to still be at the top of his game, and The Bear continues to hum along beautifully.  Bring on season five.

Please support my website by clicking through one of my Amazon links the next time you need to shop!  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  That means I’ll receive a small percentage from ANY product you purchase from Amazon within 24 hours after clicking through.  Thank you!