"The Bear" returns: Season 3 serves up drama and unanswered questions
Do you know that gripping feeling of fear when you watch a horror movie and feel that something terrible is about to happen? Disaster, explosion, total chaos are just one gesture or word away. "The Bear" evokes that exact sense of frayed nerves and broken hearts. Wonderful! A series that became a phenomenon is back with its third season.
7:13 AM EDT, July 1, 2024
There probably isn't a better way to cure yourself of the dream of owning a restaurant than watching "The Bear." When Carmy (a true revelation played by Jeremy Allen White) wants to revive his late brother's restaurant, get it out of debt, and finally shoot for the stars, everything stands in his way. Lack of money, a crumbling building, toxic relationships, traumatic memories, depression… Behind the closed kitchen doors, you hear not just the clank of pots but also curses, crying, accusations, and hidden grievances. Difficult? But also beautiful and emotionally captivating.
The series "The Bear" plays on the highest emotions while pausing at moments to show one lost and broken person, and it is in these moments that it becomes a standout production. The news that there will be a third season was met with great enthusiasm by fans around the world because the creators of "The Bear" are masters of leaving viewers on the edge of a heart attack, and we all needed answers to many questions. Did we get them?
In the reviews (the series is already available in the States on Hulu), there are many culinary metaphors like "undercooked," "leaves you wanting more," and "no fire under this pot." And I can understand that: the third season of "The Bear" starts unusually, calmly, and slowly. We see Carmy's early days in this tough trade, his mentors, and a rare sight: a smile on his face. The present, however, overwhelms the chef. He sets unachievable goals, dragging Sydney (played excellently by Ayo Edebiri) into his chaos, making his closest ally start to doubt their shared future. The spiral of stress, disappointment, and nerves tightens, and… And that's exactly the point; it leads to nothing.
By finishing the third season of "The Bear," we won't get answers to several new, burning questions. We won't close freshly opened threads. Is it a flaw? It is already known that filming for the fourth season has begun. So we are guaranteed to meet the Chicago restaurant team again and probably get the answers we've been waiting for. If I were to reach for the overused culinary metaphors myself, I'd say that the third season of "The Bear" left us hungry for more. And that's great; I buy it.
Especially since these new episodes once again feature fantastically told stories and presented characters. Once again, a particular episode will stick in your memory and is a masterpiece. I will only reveal that Jamie Lee Curtis deserves every Emmy for her performance in it. Guest stars include Olivia Colman and Will Poulter and new faces like Josh Hartnett and even John Cena. "The Bear" found room to honor master chefs, their stories, and philosophies. While I don't buy into the idea of someone opening a restaurant to serve foam, powder, and essence for thousands of dollars to "feed people," I enjoyed watching this different planet. Emotionally charged, heavy, wonderful "The Bear" shows no mercy to its characters or devoted viewers. I am already waiting for the fourth season to, watch out, another culinary metaphor, burn myself again.