Melody Norman
Staff Writer
Ever since its mysterious opening scene, Christopher Storer’s “The Bear” has never ceased to draw me in. Every aspect of the show is carefully and passionately executed, securing awards for its directing, cinematography, acting and more. Up until this summer, “The Bear” was a show that was in the minds of viewers and critics alike, but the final season, which premiered on June 25, felt estranged from the rest of the show.
“The Bear” tells the story of a complicated family trying to rebuild their heirloom restaurant in Chicago, navigating financial troubles and intense emotional journeys. The characters grapple with trauma and purpose, struggling forward after the suicide of their brother and friend Mikey. Now, the narrative has reached a bittersweet end.
One of the first things I noticed in season 5 was the format. The entirety of the season covers the span of just one day, focusing on one night of service. This general format felt reductive, especially compared to previous seasons which covered more time. Though I was not a fan of the minimization, it did make some sense for the context of the show — the restaurant is truly out of time.
The biggest shortcoming was the failed sense of stress of the season. Meticulously built tension is one of the most characteristic aspects of “The Bear,” but this element was lacking in season 5. The season opens with disasters that continuously pile up throughout the day. The restaurant has very little supplies, they are out of money, a pipe bursts in the building, their reservation system is down and they soon discover they are overbooked. Still, they are going to open service. This presents a seemingly impossible situation which should feel tense, but it did not sustain my belief for several reasons.
First, the mounting disasters are so dramatic that it was overdone. There is a pattern to the entire season: something goes wrong, but the characters find a creative solution and persevere. The conflicts felt like exaggerated plot points, and the pattern became predictable, diminishing the stress of the story. Between each disaster, the show ranges from dismal restaurant scenery to comedic bits to longer character interactions.
Many of the character interactions in season 5 greatly contributed to the characters’ development, but some felt unnatural. For example, Carmy and Sydney have unspoken conflict for most of the season, as Carmy tries to give Sydney control but then keeps disrupting her plans. These exchanges felt repetitive. Similarly, the conflict between Luca and Marcus near the end of the season felt forced. The tension of these conflicts was unconvincing. They seemed as though they were simply meant to keep the plot moving, rather than really explore the characters. “The Bear” has always been remarkably devoted to its characters, so these choices in the final season were unfamiliar.
I think the main difference between this season’s tension and that of previous seasons was the characters’ mental states. Episode 7 of the first season, when Sydney accidentally leaves the pre-order option open and orders pile up, was stressful because Carmy had no control over his anger and many characters were screaming. Episode 6 of the second season, “Fishes,” was extremely intense because the episode builds up to Donna’s inevitable mental breakdown and a traumatic event for her family. But in Season 5, the characters have mostly stabilized their mental and emotional states. There are still a few fights, but nothing feels as stressful as the previous seasons.
Finally, the ultimatum was unsatisfying. Uncle Jimmy, The Bear’s primary investor, is actively trying to sell the restaurant building. The Bear’s shut-down seems inevitable, but the characters are still trying to save it with one last service. The disastrous events make this nearly impossible, but the show had lost its realism, so it felt like anything could happen.
Everything began to make more sense when The Bear’s team starts believing one of the guests might be a Michelin critic, and their goal of earning a Michelin Star might depend on this night. However, the Michelin critic showing up on this particular night felt overly convenient for the plot, which is uncharacteristic for the show. Regardless, I do not think this was even supposed to be convincing or stressful, since the so-called critic is blissfully satisfied the entire time. In the show’s finale, it is revealed that the real critic visited months earlier, and the Michelin Stars were not dependent on that night’s service.
Despite all this, season 5 was still enjoyable and worked well as a conclusion. The largest disappointing element was the tension, which has always been a key part of the show. Yet, the season retained its comedy and well-written character development, like Carmy dropping a dish but being reassured instead of scorned, or when he tells Sydney she earned two Michelin Stars and the two embrace after seasons of deep admiration for each other. The last episode was much better and slowed things down after the absurd restaurant service. The final season of “The Bear” left no plot holes lingering and honored its themes of perseverance, family and hope. After such a bittersweet ending, I will definitely be circling back to season 1 to rewatch the entire show.