Summertime means a new seasons of shows, including “The Bear” season 4! This season took me a little bit longer to watch than previous seasons. There was just something missing in “The Bear” season 4 that did not pull me in compared to the first two season. I liked it enough, but at the same time, I felt very underwhelmed. Let’s dig into it!
*Slight spoilers ahead*
Where is the Chaos and Cooking?!
I know a lot of people say they felt overstimulated during the first two season. Admittedly, it was extremely chaotic, but it made the show so interesting and fast-paced. This season, for the most part, had a huge shift in the chaos that we’ve come to know between the characters. But that’s not to say that this season was devoid of chaos — there certainly was some scattered throughout the ten-episode season. However, it was pretty tame, and I missed the energy that the chaos brought.
Also, where the heck did the cooking and the focus on the actual restaurant go? Some of the characters, such as Tina, took a back seat this season. There wasn’t nearly enough episodes that had scenes where the cooks and staff were serving and cooking, attempting to keep the restaurant alive. I wanted to see more of the progress of the restaurant with the relationships between members of the kitchen and the overall new restaurant experience.
There was also too much time spent on Sydney deciding whether she would continue with The Bear or not, as well as Marcus’s relationship with his dad.
But wait…there were some positives in The Bear Season 4!
One of my favorite aspects from season 4 was Richie brining in his friends from the restaurant where he trained last season. Jessica was a great addition to the ensemble cast, and I would love to see Richie and her get together next season. She has such good energy and brings something different to the show that other characters don’t have.
There’s something to be said about a show that can handle a large ensemble cast well. Overall, I think “The Bear” does well with this, especially when fleshing out their characters and giving them their own storylines throughout the seasons. It’s no surprise that one of the best episodes this season was “Bears” where Richie’s ex-wife gets married. My favorite episodes are where the whole cast is together, including some of the non-regulars like Donna, the cousins and more. Episodes such as these are the ones where the chaos really shines, but it was also really endearing. Also, we finally got to see Francine Fak! Brie Larson in that role was hilarious. Pete’s reaction to finding out about a little something between Natalie and her was even funnier. This episode had a lot of comedic relief, but it was also heartfelt and endearing. It solidified the bond that everyone in the restaurant has with one another.
I would be remiss to not comment on the cinematography. As always, it’s exceptional and really captures Chicago as a city. Each scene’s shot is so purposeful. “The Bear” is extremely artistic in their aesthetic.
SPOILER: I liked that when Sydney found out Carmy was quitting cooking, that she wanted Richie to be part of the team to own the restaurant. The platonic relationship between Sydney and Richie was really sweet this season, and I would love for that to be explored more. Plus, Richie deserves a win and to shine! He’s grown quite a lot throughout the series’ run.
Stray Thoughts
- Sydney’s cousin was HILARIOUS!
- I’m glad Carmy is really developing as a person and trying to be better for himself and others.
- Marcus is a boring character.
- I would have loved to see more of Tina — she’s become one of my favorite characters.
- Luca was such a surprise to see again, and I hope he remains in the cast next season.
- I am so over the Carmy and Claire storyline. Claire brings nothing to the story anymore.
- Jamie Lee Curtis is literally so good at playing Donna. Give that woman all the awards come Emmys season, for real.
- We need to see more of Natalie and Pete, for that matter! Each character is so funny in their own ways.
- CARMY’S REVEAL!!!!
Overall, this season kind of dragged. There were some really great plot lines and development, but this season fell flat. Much like season 3 did. I hope season 5 is able to step things up in terms of drama and comedy.
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