FX nailed The Bear‘s landing not once but twice with the first two full seasons available to stream in full on Hulu. All cylinders fired away on the first two outings, too. Ayo Edebiri owned that breakout to household name status, and finally, Ebon Moss-Bachrach is receiving all the praise that he’s quietly toiled away for years on TV to achieve (including a certain Girls scene). Jeremy Allen White is also doing intense in a much more amplified way than he did on Shameless, and thank goodness that more of The Bear is on the way.
The Chefs began cooking again in Chicago with FX recently announcing that Season 3 revved up production again this month. Now, the much fancier, renovated restaurant must maintain its momentum, and so must the show. What’s on the books so far?
Plot
As you no doubt remember, Carmy ended his last appearance on the show while stuck in a fridge. He really should have gotten that thing fixed before go-time, but this screw-up also allowed for several plot points to advance. Obviously, Carmy’s emotional meltdown led to the audience seeing him scare off Claire (forever?), and Ritchie got to show off his emotional evolution to the max. As well, this should have been an opportunity for Carmy to realize that he’s trained and, in some cases, nurtured his fellow Chefs so well that they were able to carry on without his presence. However, I can also see why this would lead to further existential crisis for Carmy.
Yes, that fridge scene will likely remain important!
Obviously, Carmy will have to defrost at some point. White hopes it will happen, and a certain contingent of Reddit users hope he will stay stuck, but this isn’t a horror series. Also, it sure feels like the show has set up the quest for a Michelin star and much pondering about whether that really matters in the grand scheme of family and success. A star certainly won’t fix the broken dynamics that set much of this show in motion, so I can see them gaining that professional trophy but still having much to conquer in the aftermath. Maybe Will Poulter’s Luc will join the restaurant and shake up Carmy’s little world, too.
Beyond that, can the new joint stay financially afloat and pay back the loan from Uncle Jimmy? Will Natalie have to pull away to devote herself to a healthier family dynamic, only for everyone to realize that they need her glue to stay together? And personally, I wonder if Sydney will outgrow Carmy on a professional level, although god only knows if the writers will really push them together as a couple. Some viewers want it to happen, but man, Carmy would be a nightmare of a romantic partner in the long run. Personally, I’d like to see more exploration on what went wrong with Ritchie and Tiffany if the show needs some romance (or lack thereof). Clearly, the dramatic possibilities are endless for Season 3 and beyond.
Cast
The trend of A-listers clamoring for cameos in this show grew intense with Season 2’s “Fishes” episode, and hopefully, we’ll see the return of Bob Odenkirk, Jamie Lee Curtis, John Mulaney, and the rest of the nightmare fam. Jon Bernthal feels essential at this point, and Joel McHale would not be unwelcome for another blip of an appearance. Additionally, Jeremy Allen White revealed his wish for both Sam Rockwell and John Turturro to join the team. Yes, please.
Three core cast members — White (as Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto, Ayo Edebiri (as Sydney Adamu), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (as Richie Jerimovich) — are confirmed to be main players once more. FX hasn’t confirmed any other returning cast members yet, but ideally, we will see Liza Colón-Zayas keep smiling as Tina, Lionel Boyce return as Marcus, Abby Elliot as Natalie, and so on. Can we switch up Will Poulter as a Chicago resident now? C’mon.
Release Date
The good news is that The Bear team already appears to have churning out seasons down to a science. Season 2 landed slightly under one year after Season 1, both in late June. Chances are that we won’t be quite that lucky after 2023’s Hollywood stoppages, but we should see Season 3 before the end of the year. Keep the faith, Chefs!
Trailer
No trailer has materialized yet, but it’s worth rewatching Will Poulter’s tattooed Chef, Luca, get real with Boyce’s Marcus. Fingers crossed for a baking showdown.
We don’t know when The Bear will return, but cast and crew are at least back in the kitchen.