The Bear Season 4 Spoilers Ahead
As one of the critics who mostly appreciated the FX original’s third season, it pains me to address what a mess The Bear’s fourth season is. Parts of the season are undoubtedly still tremendous—like the quietly explosive and brilliantly compelling finale—while other episodes miss countless marks and result in a confusing narrative.
Tonally, both Seasons 3 and 4 inarguably push The Bear away from the comedy genre and thrust it fully into drama. There were already arguments about how the debut and sophomore seasons didn’t fit the comedy label, but arguments could have been made to keep it there. Now, that’s even more unlikely. Filmed relatively close together, the back half of the show offers significant character studies necessary to showcase the restaurant’s transition through thoughtful performances, but perhaps it would have been a stronger account if we’d honed in on certain beats more.
Despite the disjointed narrative points, The Bear Season 4 shines with some of the best performances in the show’s run, namely with its MVP, Ayo Edebiri. Edebiri’s “Napkins” was the best episode of last season, and this year, it’s her performance that continues to elevate every scene. Whether it’s the gut-wrenching and deeply vulnerable monologue she brilliantly delivers in “Sophie” or how she goes head to head with Jeremy Allen White in the finale, “Goodbye,” Edebiri doesn’t miss a single beat in showing her star power.
The last line of the season and the decision that’s made ultimately underscore Sydney’s importance in a moment that equates to passing the torch, but what exactly does that mean is where the season loses its trajectory? Because while, yes, Sydney is a profoundly vital character and someone I’d absolutely deem as the heart of the show—what’s the point of everything we see in Season 4, Episode 7, “Bears?” Because The Bear isn’t just about Michael or Carmy, or even the Berzatto family, but it’s about the idea of a found family, which shines expertly, again, in “Napkins.” Taking all of that and then having Carmy make the drastic decision he does in a season that’s all about amending his mistakes and righting his wrongs feels like a peculiar way out.
Part of what makes The Bear Season 4 so underwhelming is that with such a sensational cast at the helm, we get clunky beats of the writers telling us one thing when, instead, they should be showing us something else. And it’s because Edebiri shows so much in “Sophie” that allows every scene in the episode to work, even while we’re out of the restaurant. In contrast, narrative pieces in “Bears” work phenomenally to add substance, while other sections simply attempt to quietly match the shock and chaos of “Fishes” with characters that feel out of place. (Not you, Brie Larson. You can stay.)
It’s unfortunate that in a season that could have continued taking us through intimate character journeys to emphasize the crux of its found family, it instead goes through wonky additions to spoon-feed the importance of a single character who feels wildly out of place. (Or a few if we look at how the Faks have more screen time than someone as compelling as Tina or Luca, whose incredible reintroduction leaves a mark.) Sure, some of the comedic relief works, but one or two scenes, tops—we didn’t need jokes going on and on.
With a strong season premiere and an even stronger season finale, it’s hard to completely disregard this arc as a gripping one. There’s a lot of distinguished content we get, even amid the scenes that feel lackluster. Christopher Storer shines best as a showrunner when he takes risks on format, tone, and character work, which is why the best episodes stand out the way they do. Thus, it’s hard not to wonder how engrossing the season could’ve been if the story and character arcs were consolidated better. The meat is quite literally all there to provide the type of riveting storytelling that not only sticks the landing but feels earned at all times, and the fact that only a handful of episodes are truly excellent is a little heartbreaking.
Given the events of the finale, The Bear, as we know it, is nearing the end. So, what will happen in the upcoming seasons? Who will lead the show, and where will it go? Or is the writing on the wall trying to tell us that this is the true end? Regardless, credit where it’s due—Season 4 features some of the most shining performances and sequences in the show’s history, but we’ve unfortunately lost the plot.
The Bear Season 4 is now streaming on Hulu.
First Featured Image Credit: ©FX