Throughout The Bear, the greatest threat looming over Carmy and his crew is the restaurant shutting down, yet considering how The Bear season 3 ended, I think the restaurant should close – at least for now. Over the course of three seasons, The Bear has explored the chaotic and traumatic world of Carmen Berzatto, his friends, and his family. Amid glorious highs and truly devastating lows, the biggest goal of the show has been to get The Original Beef, now The Bear, up and running. However, I’m starting to think that The Bear needs to fail before it can succeed.
At the end of season 3, The Bear’s cast of characters are all in precarious positions. Sydney is considering taking on a new position with Chef Adam Shapiro, Jimmy is seconds from defunding the restaurant, and Carmy is anxiously awaiting the release of the Chicago Tribune’s review. Based on his reaction in the very final moments of the season, it doesn’t look too good. Rather than finding a quick solution like they always do, I think The Bear season 4 will see Carmy hit that rock bottom by closing the restaurant and forcing him to finally face his fears.
Signs Carmy’s Restaurant Will Close In The Bear Season 4
The Bear Doesn’t Deserve To Stay Open After Season 3
The Bear season 3 dropped several hints that the restaurant will not succeed, at least not at first, in the next season. The biggest clue the show leaves is the review. Since The Bear’s opening, the restaurant has struggled to perform at its best, and now the city’s best food critics are publicly announcing whether The Bear is good or bad. Carmy’s reaction at the end of the season implies a poor review. However, beyond that, the general ambiance of the restaurant was bad in season 3, and that may be the most significant hint of all.
The Bear’s bad vibes prove the restaurant is in troubled waters, but they also make it clear that Carmy doesn’t deserve to succeed yet. Though he has never failed to put in hard work, season 3 Carmy lacks the leadership and kindness that made him such a great boss in season 1 and 2. As an audience member, I am always attuned to the atmosphere of The Bear’s kitchen, and in season 3, there were undeniable feelings of tension, resentment, and anger. This is not the kind of restaurant that I personally want to succeed in The Bear season 4.
I’d Be Fine With The Restaurant Closing Temporarily In The Bear Season 4
How The Bear Should Handle This Restaurant Hiatus
I think closing the restaurant would be the best case scenario in The Bear season 4. Not only does the restaurant still have major flaws to work out, but the characters themselves also need time away from each other to figure out their own problems. This is especially important for Carmy. Still struggling with what he said to Claire and haunted by the memory of his old boss, Chef David Fields, Carmy needs to take a breather and actually evaluate what he’s doing and why. Though he thrives on putting his head down and working, this method clearly isn’t successful.
If The Bear closed in season 4, there are a lot of fascinating plotlines that the show can follow through on.
If The Bear closed in season 4, there are a lot of fascinating plotlines that the show can follow through on. Aside from Carmy finally apologizing to Claire and facing his trauma, we could see Syd taking the job with Shapiro and getting a taste of restaurant work outside The Bear. With Tiff’s wedding coming up, we could also watch Richie bond with his daughter and come to terms with his mistakes. Plus, Sugar just had a baby, which is a huge change for her. Ultimately, The Bear needs the restaurant to be on pause for integral character development.
Ultimately, I Need To See Carmy Succeed In The Bear
Carmy Needs To Change If He’s Going To Succeed
To be clear, I don’t think that The Bear should close forever. If the restaurant closed for good, this would be super disappointing and would take away one of the most pivotal elements of the series. Carmy needs to make this work if The Bear wants to end on a high note, whenever it intends on ending. At the end of the day, what I really want is for the restaurant to close so Carmy can see what it needs to succeed. It is a hard truth that needs to occur if The Bear is going to work out.
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In my mind, the number one thing Carmy needs in The Bear season 4 is change. One of my least favorite elements of The Bear season 3 is that nothing really changed, at least emotionally, for any of the characters. Some events occurred and backstory was provided, but Carmy is in the same place at the end of The Bear season 3 that he was at the end of The Bear season 2. Because of this, I really hope that The Bear shutters the restaurant and makes its characters finally own up to their own flaws and feelings.
The Bear
10/10
- Release Date
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June 23, 2022
- Network
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Hulu
- Showrunner
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Christopher Storer
- Directors
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Ramy Youssef
- Writers
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Catherine Schetina, Alex Russell, Karen Joseph Adcock, Sofya Levitsky-Weitz, Stacy Osei-Kuffour