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Success in this case appears to have bred a major belief in self-indulgence, as the story is largely pushed aside in favor of seriously arty pretension.

Jeremy Allen White in 'The Bear.' Photo: Courtesy of FX.

Arriving on FX with its entire third season of 10 episodes on June 26th, ‘The Bear’ marks the return of one of the most highly acclaimed (and awarded) shows in recent history. But that praise appears to have gone to the heads of the series’ showrunners, as the new season is an exercise in overworked stylistic flourishes and undercooked plotting.

Does ‘The Bear’ Deliver a Satisfying Season 3?

Liza Colon-Zayas in 'The Bear.' Photo: Courtesy of FX.

Cooking at the level portrayed –– endlessly –– in ‘The Bear’ requires careful development, endless tweaking and the ideal mix of ingredients, fire and time. Yet while the first two seasons of the show exhibited plenty of all three, the new run of episodes finds itself in a repetitive, style-over-substance loop.

One or two episodes break free of the spiral and feel fresher than the others (particularly this year’s flashback to how Liza Colón-Zayas’ Tina came to work at The Original Beef, the sandwich joint that main character chef Jeremy Allen White’s Carmen ‘Carmy’ Berzatto replaced with his fine-dining effort), but overall the feeling is of a team taking the wrong lessons from all that success.

Script and Direction

Ayo Edebiri in 'The Bear.' Photo: Courtesy of FX.

Co-showrunners Christopher Storer and Joanna Calo lean into their worst impulses on the writing front, often sacrificing an engaging ongoing story for long sequences of characters preparing food set to music. The true pressure and tension only really comes out here and there, and episodes such as “Next” (which chronicles a month of tricky nights at the restaurant) do help that.

When the show takes its foot off the pedal and allows the emotion to seep back in, it also works to some level, though the whole is most certainly less than the sum of its parts.

Jeremy Allen White in 'The Bear.' Photo: Courtesy of FX.

Storer also directs the lion’s share of the episodes, and his sensibility is turned up to honestly annoyingly indulgent levels, like a chef spinning a grill’s controls to its highest setting. The first episode in particular is a moody dive into Carmy’s head, but it rarely illuminates anything new about the character, simply re-treading well-walked emotional paths. We already know he had revelatory moments in his past work with some of the best chefs, and that he was endlessly bullied by most recent boss Chef David (Joel McHale). While those moments do at least set up a clash with the taunting tyrant in the season finale, it remains more frustrating than entertaining.

One true highlight from both a writing and directing front is “Napkins” the episode as mentioned above focused on Tina’s past. Show co-star Ayo Edebiri steps up for that one, and delivers a relatable, nuanced outing that hinges on superb work from both Colón-Zayas and Jon Bernthal as Carmy’s brother Michael.

Performances

Lionel Boyce in 'The Bear.' Photo: Courtesy of FX.

It’s in the cast where the show remains redoubtable. Even when the creators are going off on flights of fancy, you can rely on the actors to do their best in keeping things grounded.

Jeremy Allen White as Carmen ‘Carmy’ Berzatto

Jeremy Allen White in 'The Bear.' Photo: Courtesy of FX.

When the show ventures inside Carmy’s head, it suffers, yet White is still able to find real emotion, even as he’s often left with scenes where he’s pouting like a fish on the plate while more interesting things happen elsewhere.

Ayo Edebiri as Sydney Adamu

Ayo Edebiri in 'The Bear.' Photo: Courtesy of FX.

Syd overtakes Carmy in the compelling stakes this season, and Edebiri is more than up to the challenge. While her business partner wallows, she’s making moves, considering whether to accept a chunk of the restaurant or head to potentially greener pastures.

Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Richard ‘Richie’ Jerimovich

Ebon Moss-Bachrach in 'The Bear.' Photo: Courtesy of FX.

“Cousin” as he’s always known –– though he’s really just a family friend of Carmy’s late brother who is so close to the clan he’s considered part of it –– is, like, Syd, a highlight of the show. Yet even Ebon Moss-Bachrach gets less to do this year, his storyline rarely as compelling as his arc from last season. Still, when he’s handed emotionally deep work such as scenes with ex-wife Tiffany (Gillian Jacobs), he shines.

Other Notable Cast and Cameos

Abby Elliott in 'The Bear.' Photo: Courtesy of FX.

Around Carmy, Syd and Richie, there are great performances on display from the likes of Colón-Zayas, Abby Elliott (as Carmy’s sister Nat, who gives birth in one of the other standout episodes) and Lionel Boyce as pastry chef Marcus, who channels his grief at losing his mother into his work. If we’re honest, we’d rather spend more time with their entertaining stories than endless rehashes of Carmy’s issues.

On the actor cameo front, we won’t spoil some of the more delightful surprises, but they all make impacts with relatively small roles. The likes of Bernthal, Olivia Coleman and Jamie Lee Curtis all make welcome returns. Yet the real issue comes via the parade of famous culinary types who are sprinkled across several episodes. The finale in particular leans so much on them that they become less a welcome ingredient and more filler for an episode that looks to fill a 10-gallon pot with a single gallon of story.

Final Thoughts

Ebon Moss-Bachrach in 'The Bear.' Photo: Courtesy of FX.

It is a little ironic that a show which has received such good reviews, and which partially bases its driving narrative on the potential for a negative one to be handed down to the titular restaurant dives into the overly experimental side of its presentation, often at the expense of the more fulfilling emotional story beats.

There are only so many artfully crafted montages one can sit through while waiting for something nourishing on a narrative level. A great soundtrack can’t distract from the feeling that you’re watching re-heated emotional themes.

‘The Bear’ Season 3 receives 6 out of 10 stars.

The Bear

"Back for seconds."

TV-MA3 SeasonsJune 23rd, 2022

Watch The Bear Online

What’s the story of ‘The Bear’ Season 3?

‘The Bear’s third season picks up shortly after the events of the Season 2 finale, in which friends and family night, one of the soft launches of the eponymous restaurant, turns into a fraught nightmare for the staff, as obsessed head chef Carmen ‘Carmy’ Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) has an emotional meltdown while trapped in the kitchen’s walk-in freezer, leaving others to pick up his slack.

In the aftermath of that, several characters are either deciding what the future truly holds for them (such as Ayo Edebiri’s Sydney Adamu, who mulls Carmy’s offer to become a full partner in the business at the same time she receives an attractive alternative option) or deal with their own dysfunctional family issues.

Carmy, meanwhile, remains as exhaustingly focused as ever, looking to set impossibly high standards for himself and those around him, while fretting the first review of his fledgling venture.